Scapegoating people of Asian descent for the COVID pandemic apparently feels justified by some but is a tragedy for all of us. I am sad and angry over the recent murder of 8 people in the Atlanta area, including 6 women of Asian descent. S.C. Park, H.J. Grant, S. Kim, Y. A. Yue, D.A. Yaun, P.A. Michels, X. Tan, and D. Feng were all killed in cold blood by a white man characterized by a police spokesman as having a “bad day.” It was surely a much more tragic day for his victims, their families, and our nation.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated event; violence against Asian Americans, many of them elderly Americans, has increased astronomically during the past year. We are all battered by the toll exacted by the worldwide pandemic, but surely attacking, harassing, spitting on, yelling at, circulating racist memes, and murdering people of Asian descent in the United States are only increasing those tolls. We have neighbors in Bozeman of Asian descent and now is a great time to treat them with the respect and compassion that we want to receive ourselves.
We can’t control what happens in Atlanta, but we are responsible for what happens in Bozeman.
Michelle Maskiell,
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 3/25/21
Loving your neighbor as yourself, regardless of race
Love your neighbor as yourself. How does this fit with recent incidents: Black Lives Matter and what happened in Atlanta, Georgia? I have been wondering how these things happen in this blessed land. We all came here with dreams for our happiness, prosperity and better lives.
I do not understand people showing hatred toward people because of race. That’s not what we teach in our Sunday school.
We have an obligation to educate ourselves and our children.
We are all different but we are all the same, too!
We all have the right to live happily in this amazing land.
We have to learn how to embrace everybody and share love.
This wonderful land belongs to all of us.
I am very grateful for my life.
This is my home, too!
No more hatred should be allowed in this great land.
I am looking forward to that day.
We can do that!
I-Ho Pomeroy
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 3/28/21