Readers respond to a New York Times story on Inlander.com about President Trump's racist remarks about four freshman congresswomen (7/15/2019):
Jeremy Thornton: It's hilarious watching Trump supporters claim this isn't racism. Telling someone to "go back to their country" is racism; it's used almost exclusively to tell minorities they aren't welcome here. Telling someone who is a U.S. citizen and was born here to "go back to their country" is even *more* racist. Telling someone whose ancestry is Puerto Rican to "go back to their country" is *even more* racist. Telling all of this to people elected by Americans to represent them in Congress is the cherry on top of the layered cake of racism. It takes a special racist mind to spin all of them together in a couple of tweets; disgusting props to Trump for managing it.
Jennie L. Willardson: By Trump's own standards, he, Melania, Ivana, Ivanka and the three boys should "all go back to where they came from." Trump's motherhood and paternal grandparents were all immigrants.
Adam Gangelhoff: The guy that spent all of 2016 telling us how terrible our country had become and how bad he wanted to change it, who sought the help of countless foreign nations in becoming president, now tells other Americans who don't like the direction their country is going and want to change it, to leave. Why do conservatives always tell people to leave if they disagree with their policies? ♦
In a recent forum, a mayoral candidate said she does not support "traffic calming." Nadine Woodward talked as if she fully understood what that term means and if so, I believe residents — and there are a large number of us who have worked with neighborhood committees on projects that can be funded from the pool of money that is created from the red light camera fees — surely wondered about her statement.
Does she not realize that neighborhoods apply for projects to be designed and installed using those dollars that make their neighborhoods safer/better? Some examples include street trees, traffic signs that indicate the speed a vehicle is traveling, bike lanes, crosswalks, etc.
This program is one of the most popular in the city among neighborhoods and community members who volunteer their time and talent in applying for the funding of such projects that improve their neighborhoods and thereby the lives of those who reside within them.
Such a statement shows a real lack of understanding or more worrisome a complete lack of caring about what citizens want in the way of improvements.
Such a candidate does not seem ready or willing to work with citizens on issues important to them.
Judith Gilmore
Spokane, Wash.
