Letters: Residents need to have a say

Vop Osili is my city councilor, and last year after he interrupted people during public comment and had them thrown out of a council meeting, I sat down with him. I explained that most councilors don’t even respond to constituent emails and public comments are the only way for many [residents] to communicate with their public servants. He seemed to listen, but then he did the same thing a few months later [“Indy Council president says he regrets having women removed from meeting,” June 11, IBJ.com].

At this latest council meeting, he was aware that the women who told their experience in the sex abuse investigation were unhappy with the accuracy of the City-County Council’s report. Vop knew they were coming, despite refusing to communicate with them. He chose to interrupt Lauren Roberts and call her Ms. Bobert. He chose to have the sheriff’s deputies manhandle women 6 feet from his desk. He did not choose the public’s reaction to it, that which he regrets.

—Keith “Wildstyle” Paschall