Letters to the Editor: July 2-8, 2020

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The Editor:

For the past 20 years or more, I have been shocked over and over again and upset that police were shooting unarmed young Black people in the back and killing them – and getting off scot-free every time and in every state. How is it that the police are above the law? The police have been literally getting away with murder. A few years ago, I went to our local police station in Blaine and asked why this was happening. I was told by the police chief that for the past 20 years this is how they are trained: To shoot to the “mass” – in other words, the chest or the back. When I was growing up, the police would shoot someone in the arm, leg or hand to wound them, not to kill them. And all because maybe they stole a pack of cigarettes? The frequency of these types of killings by the police have gotten out of hand and these are probably only a fraction of what we see caught on camera. Imagine the hundreds and thousands that no one sees.

In the U.S., the police go through a five-month training period, while in Europe they go through a two-year training program. In the states, the emphasis is more on military-style training, while in Europe the emphasis is on de-escalation techniques and communication skills, etc.

Like the Native American Indians in this country, Black people have been horrifically mistreated – tortured, murdered – coming originally as slaves. It is beyond words to describe the shocking way this country has unfolded when you look at how the white people in power have treated people of color. The heartbreaking toll of misery and suffering this has caused over centuries of time, and because why? All for no reason at all. Anyone in their right mind knows for a fact there is absolutely no justification at all for any of it. Love comes in all different shapes, sizes and colors. And like the beautiful rainbow in the sky, we all make a beautiful shining light of rainbow colors here on earth. Take good care of yourself and one another.

Cindy Kisska

Birch Bay

 

The Editor:

Historical note: The Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in the Confederate states and not throughout the nation as is widely thought. The Emancipation Proclamation was primarily a military strategy as slaves were being used logistically by the Confederate States of America to drive supply wagons and provide other labor. The idea was that if freed, the slaves would desert the southern armies, which many did, and thus weaken them. It was the 13th Amendment (1/31/1865) that formally abolished slavery throughout the nation.

Richard Mollette

Custer

 

The Editor:

This week two great neighbors are celebrating their birthdays: Canada and the U.S. Two flags will be raised at our home as I am a citizen of Canada and of the U.S. Both countries have much to celebrate and be proud of; both countries are also imperfect. The metastatic cancer of racism and poverty infects both, and in both, people are speaking out about injustice and the need for change, change within each of us as none of us is perfect, and change within the systems we have created.

This has meant difficult conversations and these are not helped when we throw disparaging and derogatory words around or place every topic in a “left” or “right” box. Poverty and racism exist; how we tackle them can either exacerbate the divide or heal it. Ibram Kendi’s powerful tale of one person’s journey from being a racist Black man to an anti-racist (“So You Want to be an Antiracist”) can help illuminate the path.

As we join virtually, or in person, to rejoice in what is good in both countries, let’s also recommit to building a country of “peace, order and good government,” and a country where “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” are truly for all.

Helen Worley

Blaine

 

The Editor:

I would like to thank Chief Tanksley for sharing his heartfelt story and thank the local policemen and women of our community for their service. Their service goes unappreciated by many and it’s a difficult job each and every day. All communities should take this time to reflect and have a conversation about what we want our judicial and enforcement systems to look like. The ‘defund the police’ movement is not about disbanding the police force, it’s about reallocating our tax dollars to fund non-policing forms of public safety and community support. Not every situation police are called to requires a person with a badge and a gun.

The letter to the editor by Mr. Rudolph in last week’s issue appears to whitewash history – he might want to consider that our founding came at the cost and on the backs of many cultures be they Indigenous, Black, Asian and others.

While the Civil War and emancipation worked to correct many wrongs, racism in our country hasn’t stopped, lest we forget ‘separate but equal,’ the Tulsa, Oklahoma bombing, redlining and our criminal justice system that has disproportionately targeted and impacted our communities of color, to name a few.

Racism isn’t always an overt action or idea, it has been embedded in our policies and laws, by supporting these we are all complicit in their results. Correcting these wrongs shouldn’t be a partisan topic but aligned with our country’s core values and the golden rule.

I found the following question stuck with me as we all consider what is white privilege. “As a white person in America, would you trade places and like to be treated like a Black person today?” If you answered no, then reflect deeply why not and why you are ok to continue to let this happen to others, this is white privilege.

May we all do our part to become allies in this movement, Black Lives Matter.

Doug Fink

Blaine

 

The Editor:

We know that on the Fourth of July we celebrate our independence from tyrannical King George (sometimes shooting off illegal fireworks and drinking too much alcohol). We also remember July 4, 1776 as the date of the Declaration of Independence with the words of Thomas Jefferson: “…They create all men equal … with certain unalienable rights … life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…”

In 1776, men representing 13 distinct and distant colonies agreed to this revolutionary idea. They compromised. The document’s author and many signers owned, bought and sold human beings. Only men who owned property could vote, but they agreed to an ideal. Their signatures guaranteed a devastating war with one of the world’s then-most powerful military forces, (a war on their own soil, with little chance they would prevail).

Another Fourth of July, almost 100 years ago, paused celebrations for reflection. Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams both died on July 4, 1826. Both knew they were passing on the 50th anniversary of the first Fourth of July. Across the nation, many took this coincidence as a sign from God. They believed we must expand our borders to become the ‘Empire of Liberty’ envisioned by founding fathers. Within 50 years, the U.S. stretched its boundaries from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Today, with our boundaries set, let’s reflect on our progress. Let’s plan our way forward, opening our hearts and minds to the promise: “...They create all men equal...with certain unalienable rights...life, liberty.” Let’s continue to evolve.

Antoinette Harvey

Blaine

 

The Editor:

My name is Samantha Syrnich. I live in Birch Bay. I am concerned with how much of the county’s budget monies have been going to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.

The Whatcom County budget priorities for the next two years are being decided by the end of the month. Currently, 65-70 percent of the current county council’s budget goes to the sheriff’s office. Let’s change this.

To keep our communities safe, we can instead invest in living wage jobs, housing for all, youth programs, healthcare and other essential community services.

In February, the county council passed a Child and Family Action Plan that aims to increase affordable housing, childcare and mental healthcare services for all Whatcom families. To move forward toward these goals, it needs funding or it is just words with no action.

Furthermore, funding could be better utilized by addressing homelessness and poverty in this county.

Providing affordable housing, access to food and healthcare services to those experiencing homelessness is essential, and is a great place for more money to go.

And finally, the monies would be an absolutely essential benefit if the budget covers just the airfare to bring the world’s leading domestic violence experts to Whatcom County to train judges, commissioners, gals, law enforcement personnel, and other court services personnel free of cost in how to handle domestic violence cases so that hopefully children and protective parents can then be safe within our communities of Whatcom County.

The sheriff’s department is usurping way too much of the county’s budget and this must be fairly redistributed if we are to have a safer community. People’s lives are important. No one should feel like their life does not matter, nor belong in our Whatcom County communities.

Please place Whatcom County budget monies into the value of human life as outlined and described in the above paragraphs, and you will see human lives improve, reductions in crime, and overall creation of much safer communities.

Samantha Syrnich

Birch Bay

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