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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2019)
2 Wednesday, January 16, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon O P I N I O N Books are a window into a different perspective By Erin Borla Correspondent Letters to the Editor… The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer9s name, address and phone number. Let- ters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline ine for all letters is noon oon Monday. To the Editor: I had the opportunity to read the book <George= by Alex Gino for the Oregon Battle of the Books. I enjoyed reading this book because it taught me about what she went through. It also taught me how not to judge others. I think everyone should read this book because all people deserve kindness. Emmitt Buller, 4th grade Sisters Elementary School s s s To the Editor: I am writing this letter for all the youth in Sisters who are a part of the LGBTQ community. I want to share my heart and tell you that there are many adults in Sisters (myself and family included) who love and support you unconditionally. By unconditionally, I mean to say that you are enough being who you are. You do not need to change to make me or anyone else feel more comfort- able. You are most certainly not a mistake. You have the right to be and love anyone you chose. That really is not our business. Yes, there will be some who think it is very much their busi- ness, but I beg of you not to listen or give them the <air time= they so desperately think they need. There are many adults in this town who are more than willing to process with you, listen objectively, and See LETTERS on page 28 Sisters Weather Forecast Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Snow to Rain Showers PM Showers Rain Showers Cloudy 40/33 44/34 43/35 49/36 41/29 41/30 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC Website: www.nuggetnews.com 442 E. Main Ave., P.O. Box 698, Sisters, Oregon 97759 Tel: 541-549-9941 | Fax: 541-549-9940 | editor@nuggetnews.com Postmaster: Send address changes to The Nugget Newspaper, P.O. Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759. Third Class Postage Paid at Sisters, Oregon. Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius Production Manager: Leith Easterling Graphic Design: Jess Draper Community Marketing Partners: Vicki Curlett & Patti Jo Beal Classifieds & Circulation: Lisa May Proofreader: Pete Rathbun Owner: J. Louis Mullen The Nugget is mailed to residents within the Sisters School District; subscriptions are available outside delivery area. Third-class postage: one year, $45; six months (or less), $25. First-class postage: one year, $85; six months, $55. Published Weekly. ©2019 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All advertising which appears in The Nugget is the property of The Nugget and may not be used without explicit permission. The Nugget Newspaper, Inc. assumes no liability or responsibility for information contained in advertisements, articles, stories, lists, calendar etc. within this publication. All submissions to The Nugget Newspaper will be treated as uncondition- ally assigned for publication and copyrighting purposes and subject to The Nugget Newspaper’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially, that all rights are currently available, and that the material in no way infringes upon the rights of any person. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photos, or manuscripts. I read <George= by Alex Gino last year, knowing my son wanted to participate in the Oregon Battle of the Books as a third-grader. My son began reading <George= over the holiday break. After three chapters he came to me and said he was confused. I asked him what was confusing, which lead to a conversation about the book and how all people are different. We decided to continue to read <George= together so he can ask ques- tions of me as they arise. My son is 8 years old, it9s natural for him to be confused and ask questions about things he doesn9t fully understand. The con- versation we had about <George= was similar to other conversations we h have had abou about vary- ing subjects that range from diffi- cult to silly, lik e who was Martin L u t h e r Ki King; why do we th thank our veterans; w hy did m my uncle d die; why d o n 9 t we tell poop jokes at school, and others. My children are curious, and it9s my job as a parent to try to explain things so they can begin to understand. I9ve realized the dif- ficult conversations are much harder for me, as an adult, to discuss than they are for my kids to grasp. Regardless of how difficult the subject matter, children need to connect with adults about things that may be confusing or hard to explain 4 not be shielded from them. Our family consis- tently falls to books to help support these connections. Books, specifically books with diverse authors, char- acters and life experiences, like George, offer a window into a life my children have not experienced. Close to 30 years ago, Rudine Sims Bishop, a professor from Ohio State University, wrote an arti- cle about books being <Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors.= <Books are sometimes win- dows, offering views of a world that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange&a window can also be a mirror. Literature trans- forms human experience and reflects it back to us.= Sims Bishop9s article was originally written to address the need for racial diversity in children9s books, but I believe her message can be easily trans- lated to any minority. <Children from domi- nant social groups have always found their mirrors in books, but they too have suffered from the lack of availability of books about others. They need the books as windows onto reality, not just on imaginary worlds. They need books that will help them understand the multicultural nature of the world they live in, and their place as a member of just one group, as well as their connections to other humans.= <George= may not be your next favorite book, and that9s OK. I have read a lot of books that are not my favorite but there is some- thing about each that sticks with me. I learn and grow as a person, parent, and citizen from what I read 4 and so can my children. I hope oth- ers will pick up <George= and other titles that help them experience a window into a different perspective. If you need help find- ing a diverse read check out www.DiverseBooks.org for a list of titles and authors for all ages. To all our Sisters friends, neighbors, and kids who are members of the LBGTQ community and are feeling isolated because of deroga- tory comments in regard to this text or in general 4 know you are loved and supported. If you9re feeling like you have no one to talk to, The Trevor Project has a 24-hour number you can call/text: 1-866-488-7386. You are not alone. I tell my kids it9s good to be different. If the world was full of the same people it would be a boring place. Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.