What an interesting world we live in

To The Eagle:

Last week had a couple of letters that caused me to scratch my head and wonder which country the respective writers were alluding to. Both writers seemed to find fault with a well written and thoughtful article about our country’s racial history and one found the letter ‘insulting and embarrassing.' I can understand the embarrassing part but for an apparently different reason. If I were to attempt an explanation it would most likely fly unfettered over the respective heads of these folks.

One writer waxed poetic about how our nation ‘is and has been at the front of encouraging and fostering equality and economic opportunity for all of its populous.' Really? Does this person not read history or, worse yet, not understand what he reads? Not too many years ago a black person was deemed to be less than whole when counting for the census. First Nations peoples weren't counted at all and economic opportunity was only for white males. Women, at least white ones, were added some time ago except of course in wages and body autonomy. Heaven forbid a woman being in charge of herself.

It all looks good on paper but we don't live in the world described in glowing, nearly hallucinatory terms outlined in our Constitution. We live here and now in a country more worried about minutiae than real issues of historical racism and when someone has the audacity to point it out that person becomes a left wing radical un-American traitor.

I for one really appreciate the voice of sanity presented by Mr. Nelson and The Eagle. Thankfully, there are others that seem to feel the same way as I do. This is not a contest as to who gets the most tummy rubs but a window into the world as seen by different peoples living here. What an interesting world we inhabit!

James Roberts

Elochoman Valley