Letters: Racism, COVID-19, Richland smells and more | Aug. 9

Community made summer great

With school happening at home, then a slower-paced summer, our family would like to thank the thoughtful members of our community who have made a special effort to make these days special.

We have had books dropped off by our school librarian, strawberry plants given to us for science class, cookie and painted rock deliveries, neighborhood treasure hunts posted on telephone poles, invitations to a neighbor’s pool and a weekly kids art contest to look forward to.

Thank you to every person who has found ways to make our COVID days brighter.

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Be deliberate so Black lives matter

In his letter from a Birmingham jail dated April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. writes, “Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

It is for this reason we must be deliberate to say “Black Lives Matter.” Stating, “All Lives Matter,” doesn’t recognize or seek to reconcile the harm racism has had on Black Americans. By heralding Black Lives Matter, we acknowledge and work toward remediating the injustice incurred by Black families whose family members were enslaved or lynched, run out of town with only the shirts on their back, denied admittance to school, looked over for a job, and arrested without just cause.

It is our opportunity to commit to our Black citizens the resolve to change our beliefs, actions and laws to help (get) rid of and dismantle the fears and socioeconomic disparities continuously inflicted upon generations of Black Americans.

We can only achieve movement beyond “lukewarm acceptance” when we demand from ourselves and others to responsibly own our contributions, dedicate to make and enforce the change, and acknowledge unconditional love as a statement of American values and not politics.

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Wear those masks properly, please

Come on, people, wear the mask right. If we are ever going to get back to any kind of a somewhat normal Tri-Cities, we need to do it right. Whenever i go to a store, 95% of the people are wearing there masks the right way. But too many are not. I've seen customers and employees not wearing their masks properly. I've seen employees wearing their masks on their chin or just under their noses. Where are the store managers at or should I say why aren't they controlling this? We will never get out of Phase 1.5 unless we do. Please wear you masks. Thanks.

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Make a sacrifice; we did it in WWII

During WWII, Americans were called on to ration meat, gasoline, rubber and other commodities essential to the war effort. People who resisted were labeled unpatriotic. No one protested because FDR usurped their right to hoard. Those Americans are now recognized as “The Greatest Generation.”

Fast forward to 2020. Schools plan to open in a few weeks. Some adults still cling to their love affair with stupidity by insisting COVID-19 is a hoax. It’s an impossible position to defend to the 67% of Americans who disapprove of how Mr. Trump handled the pandemic. He sees the whole business as a “distraction.”

What do we teach our kids about citizenship and responsibility to the community? How do we demonstrate respect for authority when you reject simple guidelines in order to keep your family and neighbors safe?

We’ve already seen the disease spread in states when governors followed Mr. Trump’s encouragement and opened too soon. Now he insists schools must open or he will cut off funding. Parents, teachers and kids are scared of the uncertainty and risk involved.

You lead by example. And oh, by the way, the president is now selling beans from his desk in the Oval Office.

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Current GOP needs to go away

Republicans have been responsible for most of America’s environmental progress. Yellowstone National Park, the National Forest reserves, the Environmental Protection Agency, the emissions trading scheme that fixed acid rain were all creations of Republican presidents. Republican presidents knew who our enemy was and protected us by giving the enemy a line they dare not cross.

Look at our Republican president today! This impeached president has desecrated his office by his middle school tweets; he turns lies into truths and truths into lies. He has destroyed our leadership in the world and destabilized the balance between nuclear powers, making the world a more dangerous place. His trade war with China has cost America billions and shows no benefit.

The pandemic arrived at our doorstep in January (maybe earlier). We should reasonably expect a president to engage resources needed to detect, isolate and treat as needed and lead the way in arresting the spread of COVID-19. Instead, this president ignored, denied and neglected what he should have done. We have stopped Ebola and SARS from spreading, why can’t Trump stop COVID-19?

Trump could not have done this without the support from Republican senators and congressmen. They all need to go!

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Portland today like Munich 1933

No one could imagine how dangerous our “leader” is and how ill prepared our government institutions are to defend against

someone who will not play by the accepted rules of governance. In the end, if the Supreme Court and Justice Department are truly

politicized, there is no stopping a deranged madman in authority, at least without intervention by the states, which is unthinkable. Portland, Ore., — shades of Munich 1933!

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Let’s make area less aromatic

Have you noticed? Richland smells. Leastwise the part of Richland I live in. Sometimes it smells like french-fry oil and sometimes it smells like a cattle feedlot – you know like the smell when you are driving on the highway by Sunnyside or Tyson’s meat processing plant near Wallula. Sometimes it smells like the Boise Cascade paper plant at Wallula. Seldom does an early morning go by I'm not confronted by one of these offensive odors.

I enjoy early mornings as a special time of the day when mother earth greets father sun with the gift of a new day. I’m not against these companies. I enjoy a good potato fry, cooked cow meat and use paper products. But I expect these companies to be good neighbors, respectful of the environment and not to infringe on my quality of life for their profit.

And as a First Nation and U.S. citizen and taxpayer, I expect the City of Richland, ... (the counties) and the Washington State Department of Ecology to ensure they don’t. What say you? Don’t be chagrined, put your nose to the wind and your hand to the pen because it is united together, we win.

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Thanks to all for working together

A positive note in the wake of COVID-19 has been that so many in our community are discovering the great outdoors and ways of working together to get through this challenging time. It is nice to see so many more people utilizing our streets and trails.

I would like to thank: all the drivers following the speed limits and graciously sharing the road with the extra pedestrians and cyclists; my fellow neighborhood walkers for the friendly waves and crossing the street to social distance; fellow hikers and cyclists for wearing masks as you pass on the narrow paths and trails; the cities, area organizations, and many volunteers for creating and maintaining our trails; and citizens picking up trash along the way and cleaning up after your furry companions.

In addition, thank you to workers wearing masks all day in their jobs to help keep the public safe and to the customers showing that same respect to the workers.

Change is difficult, but I am inspired by the creativity that many are using to create a new sense of community.

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Think of racism as if it’s a cancer

I have thought about what to say when someone starts to criticize the Black Lives Matter. First, I need to point out that the view of the majority does not capture everyone’s reality. Is there a systemic problem? Well, if you were being tested for cancer and 10 of the samples came back negative and two were positive, do you have cancer? I think almost everyone would say yes. The question of whether to cut out the whole organ or not takes more thought, just like trying to defund police departments. The fact that there are citizens who experience bias and racism is something we all must acknowledge.

Next, the frequent statement that, “There are good people on both sides of the issue” has become a flag for me. Should there be two sides to the issue of racism? Would anyone claim to be for cancer? Both are diseases that hurt our communities. We can differ on what the solutions might be. We can differ on where to start. But just like cancer, we all need to work together. It is incumbent on the majority to listen and be part of the solution.

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When Black lives matter, all lives do

The death of Congressman John Lewis, a leader in the bloody and brutally repressed struggles of black Americans to end legal discrimination coincides with the Black Lives Matter movement. The protests seek to end the reality that growing up Black in America makes you more likely than a white person to be killed by the police. This vulnerability that makes life hard and steals opportunities is due to lack of the wealth that can be traced back to slavery. For every cent of wealth that average Black family with children holds, a white family with children holds a dollar.

Field Order 15 issued by Gen. Sherman in 1865 provided for the distribution of former Confederate land in 40-acre parcels to the newly freed people. After Lincoln’s assassination, the pro-Southern vice president Andrew Johnson rescinded the order. Under the Homestead Act, from 1868 to 1934, white families were the beneficiaries of 246 million acres of the nation’s land, in 160-acre tracts. Redlining neighborhoods where Blacks could live was mapped out under the New Deal. As a result, 98 percent of the loans insured under the Federal Housing Administration went to white Americans. When Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter.

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Republican will vote for Democrat

It’s almost too late for us!

The Republican party made a horrible mistake four years ago when we elected Donald Trump as our president. Yes, I’m guilty too. None of us looked further than the surface at Donald Trump. We just didn’t want Hillary to be the next president.

We now have a president who belittles others to cover for his own mistakes. And now we are torn between re-electing this man or turning the country over to the Democrats.

Folks, we have to stop playing politics and become Americans before it is too late. Write our Congress members and senators. Make your vote count. I am ashamed that my party goofed so badly! But I am prepared to do my part to help this country get out of our mess. I’ll vote, for the first time, for a Democrat for president.

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Blame Civil War on Democrats

Back in 1864, Lincoln, in his second inaugural address, spoke of how to reunite the United States after the Democratic Party, which supported slavery, started the Civil War. When the war was over, Northern Republicans went to the Confederate states and enabled former slaves to have civil rights. By 1877, the Northerners left the South and the Southern Democrat party stripped African Americans of their voting rights.

In the late 1890s and early 1900s, there were reunions on the battlefields of the Civil War. Both ex-Confederate and ex-Union soldiers, some missing arms and legs due to wounds from the Civil War battles, would meet in camaraderie.

The United States government was integrated until Democrat President Woodrow Wilson ordered the federal government to be segregated. The Democrat Party stood for stopping anti-lynching legislation and the KKK was part of the Democrat party. It took Republican leadership to pass the 1960s Civil Rights legislation supported by Republican Martin Luther King.

So, if you would like to cancel Robert E. Lee’s name on Lee Boulevard, you must cancel the racist Democrat party.

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DeVoss aide helps ‘scam schools’ out

Just read Washington Post report that a top aide to Education Secretary (Betsy) DeVoss has been helping a chain of private for-profit schools avoid insolvency and continue raking in taxpayer money. At least one motivation appears to be preventing student borrowers becoming eligible for loan forgiveness. This seems to be a trend.

What continues to puzzle me is why the focus is always on forgiving or not forgiving student loans instead of holding the perpetrators of these scam schools accountable for their fraud. If convicted, the scammers will likely get a presidential pardon, so only mildly inconvenienced. The president, Ms. DeVoss and the scammers all seem sympatico.

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Masking up not good solution

Let’s see, in February we masked up. Virus spreads. In March, we masked up. virus spreads. April, May and June we masked up. Virus out of control. July, we mask up. Is it working? I’d say definition of insanity. I think if you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. If you feel safe without a mask, don’t wear a mask. But King Inslee, a politician, knows how to fight a virus, right?

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Next COVID bill must help world

As the world faces the greatest global pandemic in a century, the House phase 4 response fails to provide support for global health and education in low-income, partner countries. Many nations are already facing poverty and living on the margins, and it’s not just the direct effects of COVID-19 that are of concern, it’s the impact on other health services, education, and the economic toll COVID-19 will take on fragile economies.

We’ve helped low-income partner nations make great progress on child health, diseases, and education and this pandemic is compromising global vaccination services, education and access for testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Hunger and malnutrition are a growing threat.

The House Phase 4 coronavirus bill has no support for this global pandemic, which requires a global response. It now falls to the Senate to include support to deal with the immediate crisis and strengthen the response as a global community.

Please write to Sens. (Maria) Cantwell and (Patty) Murray for help to address what the House has failed to provide. Our COVID-19 emergency response needs to include support for global health and education in low-income partner nations so we don’t lose what we have gained over many years.

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West Side should start own state

Rather than ask Eastern Washington residents to form a new state along the Cascades why don’t the Seattle area residents ask to form a new state called Puget Sound? It would give them 100% certainty of keeping Democratic control forever. It would also relieve them of the insulting burden of living in a state named after a founding father, of being part of the same state with an ugly radioactive desert, contaminated rivers and fish-killing dams. This approach might be supported by both sides.

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Think it’s a hoax? Help the victims

As has been said, "The proof is in the pudding.” Comments by leaders, participants in leading (elected and nonelected), men and women anywhere, “This virus is not a big deal, fake news, overhyped, a hoax, etc,"

March down to your local hospital/clinic, suit up, PPP, Don’t or not, help out: transfer an unconscious adult, or vulnerable child, through as many steps required for each phase of treatment.

Hold the hand of any of those individuals as they take their last "breath" (no family at their side). Comfort their family, nope, can't do that! Help nurses, aides and anyone needing to suit up, strip, suit up again and sit with them (a rarity to have much time to sit) and most of all, pray for them. They are our lifeline, as well! Oh, do not quit your day job!

This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Racism, COVID-19, Richland smells and more | Aug. 9."