Letters to the Editor 09/06/2017

To the Editor:

Craig Rullman, columnist for The Nugget Newspaper, thinks that America is not institutionally racist and that "America continues a historically remarkable record of self-correction in the matters of race." Using some twisted logic, he believes the real tragedy of Charlottesville will be used (if it's further exploited) to suggest otherwise.

If you call yourself a Nazi, you're a racist. I think we can all agree on that. I believe Trump is racist. But what Trump did in his role as President of the United States, by using his office to pardon racist ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio, is the perfect example of institutional racism. Arpaio, in his role as sheriff, targeting Latinos at traffic stops whether or not they committed a traffic violation, is another example of institutional racism.

The group Black Lives Matter is a direct response to institutional racism in the police force.

The right-wing media, especially Fox News, basically a State-sanctioned organization, perpetuates institutional racism by, for example, making the claim of moral equivalency between white supremacists and counter-protestors or claiming that if you agree that the statue of Robert E. Lee is offensive, you must also believe that all other statues you don't approve of should be taken down. These are false choices.

I agree with John Mapes that one of the United States' most admired principles, that all people are created equal, is under attack.

Terry Weygandt