Letter: BNSF’s ‘concern’ doesn’t extend to our safety

Regarding the Sept. 18 guest commentary, “Protest that blocked tracks held up passengers, crews, freight”: I find BNSF Railway’s concern for the safety of coal train protesters touching but a bit disingenuous. This is the same company that routinely runs highly explosive Baaken crude oil underneath downtown Everett through a tunnel where any fire could not be extinguished. They do this even though a safer alternate route exists, for the sake of convenience and profit. The protesters put themselves at risk, not others, and do so for the sake of conscience.

The writers say that these protests do nothing, and ask “why anyone would put themselves in harm’s way — for a headline.” Why? Because headlines can start conversations, which can lead to action, which can lead to change. Think of Gandhi overthrowing the British empire with homemade salt and homespun cloth, of the civil rights leaders who crossed the Edmund Pettus bridge into a wall of police in Selma, Alabama.

The actions of the protesters caused delay and inconvenience. The actions of BNSF? Potential for a catastrophic explosion, accidental or not. I shudder to think of how easy it would be for some ISIS wannabe to have that much explosive power available half a block from the Xfinity Arena. If they really want to show they care, BNSF can stop running bomb trains through the heart of our city.

Donald Shank

Everett