Love your neighbor, even if your neighbor is a bigot

If you want a country in which people can speak their minds, even if their viewpoints are abhorrent to you, even if they are white supremacists, then you want a free country. If not, then you don’t. How do we become a society without bigotry? By living according to the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have others do unto you) and by following the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s advice to judge others not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

But what do we do about white supremacists?

They don’t comprehend what Dr. King meant. One day they will. We won’t get them there any faster by hitting them with baseball bats or pulling down statues. We get there — all of us — by a path so simple that even a child can follow it, though it is sometimes not so easy to do:

Love your neighbor. Even if your neighbor is a bigot, love your neighbor.

— Mary Ann Bosnos, Fountain Hills

If I could be in Phoenix today, I’d speak of a place of love, justice

Many are confronting the message of hate flowing across America. Some leaders have spoken against it while others remain silent or perform soundbite gymnastics to disassociate themselves from its message and consequences.

They don’t disavow the message or their support from hate groups.

America’s highest leadership failed in its response, undercutting efforts to “Make America Great Again.” Lost is the opportunity to: » Create jobs and livable wages across the country in urban and rural America and in ethnically diverse communities. The circumstances of low employment and wages differs across America and multiple solutions are needed.

» Create fair trade. America will be strong in trade when we accept our global neighbors as partners and learn to be a smart partner, not a bully.

» Create safe and secure borders without absolving ourselves of the principles that made our country a great melting pot of diversity crafted over centuries of struggle.

If I were not at Fort Knox for training, I would be in the streets today in Phoenix telling my neighbors of a place grounded in love and justice where we can bring our frustrations and hopes and work together for America.

— Philip Shea, Phoenix

NFL players who don’t stand for anthem represent our values

Kudos to Dan Bickley for his enlightened article on athletes (or anyone else) not standing during the national anthem.

Just what is it we’re supposed to be honoring when we stand: The song, America or the freedoms America stands for? I think it’s the freedoms. I am always astounded at people who wrap themselves in the flag, touting American freedoms and rights, but turning purple with rage if anyone, particularly a person of color, dares to exercise those rights and freedoms.

Football players and other athletes are guaranteed the same rights as every other citizen, and the right to exercise them.

Colin Kaepernick exercised his right to draw attention to the rights of others being abridged, yet he is castigated and discriminated against for his choice.

Certainly the NFL has labored hard to link the game of football with patriotism through jingoistic displays of gigantic flags born by service men and women, and flyovers by fighter jets.

But, if the freedoms that flag represents are denied to any person peacefully and conscientiously exercising those rights, the display is but a hollow show, signifying nothing.

— Chuck Rinaldi, Mesa

There is actually something more frightening than hate speech

The only thing that scares me more than hate speech is denying someone free speech. — Mitch Keiper, Chandler