The Editor:
Thinking that leads to cuts in medical research, resistance to climate science, and under-funding research into women’s health isn’t new. Replacing this administration and removing DOGE would still leave racism and poverty. Environmental destruction would continue. We would still have a society where women’s rights and needs are secondary – acknowledged only in the context of motherhood. Society would still over-value productivity and wealth while undervaluing care-taking, creativity, and labor.
A Seattle Times article on May 3 about autism offered an important reminder: Many aspects of our reality exist on a spectrum, just as autism does. This got me thinking. While we often frame societal issues in black-and-white terms, it’s actually the spectrum of wants, needs, abilities, and ideas that allows society to thrive.
Imagine if everyone wanted to be a banker or a dentist. Society works because individuals are drawn to different paths – police officers, firefighters, artists, teachers, landscapers, plumbers, and more. Our differences are not liabilities; they are the lubricant that keeps the engine of society running.
When we focus on division, judgment, and ridicule, we undermine our collective strength. At our best, Americans recognize each other not for our differences, but for our gifts. We are each a unique dot on a vibrant spectrum.
Donna Starr
Blaine
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