Letters object to reparations, oppose Americorps cuts, and call out mountain biking damage
Olympia City Council considers reparations
Just read the article about Olympia City discussing possible ways to give reparations to Black descendants of slaves.
First thought: Black descendants of slaves is redundant. Then it occurred to me there are descendants of slaves who are not black. Then I thought no, no, no.
In what world is it OK to address discrimination with discrimination? 180 or so years ago, the US acted disgracefully, so the Olympia City Council thinks treating Blacks better than everyone else now fixes that? That would be called discrimination. Blacks being treated better than everyone else, other Blacks, whites, women, Asians, American Indian, etc. Not a good look.
Social programs are meant to help people with less, not some people with less.
I have not voted for a Republican in at least 30 years. I am starting to look for a Republican to vote for or a Democrat with some common sense. Where did all the non-crazies go? Who believe in social welfare programs, not Socialism? And don’t want to tax us to death? There must be Democrats who aren’t Socialists, there must be Republicans who aren’t Trump cultists. Aren’t there?
Sandy Novack, Olympia
Trump undermines students and communities
Donald Trump just gave the commencement address at the University of Alabama. It was the usual exercise in self-congratulation, dissing of Biden, threats to journalists, etc., etc. We know the drill. He dressed this one up with stories of how he made it against all odds and how these graduating students must do that too. “Never, never give up.”
But this selling of “you can too, look at me” fell flat, coming a few days after the Trump/Musk attack on Americorps, a vital program supporting students in financial need who work on community projects (from local agriculture to just housing to disaster relief). Trump/Musk have issued stop work orders for Americorps projects, dismissed 85% of AC staff, and pushed 32,000 young people to exit the program (losing living allowances and support for student loan repayments).
Campus Compact urges contact with Congressional reps to let them know of our concerns – for students, recent grads and community organizations.
Washington state’s Attorney General has joined with 19 others around the country to challenge this Trump/Musk escapade – one that will severely limit higher education’s availability to students with limited resources. The Evergreen State College’s Center for Community-based Learning & Action is deeply concerned about how this Trump/Musk maneuver will undermine students and the community projects they work on.
Trump wants to lure people into modeling themselves after his self-serving success. But he’s light-years away from grasping the life of students and the daily realities of community life.
Lin Nelson, Olympia
Mountain biking, trail building destroy wildlife habitat
In reference to your recent story on Orogenesis, a proposed 5,000-mile mountain bike trail spanning from British Columbia to Baja California:
The major harm that mountain biking does is that it greatly extends the human footprint (distance that one can travel) in wildlife habitat. E-bikes multiply that footprint even more. Neither should be allowed on any unpaved trail. Wildlife, if they are to survive, must receive top priority!
What were you thinking? Mountain biking and trail building destroy wildlife habitat. Mountain biking is environmentally, socially, and medically destructive. There is no good reason to allow bicycles on any unpaved trail.
Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1996.
It’s dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don’t have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else — on foot! Why isn’t that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking.
Mike Vandeman, San Ramon, California