11 minute read
Opinion
Justice for all? Hopefully, one day in the future
When I saw the video of the mostly young crowd marching Monday night in Waynesville to protest the killing of George Floyd and the systemic, violent racism that still exists in this country, it gave me a jolt. I was proud of those who turned out, but also feared it would turn violent. It didn’t, and it’s these mostly young people who will bring needed changes to this country if those of my generation can just get the hell out of the way. And that this small protest happened in this place in Western North Carolina where people of color are so few made it even more meaningful.
I know the Trump supporters will retaliate, but you gotta call it like you see it, and the president has done nothing except throw fuel on the fire. Scott McLeod Editor Since Charlottesville in 2017 when he called white supremacists “fine people,” and even before when he referred to “shithole” countries in Africa, the president has done little to assuage the belief among many that he does not care about people of color, or that he is in fact racist.
The reaction to Floyd’s death is different than the protests of other racially motivated police killings. Perhaps it’s the pandemic, perhaps it’s the mass unemployment (almost 25 percent of the workforce), perhaps it is because it happened amid the stay-at-home orders we’ve been enduring, but it just feels different.
As we grapple with this reality, let’s not confuse the rioting and looting of opportunists and criminals with the message of the protestors. No sane person condones rioting and the dangers it presents to law enforcement and small businesses, but we surely by now must realize how dangerous it would be to dismiss the root causes of these protests.
The truth is that innocent people are being murdered merely because of their color. The killing of George Floyd, gruesome as it was to watch, is just the latest. As a white man of the South I’ve been outraged at the treatment I’ve seen in too many videos and of the backlash against those who call out the guilty. According to the New York Times, about 1,000 people a year — of all races — have been killed by police since records have been kept.
A few days ago I almost took the bait when an old college friend wondered on his Facebook page why people take to the streets when they witness wrongs instead of talking to each other about the problem. Think Boston Tea Party, think abolition, think women’s suffrage, think Anti-Saloon League marches for prohibition, think Bonus Army veterans marching on D.C. in1932, think civil rights and the Vietnam War, think of the recent Women’s Marches. Our citizens have taken to the streets time and again to steer public opinion, help right wrongs and fight injustice. It’s what we do.
Since Floyd’s killing, no national address, no call for better relations between different groups, no soothing words for a nation broiling with rage. That’s this president. A Mahatma Ghandi quote I read somewhere in the last few days seems appropriate: “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”
Like so many other problems plaguing this racially diverse country that breeds savagely independent, free-thinking and idealistic citizens, this issue of violence against people of color will cause much more pain before it’s solved. No easy answers, no quick fix. That’s the sobering reality.
I was having a beer on Saturday afternoon with an African American man who lives in Buncombe County, a recent acquaintance. He talked about providing a home for his young nephew. “A great kid,” he said of him, but in almost the same breath he verbalized heartfelt fears for the young man as this time of violence and outrage convulses the country.
As a white man, I had no words of reassurance. Innocent people of color are dying unjustly, and it just shouldn’t be. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)
Let’s enable police to do it right To the Editor:
On Monday, May 25, George Floyd of Minneapolis was the latest victim of wrongful police killings. May Mr. Floyd be the last. Change is possible.
A decade ago, with one of the worst problems of excessive force and killings of unarmed people nationwide, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department implemented body cams and trained police in de-escalation techniques. By 2014, there were no deadly force incidents involving unarmed suspects and a decrease of police shootings by 36 percent.
We in the Jackson County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have an ongoing dialog with our county sheriff and police departments, and we salute their interest in better policing. We join the national NAACP in supporting the end of pretextual stops and stop and frisk tactics. We urge congressional candidates to commit to enacting national standards for police accountability such as the End Racial and Religious Profiling Act (ERRPA) and the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act (LETIA), which provide enhanced oversight for police departments. We also support local law enforcement training on implicit bias and effective data collection on traffic stops.
As a community, let’s enable law enforcement policy development to eliminate wrongful police killings. Enrique A. Gómez PhD President, Jackson County NAACP Sylva
LETTERS Trump makes us the laughingstock To the Editor:
Did you know there is a group of essential workers who will not be getting a stimulus check under this administration — workers who pay taxes and contribute to the Social Security funds. They pick our fruits and vegetables and labor to keep us fed. They are undocumented immigrants, many of whom have lived in this country for 20 years and have raised families here.
And I am only talking here of immigrants working 20 or more years in our country. Even though they are among the most needy, they will not receive a cent of stimulus money.
This is incredible pettiness. We are a great and rich nation. We can feed our workers in time of need. A recent campaign slogan stated “Make America Great Again.” These petty policies do not make America look great. They make us the laughingstock of the rest of the world
We deserve better than this.
Paul Strop Waynesville
The making of a cluster outbreak To the Editor:
Donald Trump doesn’t want to wear a face mask. He feels he looks ridiculous in one. Donald Trump wants no restrictions in his need for many attendees to the upcoming Republican National Convention in North Carolina. Donald Trump has politicized the wearing of face masks. Thus, he wants thousands of people at the convention cheering him on and no face masks in sight.
His followers will follow him. Thousands of Trumpers will be crammed together for hours in Charlotte. Some of them will inadvertently bring COVID-19 into the convention hall. As a result, this convention will be the epicenter of a huge cluster of COVID transmission and from there back out into the country. Very irresponsible. Daniel Perlmutter Cullowhee
Local customers are much appreciated To the Editor:
We would like to express our gratitude for the opportunity to serve you and say thank you for your business. These last few months have been challenging for everyone and especially for small businesses like Waynesville Tire. We have been blessed by our loyal customers.
We have had to reconfigure our ways of meeting your needs and at the same time striving to keep you — our customers — and our employees safe and healthy. This has required us to give you curb service since March. We will be continuing these same practices in the coming weeks for the health and safety of all.
We can never tell you how much we appreciate your patience and understanding and we look forward to serving you for years to come.
And remember, we can’t do anything about COVID-19 but we can still cure baldness. Jeff McCall, owner
Waynesville Tire
Celebrating a pivotal year M any are focused on graduations right school that morning, we checked the UPS now. Amidst the pandemic and tracking number to see if the shipment nationwide protesting, we’re trying would arrive that afternoon. When I picked to help our young people celebrate this pivthe boys up from school, they couldn’t wait otal time in their lives. While the hype is to help me open the box of freshly printed primarily on high school and college gradubooks. The original idea for the book ates, there are other important transitions stemmed from a conversation during car that have gotten lost line at Junaluska. We’d been listening to an due to COVID-19. NPR address on the Paris Agreement and
My oldest son, after a conversation with the boys, my Brooks, is graduating fifth grade this week. We cannot gather in the Junaluska Elementary gymnasium like every class before him. He and his friends cannot Susanna Shetley Columnist youngest son asked, “If we keep putting more and more trash on the earth, will she fall from the sky?” That one question spawned the book’s plot. In effect, the book would not exist had that school-ride conversation never happened.
To commemorate school offered quiet reprieve this important time in his life, I created a for my own thoughts and sometimes, tears. slide show with all of the photos and videos Not only has my child changed and I’ve collected throughout his time at evolved from kindergarten to fifth grade, Junaluska. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve but I have changed and evolved as well. Our dug up hundreds of pictures and extracted life is vastly different now than it was when video clips from old computers. While doing my little five-year-old walked into Junaluska this, I’ve learned several things. for the first time. We’ve been in our Maggie
When Brooks was a kindergartner, my house for almost three years. Their dad has mom was still alive. I remember calling her been remarried for over a year, and the boys with giddy excitement after his kinderlove their stepfamily. We honor my mom in garten screening. With him being my oldmany ways, although nothing would comest, the right of passage to start school felt pare to having her back on earth. emotional and paramount. She was the first With many things and people shifting, person I called and the one by my side durJunaluska Elementary was a daily constant, ing all of his kindergarten programs and a consistent force for my boys and me. The ceremonies. staff at the school became a second family
Two years after his first day of kinderto Brooks during a number of life-changing garten, my mom passed away from cancer. events. For that, I will be forever grateful. In fact, Brooks missed the beginning of secNow, as Brooks transitions to middle ond grade so we could travel to South school, he’s a much older, mature child. Carolina and spread her ashes at the beach He’s physically and mentally strong with a where I spent my childhood summers. wise, clear mind. He’s achieved many acco
When Brooks was in third grade, his dad lades during his time at Junaluska, and I am and I separated. I bought my own house in so proud of him. While I wish we could celMaggie Valley and started working full-time ebrate with a traditional pomp and circumat The Smoky Mountain News. At night stance, the lack of fanfare does not diminish when my boys went to bed or when they this achievement, for him and graduates of were at their dad’s, I worked furiously to all ages. make my Maggie house feel cozy and happy. I remember reading the following quote,
As a fourth-grader, Brooks’s dad remar“There are two things we should give our ried, introducing a stepmom and stepsibchildren: One is roots and the other is lings, as well as a move away from the famiwings.” Whether your graduate is a prely home. The boys had already been strugschooler, kindergartner, fifth-grader, eighthgling with the loss of the family unit, but grader, senior or college student, these are this new phase crystalized the realization. all pivotal years and should be honored. Brooks’ teachers and the school counselor To all the graduates out there, use your helped with these transitions. They kept a roots to stay grounded and your wings to fly. keen eye on him to ensure all was well. (Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and mar
In November of Brooks’ fifth-grade year, keting specialist with The Smoky Mountain I published my first book. As we drove to News. Susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)
In March of Brooks’ fifth-grade year, the world was hit with a pandemic and everycongregate at the thing was canceled. This entryway or on the included his final school lawn for a group dance, yearbook signings, a photo. The students fifth-grade trip to D.C. and an can’t hug teachers or AIG trip to Space Camp. principals or say a The familiar route to final good-bye to the Junaluska Elementary over school. Instead, we’ll the past six years has been be participating in a soothing to my heart and psydrive-in graduation che. The drive to the school and waving to school fostered thousands of converstaff and classmates sations between the boys and from afar. me. The drive away from the
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