Don’t let the government make this all about Floyd
The white power structure calls for peace ignoring black citizens’ cries for mercy. Recent protests are not only about George Floyd. Sure there are bad actors interested in personal gain but there is more going on here. White power wants to make this another “unfortunate incident” in a country trying to find its way to a more just future. What happens when uprisings cease to be about the
murder of one more black man by his white overlords and becomes about racist oppression? A people reminded they are different even in their citizenry, seldom referred to as “American,” rather “African-American,” to highlight, non-white, non-European, less American. Here, “Black is other.”
One man’s riot is another’s revolution.
A white governor, mayor, and commander of the National Guard in Minnesota call for “civility” — a civility for the white status quo. There has not been, nor is there, nor will there be civility for blacks in America until there is change. A black man may be killed anytime without cause and/or fear of reprisal because a claim of self-defense can always be invoked as the mere act of being black is enough to present a mortal threat, even with hands cuffed behind back and knee on neck.
Until all people are afforded the equal rights and protections guaranteed to whites, there will be, must be unrest, uprising, and, if necessary, revolution. Pray open revolt is rendered superfluous by the bestowal of equal rights on all Americans.
Consider: White, openly armed militia besieged Michigan’s capitol protesting the lock down win Trump’s praise. What if this had been black men? Another “unfortunate incident?”
Adding insult to injury, Trump appears more interested in the rights of Hong Kongese while telling Americans demanding their constitutional rights the “dogs are vicious” and the guns locked and loaded.
Erik F. Kreis
Gallatin Gateway
‘All Lives Matter’ is worthy of embracing
I love the slogan “All Lives Matter” and the vision of what it could mean to humans everywhere. What “All Lives Matter” means to me is everyone is valued, respected, and given equal rights
under the law. It means all humans are safe when approached by the police, are given equal rights to earn an equal wage regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, and all humans have
the equal access to a quality education that teaches about all people’s history rather than white peoples history.
“All Lives Matter” means all people have quality health care regardless of gender, race and sexual orientation.
“All Lives Matter” means all people have access to safe food, water and neighborhoods that allow for the human to thrive.
Unfortunately, African Americans are killed by the police at 2.5 times the rate of whites despite only representing 13% percent of the population, earn only 10 cents to a white persons dollar, are routinely redlined into densely packed crime ridden neighborhoods with substandard schools and environmental catastrophes like Flint, Michigan, are more likely considered to be called “essential” workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and are forced to work yet they are six times more likely than whites to be turned away for COVID-19 testing or treatment. I think it is safe to say that the policies and the outcomes of those policies reflect black lives don’t matter. So if you say “All Lives Matter” to the statement “Black Lives Matter,” please take a stand with the black lives matter movement and support the vision of “All Lives Matter,” including other oppressed people until this is true, if that is what you really believe.
Lori Morgan
Bozeman
Trump’s America is wrong, doesn’t help most of us
In 2016, Trump promised “to drain the swamp,” claiming, “only I can fix Washington.”
In 2020, we have Trump’s version of America.
Over 100 million dead. Forty-one million unemployment applications, 40% expected to become permanently unemployed. Twenty-five percent unemployment. Cities on fire due to racial injustice. A surge in corruption and self-dealing using the public’s money. Most troublesome, a Trump sycophant heading the U.S. Department of Justice pardoning political friends and prosecuting political enemies.
Trump has broken everything he’s touched, including the economy. His chaotic trade wars have been disastrous rivaled only by his domestic economic policies. Even 6 months before the first reported COVID-19 death, inverted bond yield curves were signaling the bull market’s end.
The markets had previously risen solely on the expectations that Trump’s $2 trillion 2017 tax cuts would increase stock values. The tax cuts increased the 1%’s wealth. They did not help the 50%.
Clearly the economy was running out of steam and Trump’s lack of proper response to the coronavirus threat caused it to tank overnight.
Trump’s chaos on top of 30 years of no-rules free-markets run amok is analogous to a rudderless ship with no compass riding hurricane seas.
Duane Catlett
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letters to the Editor 6/7/20