Letters: Barriers to mental health reform; Acknowledging white affirmative action

Barriers to mental health reform

In January I asked the good citizens of the borough to vote in the primary. About 14% did, resulting in a high probability that Borough Council and mayor reflects an exceedingly small minority. Additionally, less than 3,700 people voted for 50,000 who are supported by the State College Police Department. This is not how democracy should work. Ross Adams misstated that my husband, Christopher Potalivo, was against the 3/20 Coalition “core” aims of elimination of police violence toward people of color and individuals with mental health issues. We were on the front page of the CDT about two years ago pleading for mental health reform. 320’s unsubstantiated claim that our police are murderers is their published core mission. This simplification of a complex issue discredits and obscures any members who genuinely want to see mental health reform. Using Osagie’s tragic death to push national political agendas of failed non-local police agencies onto ours is horrible. Give one example of police violence in our community. An investigation of the 320 group should have been conducted covering their unsubstantiated claim our police are murderers, shown their profanity-laced messages, revealed a sister group, Alleghenies Abolition advocating the abolishment of police and prisons, an outside PAC that provided resources to influence our local election. All of this and the election would have been different, and Mr. Adams would have had better information. Mental health needs to change but not by attacking our great police department and current mayor with false claims.

Acknowledging white affirmative action

Rather than his demented article, “Black Americans can overcome policies of affirmative action,” Jay Ambrose might have asked, “When will white America admit to centuries of white affirmative action?”

Wasn’t it affirmative action for whites when whites passed laws to legalizing slavery? For whites to sanction the theft of Indian lands and move Indians to reservations? For whites to pass laws preventing Blacks from owning guns? To pass laws criminalizing the teaching of reading to Blacks?

Wasn’t the Dred Scott decision affirmative action for whites? After all, Justice Taney opined that Blacks “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” How about the Plessy v. Ferguson decision? Wasn’t “separate but equal” a lie beneficial to whites? Who benefited when Blacks were denied the right to vote? Who benefited from the failure to prosecute Whites for their many extra judicial lynchings of Blacks? Who benefited from the failure to prosecute whites for their numerous massacres and thefts of Blacks, such as occurred during the Tulsa massacre of 1921?

Affirmative action for whites has a long ignoble history. As Ira Katznelson has demonstrated in his book, “When Affirmative Action Was White,” Social Security benefits, unemployment benefits and post-WWII GI Bill education and housing benefits were once denied to many Blacks. Even today people with Black-sounding names or voices are disproportionately denied interviews for jobs. Thus, systemic racism extends into the 21st century.

This is the proper perspective from which to view Mr. Ambrose’s demented whining about Black affirmative action.

Do your part to end gerrymandering

Where are we now? Legislative and Congressional Redistricting (LACRA) bills, House Bill 22 and Senate Bill 222, are languishing in the State Government Committee. They will be introduced soon in the appropriate bodies. Twenty-five of 50 senators have co-sponsored SB 222 and 82 Representatives have cosponsored HB 22. More than 70% of Pennsylvanians support ending gerrymandering and the passing of these bills.

What can you do to end gerrymandering? Call or write to your legislators to request sponsorship for HB 22 and SB 222:

Jake Corman, 717-787-1377

Kerry Benninghoff, 888-285-6313

Stephanie Borowicz, 570-748-5480

For more information, go to Fair Districts PA.