An indecent act in a decent city

Of all the disturbing comments made since Newport Beach City

Councilman Dick Nichols decided once again to show his true colors,

none is worse than the suggestion that he was just expressing what

most of Newport Beach believes anyway.

One letter writer, a Costa Mesa resident whose reaction was as

predictable as the sunrise, even went as far as to call outraged

Newporters “hypocrites.”

Then there is the debate over whether we’re upset with Nichols

because of what he believes or because he bothered to state those

beliefs publicly.

Sadly, even my colleague Joe Bell fell into this trap last

Thursday. Another letter writer offered that it is Nichols’ lack of

judgment in speaking out loud that is his real crime.

Let’s take the least important point first. It matters not whether

Nichols expressed his views to a Daily Pilot reporter or to his

neighbor over a barbecued steak. He expressed them, and to me and to

the six clear-thinking members of the Newport Beach City Council,

that’s all that matters.

Nichols, you see, is a public servant. And although I know that

these days it’s a hard concept to understand, public servants are

supposed to be held to a higher standard than the rest of us. Yes,

though officials from former President Bill Clinton all the way down

to former Newport-Mesa school board Trustee Jim Ferryman committed

crimes and felt no urge to resign from office, many of us don’t like

such behavior.

Gov. Gray Davis, who has committed no crime, is feeling the wrath

of Californians who have drawn a line in the sand, fed up with the

irresponsible way our leaders talk, act and spend our money.

It could very well be that the furor over Nichols’ comments is

being fueled by the recall sentiment that is sweeping California.

It’s only natural that at some point, Joe Sixpack is going to want to

hold these people accountable.

Nichols has not committed any crime that is punishable by law. But

he has committed a moral crime by condemning not just a few people

but an entire nationality. He is entitled to his views, certainly,

but when those views become reckless, no one, least of all Nichols,

should be surprised at the reactions. Nichols spoke, and now it’s

time for Newport Beach residents to respond.

Let’s take the large point now, the one that hints that Nichols

was saying what many in Newport Beach are thinking.

I don’t believe that there is a single resident of Newport Beach

who moved there or lives there because it’s almost all white. They

moved there because they see the city as one of the nation’s best

places to live and because they’ve worked hard enough to afford the

city’s cost of living.

They moved there not because they appreciate the color of their

neighbor’s skin, but because they appreciate that their neighbor is a

decent person. Newport Beach is a decent city full of decent people,

and Dick Nichols has shamed them. Dick Nichols doesn’t speak for

Newport Beach residents, he speaks for the indecent people they try

to avoid.

The trouble with indecent people is that they think everyone else

is indecent, too. So when they speak their evil minds, they’re doing

so because they believe they’ve got an eager audience.

I applaud the backbone of the Newport Beach City Council for

moving swiftly to condemn Nichols and to urge him to resign. This is

one of the rare instances in the entire country when our young people

can look at bad behavior by an elected official and actually see some

consequences.

Last Thursday, Joe Bell had a chance to ask Nichols to resign, but

stopped short. I was sad because it would have been one of the rare

times we agreed. And how comical it was to read my name associated

with the term “bleeding heart liberal” in reaction to my comments a

week ago calling for Nichols’ resignation.

The lesson for our kids here is that common decency cuts across

all races, religions and nationalities and that there is no place in

public life for anyone who shames decent people with indecent

comments.

*

Congratulations to Kirk Stone and the Costa Mesa National Little

League Minor B Dodgers for winning the District 62 Tournament of

Champions.

Kirk brings to coaching the best of all possible qualities. Kirk

loves to win, but not at the expense of humiliating any child. All he

asks is that they try their best each game.

Kirk loves kids, he loves coaching, he loves baseball and he loves

to have fun. That combination will beat pressuring kids any day.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer.

Readers may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at

(949) 642-6086.