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LE7 lERS, continued from page A—6
Randy ca res
Editor, Journal,
County Commissioner Randy
Neatherlin at recent potentially
riotous protests in both Shelton and
Belfair calmed the restless crowds,
de-escalating several potentially vio-
lent altercations’. As a peacekeeper,
not a protester, he carried a sign that
- read “Be kind” and reminded every-
one “this is our home.” Randy is an
honest, accessible problem-solver with
integrity who really cares for our com-
munity. Call 360-490-7 389.
Keep Randy Neatherlin working
for you.
Bob Harris
Belfair
Opposites attract
Editor, the Journal,
In love and marriage there is a
saying: “opposites attract.” It’s true
for most long-term married couples
I know. Often they spend the first
few years together trying hard to
make the other partner be more like
themselves. The differences that first
attracted them became irritations
and sources of disappointed expecta-
tions. Those that persevered, that
stayed together even when it was not
fun, discovered something magical:
If they stopped expecting the other
person to be just like them, learned
to appreciate the other person and
act toward them in a loving way,'the
two could become one unit. Two sets
of strengths and weaknesses meshed.
They became a team, filling in each
other’s weaknesses and multiplying
their effectiveness at raising a family,
maintaining a home, and building a
fulfilling life. Don’t get me wrong; I
am not talking about accepting things
suCh as partner abuse, unfaithful-
ness, alcoholism, child abuse, or fail-
ure to contribute to the household. I
mean differences that exist because
individuals have different ways of
thinking, different priorities, different
problem-solving strategies and dif-
ferent ideas of “normal.”Liberals and
conservatives need each other, de-
spite and because of their differences.
Tension between the two help keep
America moving forward down the
middle of the road. Too much power
given to either side sends us into the
ditches of anarchy and communism.
Why are we as a people wasting so
much time and energy being mur-
derously angry at others with whom
we disagree? Cancel culture, public
shaming, twisted political correctness,
illegitimate guilt; all used shame—
lessly to destroy people and silence
any dissent from the latest popular
Are'you a public school,
state or localfemployee '
planning your next chapter?
Karen L Schade
Financial Advisor
1051 Se State Route 3 Suite E
Shelton. WA 98584
360-426-4590
Let us help you prepare. To learn
more. call my office today. ,
cause/political stance/scientific truth.
“A house divided against itself cannot
stand.” If we don’t stop this hostile
attitude and learn to appreciate each
other, the anarchists win and all of g
us will suffer. This country prospered
because it remained united by a
shared set of rules: the Constitution
of the United States. Within that M
set of rules is room for differences in
thinking, worshipping, exploring sci—
ence, problem-solving strategies, pri-
orities and much more. How long has
it been since you had a reasoned, po-
lite conversation with someone from
“the other side?” Let’s start finding
things in common, giving each other
room to be different, filling in each
other’s weaknesses, and help each .
other build a fulfilling life. Reach out,
stop watching TV, participate in your
neighborhood’s well-being. Let’s make
it true: that opposites attract.
Brenda Windom
Shelton
Sweetwater
project
Editor, the Journal,
I’m pleased to learn that Com-
missioner Randy Neatherlin sup-
ports the Sweetwater Park proposal.
The Sweetwater Creek project will
complement the Theler Wetlands
trail system and will further improve
environmental learning. Committed ,
community members have worked
tirelessly and have pledged donations
to bringthis project to fruition.
The executive director of the Port
of Allyn explained the importance of
the Sweetwater Creek proposal in last
week’s Journal. I hope all the Port of
Allyn commissioners work to support
the project.
If we remain united for the good
of all in North Mason, we will get our
share of grant and capital funding for
needed projects.
Phil Wolff
Allyn
What is Black?
Editor, the Journal,
I came of age in the 19605 when the
social push on racism was all about
integration. What was integration?
It was intended to bring minorities,
primarily Blacks, into the mainstream
system of education and to eliminate
the segregation of Blacks from whites
by arbitrary rules. This meant we all
went to the same schools, the same
colleges, the same universities and we
played on the same athletic teams. To
enforce integration, schools, colleges
and universities were forced to accept
a certain share of minorities, whether
edwardlonessom
Member SIPC
Mun, sires QFJNVESIlNiJ“
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020 — Shelton-Mason County Journal Page A-7
their credentials wouldn’t meet the
enrollment standards of the institu-
tion. School kids were bused all over
from different neighborhoods to meet
the criteria of integration.
The key word then was prejudiced.
If you didn’t accept a minority as an
equal you were identified as being
prejudiced. Blacks were marching in
protests everywhere to force this rec-
ognition. Well now, that was roughly
60 years ago, and since that time,
we’ve had a Black president, Black
generals, Black mayors, Black police
chiefs, and Black judges in all parts of
the country. But today we also have
a Black caucus in Congress. And we
have Black universities and colleges.
But we also have the greatest force in
the world to oppose racism — mixed
marriages.
When I worked in the logging in-
dustry, you were judged by what you
did, not who your daddy was or what
nationality you were. And when I
fought in Vietnam you weren’t judged
on the color of your skin, but whose
side you fought on, and whether you
could keep the folks on your side alive.
Did we have race problems then? Yes.
There were even protests in Vietnam
by Blacks who felt they were serving
unfairly. Was this justified? Accord—
‘ing to the statistics, the death count
by race in Vietnam was distributed
across all races similar to the popula-
tion. .
We still have bullying and intimi-
dation, however, and it knows no race
lines. But today can there be a “white
club” in school? I doubt that would fly,
don’t you? Can there be a “Black club”
or a “Black student union” in school?
Yes, there can be, and there is. Will
someone tell me, in our school system
that has worked so hard to eliminate
prejudice and racism, how do we al-
low this? And how do we teach the
children of mixed marriages that they
need to identify with one group or the
other? Is it based on skin colOr? Heav-
en forbid. This is exactly what all the
hubbub has been about for 60 years —
that your skin color doesn’t matter.
Today we have professional ath-
letes protesting “inequality in Ameri-
ca.” Really? Do we have good cops and
bad cops? Has anything changed in
60 years? Well, if those professional
athletes think that representation
in any field should be equal to that
race representation in the popula-
tion, then they need to look no further
than their own teams to prove that is
not the case. Do they believe sports
teams should adopt the same criteria
accepted by the colleges and univer-
sities of the 1960s, and make sure
there is “equal representation” of all
races? And if you look at the statistics
of those being killed by police, they’ll ‘
find data that doesn’t seem to support
their arguments of race-based-shoot-
ings. These shootings correlate much
more closely with crime statistics than
most want to realize.
But here’s the question I’d like you
to consider. If you have children of a
mixed marriage, which very happily,
my family is, how black do you have
to be before you’re considered Black?
Or how white do you have to be before
you’re considered white? Why don’t
you pose these questions to a profes-
sional athlete? Or maybe a soldier?
On the field of play or the field of
battle, it doesn’t really make any dif- '
ference —— it depends on who can do
the job better, doesn’t it? So now, pose
this question to the high school, and
the students, who support “black” or
“white” clubs. I’d really like to hear
the answers.
You see, we’re all Americans, re-
gardless of race. And that should put
all of us on the same team. Well, even
for a team, there are different ways to
achieve the goal, be it football, hockey
or war. So let’s talk about what those
goals are for our country. For all
Americans who are on the same team.
And let’s argue and discuss about
how to get there —— the issues. Not the
color of the people. Let’s not allow the
bullies and the fearmongers to deter
us froma better country by allowing
racists groups of any color to flourish.
Loren Gee
Olympia
Would you rehire
a bad plumber?
Editor, the Journal,
If you hired a plumber and your
plumbing was worse when he finished,
would you hire him again? In 2016,
Trump ran as a law-andaorder presi-
dent and today he claims lawlessness
is the worst that is has ever been,
thereby admitting he failed miserably,
but you should rehire him anyway.
Has Trump told America'the truth
about (1) the economy, (2) Veteran’s
Affairs and (3) the coronavirus?
(1) Trump say’s “I rebuilt the
economy in three years.” Truth: the
economy began improving in 2009 and
improved at a steady rate up until
2020 and the virus. (2) Trump says
he passed the Choice Act so Veterans
could receive non-VA health care.
Truth: the Choice program for Veter-
ans was enacted in 2014. (3) Trump
told America the virus was nothing to
worry about and would disappear like
magic. Truth: he knew how serious
the virus was and his downplaying
its seriousness has cost thousands of
American lives. ~
Question: Do you really want a
failed liar as your president?
N.H. Fraser
Shelton
see LETTERS, page A-8
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