This letter is a response to Carey Burnside’s piece (“I don’t see race. I see people”) in the July 22 issue.
Here is how Wikipedia defines Black Lives Matter: “BLM is a decentralized movement in the US advocating for non-violent
civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against African-American people.” Its purpose is advocacy and protest against racial discrimination.
It is not against the law to protest. You as an American have the right to assemble and peacefully protest against the government as you see fit. This is derived from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. You have the right to engage in a peaceful protest in a public space and that includes sidewalks, streets, parks etc.
But the question here is how do you separate a group of peaceful protesters from an outbreak of violence? I have extended family in Portland, Oregon. They tell me that the protests were limited to one small area of downtown and were peaceful for several weeks. They feel that outsiders have come in and caused the current outbreak in violence.
In relation to the Obama Administration: All Presidents make mistakes — they are human beings, after all — but as a whole, I think President Obama did many things we Americans should be thankful for. He created regulations for big banks; he ended the 2008 recession; he modernized the auto industry and created (and kept) many of the jobs for the auto workers. He was able to create a nuclear agreement with Iran along with an International Climate agreement, and he also was responsible for eliminating Bin Laden. Not to mention the 2010 tax cuts and creating the one of the largest trade agreements.
And the important aspect of his presidency is that he was respected worldwide and did not make mockery of us. He was also responsible for putting 10 million of us back to work. Considering the circumstances of when he went into office, and the financial state of affairs our country was in, he did a pretty good job.
I am neither Democrat or Republican. I try to be an educated voter. I voted for Bush both times. I then voted for Obama both times. I have been on both sides of the fence and I have been scorned by friends on both sides of that fence. It is a privilege to vote and all Americans should have that right.
I did not vote for Trump, though I didn’t like Hillary much either. I did not like his campaigning tactics and he was vulgar, plain and simple. That was not an example or legacy I would want to leave for my family or grandchildren.
Trump has been impeached and rightfully so. I read the Mueller report because I didn’t want a biased newscaster telling me what the report said. Six Trump advisors were indicted and five have been convicted. Our very own democracy is being torn down piece by piece.
We may never have a perfect candidate and sometimes we just cast a vote for the better of two people and what they represent regardless of party. As someone wrote me during this COVID crisis, “Time to remember the best voting advice I have heard: Voting isn’t marriage, it’s public transport. You are not waiting for ‘the one’ who is absolutely perfect, you are getting on the bus, and if there isn’t one going exactly to your destination you don’t stay at home and sulk – you take the one going closest to where you want to be.”
— Sally Huber, Clancy
