Letters to the Editor

Situation brings up issues of what race means

What makes a person black, white, Latino, Asian? As we struggle to understand Rachel Dolezal’s situation, I can offer a little information on racial identity.

Is Obama African-American? His father is from Kenya, and his mother is white by whom he was raised. Obama was also raised by his white grandparents. Does this make him white despite his skin color?

I married a Mexican woman, and for the past eight years I have spent more time with Mexicans than white people. Honestly, these days I feel more Mexican than Caucasian. Furthermore, in Mexico many women give birth to “gueros.” Gueros are white like I’m white. My nephew is as white as I am, but his parents are Mexican. Interestingly, my mother-in-law mistakenly thought my childhood pictures were pictures of my nephew. Sometimes fair skinned Mexican women give birth to dark-skinned children. The fact is there has been a lot of racial mixing in the past that we’re not aware of. Sometimes that past racial mixing pops up in future generations. While Rachel Dolezal’s situation is perplexing, her situation does bring up important issues about what race means.

TIMOTHY SMITH

Yuma

Don’t be afraid to stand for your views

There are those who say that political correctness came from the universities during the Vietnam War. I believe it started back in the late ‘30s early ‘40s when farmers sent their sons and daughters to universities away from home. Socialism was in its Renaissance phase in Europe and U.S. professors, not wanting to appear back woodsy, parroted those doctrines. Any opposition to these doctrines was viewed as unruly and unacceptable. Then, like today, many of the students didn’t have access to the news media. Sure, there was radio and for a while the radio provided both sides of an issue. But as political correctness increased radio people such as Walter Winchell were finally forced off the air.

The ability to discuss politics at the dinner table has been lost. Our children don’t read newspapers anymore. The opinions that they now have gleaned from TV news shows that are either hard left or hard right. Allow the listener and viewer to decide for himself or herself.

There is hope for the masses because of the computer. No longer are we faced with one particular slant to the news. With the computer, one can read the news around the world. Sure, we have to decipher in many of those countries what is the truth. Because of this newfound knowledge I would hope the dinner table would again hear the news, not only for the benefit of our family, but for the benefit of our country and the world.

If someone is trying to shut you up, in some manner, what is it they have to hide? If your thoughts have been suppressed by some peer group, never be afraid to stand alone.

Political correctness coming out of the universities has been so powerful in the past that logic has been lost in some cases.

Whether you be a conservative or liberal if someone is pushing an agenda don’t be afraid to ask for proof. And never be afraid to defend your position.

Even Pope Francis while talking to bishops and priests referred to gossip as terrorism. Political cliques become cancers that enslave their members.

RED CHANDLER

Yuma