Letters: Saying ‘All lives matter’ is dismissive of inequality; Follow public health guidelines
‘All lives matter’ is dismissive of inequality
“All lives matter.” I keep hearing this trope in response to signs or speech asserting “Black Lives Matter.” Please, can we put to rest usage of this glib rejoinder? Blithe assertion of “All lives matter” is a simplistic and trivializing response to an existential struggle. It is not patriotic, it is not thoughtful, it is not intelligent, and it is not kind.
To make this clear, let’s utilize an analogy to another erstwhile ill-served minority: Gulf War veterans. It is well-recognized that not all Gulf War veterans received adequate medical care post-deployment. What if one of those veterans, in an effort to raise awareness about this issue, had posted a front-yard sign reading “Veterans Deserve Good Medical Care”? Would any thinking person respond to that with a huff and an eye-roll and an obstinate, angry barb, “Oh good grief, EVERYONE Deserves Good Medical Care!” Of course not.
Similarly, the assertion of “All lives matter” in direct response to “Black Lives Matter” disdains the very point that is being asserted. Gulf War veterans did not always receive good medical care; people of color do not always receive equal treatment by police. Hence, the need to make the point clear. The simple-minded axiom, “All lives matter” is, at best, dismissive, thoughtless, and ill-informed. At worst, it is a statement of support for racially motivated, discriminatory policing practices.
Please, just stop.
Elizabeth Ritter, Boalsburg
How political climate has changed
As I write this letter, I remember two notable but unrelated events that occurred on Aug. 9: The bombing of Nagasaki (1945) and President Richard Nixon’s final address as president of the United States.
On Aug. 9, 1973, when faced with overwhelming evidence of his effort to conceal personal involvement in the Watergate break-in and cover-up, Richard M. Nixon resigned the presidency. In his final address he admitted that some of his judgments “were wrong” and had cost him “the support of Congress” necessary to “carry out the duties of this office.” He continued, “... to leave office before my term is completed is completely abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of America first. America needs a full-time president and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with the problems that we face at home and abroad.”
Half a century ago, the president’s effort to mislead Congress and the public was sufficient basis for his immediate replacement. Although reviled by some at the time, Nixon did, in fact, put the interests of the nation ahead of his own; he acted honorably and in defense of the Constitution of the United States.
How greatly has the political climate changed in 47 years!
Robert F. Schmalz, State College
Thankful for mayor’s direction
We all know that Ron Filippelli’s perspective toward his work is characterized by a gut thrust toward what is trulynNeeded. In the Aug. 9 article by Josh Moyer, Filippelli lays out for us what we need to know about wearing masks and the new borough ordinance regarding them. Our mayor never takes on a topic he hasn’t fully mastered. This topic is as far-ranging as it is important; some of its elements are readily clear to all and others are intricate. I feel in debt to Filippelli for his quiet, calm and characteristically effective elucidation.
Philip Winsor, State College
Follow public health guidelines
Having worked in public health for almost four decades, I find the current negative attitude of many people toward public health recommendations to combat COVID-19 disturbing. People not wearing masks, not social distancing, etc., are major contributors to the continuing spread of the disease.
We all want life to return to “normal” and the economy to improve and sooner or later it will, but wouldn’t it be nice if it were sooner? For sooner to happen, everyone must follow the public health guidelines, otherwise COVID-19 will continue to plague us “later and later.” It is not rocket science, follow the public health guidelines including wearing a mask, washing your hands and practice social distancing.
Mark Henry, Centre Hall