It’s simple, folks: Wear seatbelts
In Sunday's Dispatch, we read three different articles regarding deaths due to traffic accidents.
The first, on Page A2, "Influence endures 20 years after death," recounts the much-discussed death of Princess Diana. The second, on Page B2, "Car veers left of center, hit by truck" tells us of the death of an 18-year old passenger. The third, on Page B6, "Teen on motorcycle hit, killed at intersection" reports the death of the 17-year old rider.
What did all three of these accounts have in common? Simple: None of the victims was wearing a seat belt. (In the case of the 18-year old passenger, this was reported by television news.)
Ignoring the first two deaths, many will jump at this last statement and say, "How can a motorcycle driver wear a seat belt?" The answer is simple — one can't — and that makes my second point, which is that it is dangerous to ride a motorcycle in today's traffic. In the motorcycle article, it was reported that the car driver was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.
The real point is: When are people going to learn to use their seat belts?
Jack E. Willer Columbus to pardon former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, it is important for all of us to speak out against this decision. Arpaio kept people in inhumane conditions in his jail. and in his tent city, people were exposed to the elements without proper attire nor adequate amounts of water. People died in the heat and nearly froze in the cold.
His treatment of Latinos and especially Mexican folks was and is extremely racist, a form of white supremacy where those in power demand to see the documentation status of many of the people in our country who support our labor force, who have families, who came to the United States for the same reason my ancestors did — to find better opportunities for themselves and for their children.
Arpaio was known for making sweeps of certain areas, instructing his deputies to ask for every person’s identification and documentation and arresting and those without proof on their person. This led to a culture of fear and mistrust in Arizona, where people were constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who was coming for them.
As a person of faith, I believe all people should be treated with dignity and respect. I believe that inhumane conditions and the people who create them are evil and even sinful.
Trump’s pardon of Arpaio demonstrates this administration’s huge lack of support for people who have immigrated to this country. His decision is permission-giving for so many to perpetuate white supremacy, racism, anti-immigrant sentiment and an attitude of hatred — the ultimate evils.
We must speak up and show up against this display of racism and ignorance. We must resist.
Rev. Lane Campbell Minister of Religious Exploration First Unitarian Universalist Church Columbus Columbus