Long-standing colonial beliefs and principles are exhibited daily in America with racial inequality always at the core. White people have great difficulty even discussing the phenomenon of white privilege. So deep does white dominance in our culture go, that policy changes that might produce healing are dismissed with, “I’m not racist” and further examination of the subject goes nowhere. Like the words liberal and conservative, the word racism becomes twisted and oblique in the hands of our politicians and their talk show pundits. It seems to me that discussions about white supremacy should begin in the classrooms where extensive education that examines racism throughout history simply does not exist. There are not enough opportunities for whites to learn how they can bridge gaps of distrust, misunderstanding and guilt to achieve true equity and inclusion for people of color.
Since each generation is more liberal (the live-and-let-live definition) than the one preceding it, I am confident that with time, white supremacy will be exposed for what it is—a backwards, backwoods and immoral philosophy.
Dennis Kostecki, Sausalito
At the Precipice
President Trump is fighting and competing with China and the rest of the world when the future survival and well-being of humanity are calling out in the clearest voice for the world to replace centuries of fighting and competition with a new era of relaxed and friendly cooperation in all spheres of activity.
Just a quick look back at the thousands of years of immense human suffering is absolute proof that the spirit of war and conquest has proved a total disaster for the entire human race. Today the world lives in both the greatest danger of self-annihilation and also the greatest potential for a revolution of peace for all people everywhere. And the outcome to either destroy ourselves with thousands of nuclear weapons and continued global warming or to work together for our common success and happiness is in our hands.
How can any sane and conscious human being possibly choose this nightmare of global death instead of beginning life anew on this precious Earth and finally make our planet a home for the realization of humanity’s greatest dreams of complete happiness?
Rama Kumar, Fairfax
SB1 Lives
The Assembly Appropriations Committee suspended SB1 last Wednesday due to the high negative fiscal impact that the bill will have on our state. Not only will SB1 hurt our families and our communities, but now the committee has also made it clear that it will have a negative impact on our state’s economy. The California Water Alliance will continue to push the governor and the California legislature to negotiate amendments that support the best science available as it relates to the biological opinions and voluntary settlement agreements. What can you do? Please contact your state assemblymember and tell them to fix or nix SB1.
Terra Brusseau
Executive Director, California Water Alliance
