Support for Persky recall is a vote against violence

The campaign to recall Judge Aaron Persky isn’t “mob rule,” despite what detractors claim. Mob rule implies violence and intimidation outside the lawful realm. In clear contrast, the campaign to recall Judge Persky is democratic, lawful and explicitly anti-violent.

First, within a democracy, we citizens have both a right to vote officials in and a fundamental right to vote them out. Additionally, the reason behind this campaign is because we citizens have had enough with violence, especially sexual violence against women. Persky has a history of allowing Brock Turner and many other privileged men convicted of violent sex crimes off with minimal sentences.

Voting yes on the recall of Judge Persky is a vote against violence and intimidation. It is a vote against Judge Persky’s belief that privileged, white, male athletes are above the law. And we, as a society, are using democracy, not mob rule, to do it. — Natalia Lima, Santa Clara