A number of articles and editorials from such diverse sources as PBS, the BBC, NBC, CBS, CNN, your paper and The Washington Post have caused me to do some introspection in light of recent national and international news. First, there were the pictures of some of the demonstrators using Nazi salutes at the Charlottesville rally and their parents who proclaimed “we never taught them to hate.”
That gave me pause. Perhaps as parents we’re all to blame not for teaching our children just “not to hate” but for not voicing and demonstrating to them constantly that these things are most vile. That marginalizing any group for race, religion, origin, sexual orientation or physical abilities are so contrary to this country’s principles that they need to stand and be counted when they see them among their peers. After all, who does a child admire most but us? We cannot be silent when our children, no matter what their age, witness these demonstrations. If we don’t speak to them, their peers will. Johnny Cash’s children came out with one voice denouncing one of the right-wing demonstrators for wearing a shirt with their father’s picture on it. Our father said often that “we could choose love or hate, I choose love.”
A public forum letter, “The end of the line,” also caught my attention. A gentleman was bemoaning the fact that “only letters against Trump are published.” He missed his opportunity. He could have used that newsprint to regale us with the president’s accomplishments. I’d love to hear any of them.
Rather than wait for a reply though, I do have one thing that I believe the president has done. He has demonstrated without a doubt how far we need to come in this country to fulfill the promises made by our forefathers. This man’s threat to no longer subscribe to your publication is so typical of my Trump-backing acquaintances who pick and choose news sources that only agree with their preconceived notions of the world.
Teaching our children to sample a lot of sources before making a decision is also critical.
Patrick Dougherty
West Jordan