Give John a Break
Well, I guess “fanatically religious” is better than the old hackneyed “fanatically violent” notion. What made John Brown “fanatically religious” (“On Trial,” Aug. 22)? Because he actually believed that applying the Golden Rule was a logical application of his religion? Because he was a traditional Protestant? So were many people in that generation. His counterpart, Stonewall Jackson, was no more devout a Protestant than John Brown, but no one calls him “fanatically religious.” I guess some folks feel that religion is not meant to be taken seriously by believers, and anyone who does is fanatical. John Brown just can’t get a break.
Louis A. DeCaro Jr.
Via PacificSun.com
We Need to Talk
In response to the “Heroes & Zeroes” column on Aug. 1, which described a Sausalito store owner calling the police on an African-American family: I would ask that the Sausalito community (including businesses, residents, elected officials and agencies) see this incident as an opportunity to have a serious conversation about racial justice. I live in Sausalito and own a business here. We can’t just say that this incident was an aberration. It happened. And, yes, it’s complicated. It’s also very straightforward. This incident can become the catalyst for meaningful change, if we view it that way. I encourage our community to embrace the discomfort of having difficult conversations about race so that we can collectively manifest a different outcome, one where we have heroes, not zeroes.
Lisa Bennett
Via PacificSun.com
Guess List
Will bone spurs prevent Donald Trump from attending memorial services or the funeral of Sen. John McCain?
Robert D. Bock
San Rafael
