Wednesday, August 5, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
government, but rather by the violent hijacking
rioters.
Cheryl Pellerin
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
To the Editor:
I9d like to thank Olivia Hougham for her words
that were reported in Katy Yoder9s informative arti-
cle <Sisters vigil takes on racial issues,= printed in
the July 29 issue of The Nugget.
Olivia called us all <to take responsibility for
the things that still need improvement. Just because
you ignore something doesn9t make it any less real.
In so many ways it seems like our world9s in
chaos. The headlines scream this news at every
opportunity. I hear this and I read about it, but won-
der what does that really mean. My world is made
up of family, friends and neighbors. For me life is
content. I ask myself, <Why listen to protests? It9s
their world, not mine. Why must I change?=
It9s now becoming apparent that a bubbling
boil has been simmering far too long. We hear a lot
of yelling and the words, <We9ve been wronged!=
Those of us far away from this chaos wonder, why
and where did this anger come from?
It9s easy to feel we9re not the ones who have
caused this unrest. I9m sure, I haven9t4 my life has
been blest. Or, have I? Why should I pay any atten-
tion when I hear them cry, <protest 4 yes, protest.=
Yes, it9s easy to sit back and reflect on the situa-
tion, feeling we9re not to blame. But still, I wonder
what are they asking for. Could it be respect? Isn9t
that something we all have? I know I do. How is it
denied to them?
What difference does this <chaos= make for me?
I hear about it in the news but what does that really
mean for me? I live in Sisters, not Portland. As I
said before, my life has been blessed which allows
me to cruise along with few worries. Why should I
care? Can9t I just pass them by?
Yes, our world9s in chaos, the headlines scream.
I hear, I read. But what does that mean?
As Olivia said, <We all have privilege if we9re
not Black.= It is time for all of us to realize our
role in the chaos that9s no longer a simmer. We
must take responsibility to improve all that9s gone
wrong. Just because our lives are blest and we can
cruise along with few worries, we can9t just ignore
it as if it isn9t real.
Thank you, again Olivia. We needed this wake-
up call.
Edie Jones
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To the Editor:
In response to T. Lee Brown9s column, <Oregon
is not a TV show,= (The Nugget, July 29, page 7):
It9s important to note what may have started out
as peaceful protests by Americans exercising their
First Amendment rights has now been hijacked by
criminals unwilling to be peaceful. Stating that <a
few protestors&.who want to light fires and make
big noises= is a GROSS understatement. Footage
shows hundreds of these rioters causing damage
to businesses and federal buildings resulting in the
escalated enforcement of law and order.
Peaceful protestors should consider that their
voice is NOT being shut down by the federal
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To the Editor:
Re: <Fire closed Hwy. 20 east of Sisters,= (The
Nugget, July 29, page 1):
This type of thing could happen in downtown
Sisters. It is way past time for the state and city to
get together with a route for Highway 20 using the
old Shevlin-Hickson right of way used to bypass
town.
The bypass down Barclay Drive is terrible,
located between schools and difficult for big trucks.
Blaine McGillicuddy
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To the Editor,
I write to applaud, support and affirm three cou-
rageous former Sisters9 graduates, Keegan, Zidane
and Olivia, whose recent editorial and a speech at
the Black Lives Vigil illuminated their experiences
of discrimination while living in Sisters.
Please know many of us are aware of the <white-
ness= of Sisters and Oregon, but keep working in
small ways to change things. Having been privi-
leged to become acquainted with numerous mem-
bers of our Latinx community through a former
volunteer English tutoring program, I also know
stories and believe you! The question often asked
is, <What can we do?=
As a former teacher starting in the 1960s, I
learned through the Civil Rights Movement and a
very diverse Denver-area student body how to see
and behave differently. Yes, I hold teachers and
coaches responsible for tuning in to what9s happen-
ing in their classes and hallways, merely because of
their positions of power and influence. When kids
get messages, they do impact their families and
community. The first lesson is to not assume one
person of color speaks for every person of color!
Then stop using the word <they= referring to any
race, culture, or group; instead choosing <some,
one person or a few.= Generalities in language
propagate stereotypes.
Another error we <well-intentioned= make is
becoming <saviors= rather than <allies.= We do
<for= instead of <with= people different than our-
selves. To step outside our own comfort zones we
can view or buy art, listen to music, attend lectures,
discussions, watch educational programs, shop in
ethnic stores, try different foods, travel, learn 10
words of another language, read books by other-
culture-race authors or settings, tutor non-English
speakers, bring <other= holidays into your family,
look or smile at someone directly, instead of away.
When you hear racial slurs, speak up gently, stating
that the words are hurtful and make you uncomfort-
able. Don9t expect everyone to accept your words
but feel empowered inside for being true to your
own values.
Much of our inherent racism stems from fear of
differentness, of not knowing, so we cling to the
comfort of those like us. Take the risk of stepping
out! Paulina Books has a wide choice of materials;
17
COCC sponsors the Nancy Chandler Visiting
Scholar programs and the multicultural lectures
and discussions; the Bend Latino Organization
needs tutors; volunteer in Sisters9 schools at any
level; host a dialogue with Latinx folks in your
church; invite your cleaning woman or landscaper
for a potluck to SHARE each other9s foods; attend
a protest! Learn!
Don9t give up, just show up, stand up, speak up!
Wendie Vermillion
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To the Editor:
Regarding your editorial <Echoes of tumult=
and the continuing civil unrest in Portland, Oregon
(The Nugget, July 29, pg. 6):
Upon graduation from Portland State University
I entered the behavioral health field. I have lived
downtown, near PSU, since 2006. What was once a
vibrant, intermingling community of race, culture,
ideologies, gender, and remarkable interaction is no
more.
COVID-19 has driven us behind masks and
indoors. Unbridled violence has ruptured what was
once the wonderful weirdness of Portland.
Sixty-plus days of peaceful protest followed
by rioting has shuttered businesses and run others,
some here for decades, out. Those who live down-
town, particularly those over 60, must be extra cau-
tious when we go out. The police are not supported
by the city leadership and certainly not respected.
Their hands are tied and in return we are put at
great risk.
Worse is the growing atmosphere of hopeless-
ness, vulnerability, and increasing anger among
those who live downtown. The sights, sounds,
smells, destruction of buildings and landmarks,
along with the closure of schools, museums, and
places of worship echoes the same witnessed during
my multiple tours in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2003/2004.
I understand, after now years of meeting with
refugees and working with service members and
veterans, how an entire population becomes <shell-
shocked= under such conditions.
In Portland9s case the one-two punch of unend-
ing pandemic and politically condoned violence by
all levels of leadership are to blame. It seems as if
Kate Brown, Ted Wheeler, and the federales have
all taken the position that <in order to save the vil-
lage we have to destroy it.=
For any person, faction, or side involved to
claim the moral high ground is blasphemy.
Gregory Walker
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Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.
The deadline for all letters is 10 a.m. Monday.
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