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-My name is Ethan Hunter.
I am running for city council in District 4,
and I am often asked, why am I here?
I'm here because Seattle lacks a clear moral voice,
calling attention to the issues that threaten our future.
I am here because we need safe schools
where we teach reading and writing,
not duck and cover.
I am here because suicide rates
among 15 to 24-year-olds
are at their highest level
since 2000, and action is required.
I am here to speak
for our most vulnerable
so they have access to services
that have been stripped away.
I am here to support salaries
that draw exceptional civil servants.
I am here to fight
the landslide of unsheltered,
a problem which has increased by 46% since 2017.
I am here for families like mine,
devastated by an opioid crisis
that has spiked 70%
in our area since 2018.
And I am here,
for it is time to make
uncomfortable decisions
about things like the environment
so that we can look back with pride
in the 2050s
at what we did in the 2020s.
So, when those running the city
and for council want the issues to be
places and things instead of people,
it is up to us to stand up,
speak up, and say,
"This is not right."
That is why I am here.
And I do this even though others may take
special interest money,
which I will not,
even though I am young
and most have more experiences,
and even though I am the only
working class candidate running.
But the battles we must tackle
are generational.
The battles we must tackle
will not be solved easily
or in a few years,
but we are in the battle of our lives,
and because of that,
it is time for the next generation
to take the helm in Seattle
as is happening nationwide.
Thank you, and I look forward
to serving you on city council.