Re: “Artist picked to design Billy Frank Jr. statue destined for nation’s Capitol” [Jan. 30, Local News]:
I read with pleasure about the statue by an immigrant sculptor that will head to the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall upon completion. I was acquainted with Billy Frank Jr. and found him to be a vibrant and caring person. As a community college teacher for many years in Washington state correctional facilities, when I had inmate students from his Nisqually tribe, they would invariably ask me to “tell Billy” that they “were flying straight” — such deep respect they had for him.
The talk of removal of Marcus Whitman’s statue reminds me of when my immigrant dad was present in Vilnius, Lithuania, amid the fall of the Soviet Union when the statue of the enslaver Vladimir Lenin was knocked down. I have a shard as a souvenir.
We should remember history yet honor positive accomplishments of recent historic leaders.
Danute Musteikis-Rankis, Lynnwood