We send our condolences to the family of Thomas Petit.
Apparently politically motivated, Mr. Petit left a particularly abusive anonymous note on our windshield at the Community Recreation Center. The Durango Police Department identified him from the reconnaissance videos. Given the vitriolic content of the note, we pressed misdemeanor charges hoping for a brief period of probation to guard against any future offense on his part. We were shocked and saddened to hear that Mr. Petit decided to take his own life over such a minor affair.
By any fair assessment Mr. Petit was an upstanding member of the community. It appears to us that the extremely divisive political environment that accompanied the rise of the Trump administration is the root cause of this tragic episode. We unapologetically and non-violently oppose Trump and all he stands for and we are willing to engage in civil debate with his supporters. Mr. Petit apparently was unwilling to do that and found an unacceptable, alternative way to express his views.
We never met the gentleman and deeply regret that we could not have had a polite discussion and agreed to disagree over our political differences.
Mr. Petit may have had other issues weighing on him; issues of which we are unaware. But it seems undeniable that the “Trump effect” was a significant causal component of this very sad set of circumstances.
Again, we offer our sympathies to the Petit family and hope they may recover from this horrible shock.
Michael S. Berry, Berit H. Palmer
Durango
