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PrintWe must encourage conversations about race
Struck by Tony Norman's Sept. 28 column, "Bill O'Reilly's 'Race Problem' -- and Ours," I was all ready to get my progressive little self all riled up over what I was sure was going to be a racist, derogatory comment by Bill O'Reilly that I had missed but Mr. Norman had caught. Only it turned out that I was the one making assumptions.
Thank you, Mr. Norman, for taking the time to look at the whole picture and calm some of us more righteous souls. Like Mr. O'Reilly (I can hardly believe I'm writing this), we need more white Americans to get over their fear of talking about race with people of color (or with other white folks for that matter!). We also need blacks and other Americans of color to dig up the patience and benevolence to engage in conversations about race with whites.
And like Al Sharpton and Tony Norman, we all need to be forgiving of each other for the blunders that will inevitably be spoken when we're talking about the explosive subject of race in America. The real problem isn't that we are not talking about race correctly -- the problem is that we're not talking at all. I agree with Mr. Norman -- at least Bill O'Reilly is talking about race and trying to move his thinking in a more inclusive direction.
The journalist Leonard Pitts Jr., in the book "When Race Becomes Real," states that "Black people spend way too much time talking about race. And white people don't spend nearly enough." Now, my dear fellow Pittsburghers, where do we go from here?
DARLENE DURRWACHTER RUSHING
North Side
Deer displaced
PG staff writer John Hayes wrote an article about the deer winning ("Deer Winning Battle With Hunters," Oct. 1). He wrote about the deer bravely coming out and eating shrubs and plants. Well, it's not bravery -- it's a need to survive. We have taken away their land where there was once an abundance of food. Now there are homes and office buildings.
I guess once the townships get greedy and want more money, this is the thing to do, since the deer do not pay taxes on their homes.
Maybe we should be the ones spayed and neutered at birth to stop our overpopulation.
JOHN DEMAIN
Mt. Lebanon
Helmets and health
The Post-Gazette has been running a full-page advertisement from a group called "Americans for Children's Health." I am not familiar with this organization; therefore, I was not able to contact it directly. The ad contained a very good message regarding the necessity of reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program and encouraging individuals to contact U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy to thank him regarding his involvement and support with the reauthorization process.
However, as parents, both my wife (Joan) and I were independently upset by the large picture contained in the ad. It's a picture of a little girl who is evidently learning to ride her two-wheel bike without training wheels, with a woman (evidently her mother) assisting and watching her with great pride. What independently appalled us about the picture is that the little girl is riding a two-wheel bike without wearing a helmet!
How can this ad, which evidently supports a very good cause (SCHIP) for children's health, use this picture? If this organization (Americans for Children's Health) is truly interested in children's health, it also needs to be a strong proponent and advocate of all children (and adults too!) wearing helmets when riding a bike (and motorcycles also)!
As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
ALAN R. GREEN
Squirrel Hill
Not the bank's fault
Regarding "College Freshman Gets a Hard Lesson in Banking" (Sept. 20 "Post Your Problems"): Why are people always looking to blame someone else (in this case the bank)?
Take responsibility for learning the rules (and math!) and be accountable for your own actions. Mom, stop blaming the bank and teaching your son to blame others as well. This won't be the first time he'll need to read the fine print and use common sense. If he learns the hard way, so be it. Be accountable, people.
DEBBIE DeMARTIN
Bethel Park
Hands on the wheel
I grew up in the '50s. I took my drivers test when I was about 16. At that time, the drivers manual recommended that you keep two hands on the wheel by the clock system -- 10 and two. Since then I believe they now recommend three and nine. Over the past 50 years that is still what's recommended for safe driving.
Women in traffic play with their hair and put makeup on; men eat a breakfast sandwich, eat Big Macs, drink coffee and read the newspaper. After they are done doing this, both men and women put their cell phones to their heads and drive and talk. They might as well hold a gun to their heads. It is an accident waiting to happen.
You may overlook the women twisting their hair in traffic or the man drinking his coffee at the traffic light, but how can you overlook 75 percent of the people on the road consisting of men, women and teenagers on their cell phones trying to kill themselves and the other 25 percent who are not guilty of any of the above mentioned?
Be a responsible driver. Wake up, be safe, stay alive. Life is short enough.
TOM GREJDA
Baldwin Borough
Unpleasant finish
This past Sunday, my husband, our children and I participated in the Great Race. This being my third year, I was very excited, as this is a wonderful event that serves a great cause. Since I am seven months pregnant, I registered for the 5K walk this year as opposed to the 5K run. My mother-in-law and I pushed my two toddlers in strollers.
As we were coming upon the end of the race, a police car drove past, and those inside reprimanded us to "Get off the road! Get up on the sidewalk; the 10K has started!" Well, we were a little confused, but we followed directions. When I approached another police officer to find out how we were to finish, we were told that we had to go behind the barricades lining the street. Still confused, we did as we were told -- only to find that there was no way to get back on the street to cross the finish line!
I approached another police officer and asked the same question. I was abruptly told to "just go ahead, you're almost there," with a rolling of the eyes. I tried explaining that I had a stroller and was not able to get around the barricade, but it was evident to me that these officers had no desire to hear my plea or help me. My mother-in-law ended up maneuvering the strollers under a barricade and we were (finally) able to cross the finish.
MANDY PAGANO
Brentwood
Fair Rogers
Thank you, Post-Gazette, for Rob Rogers. I look forward to all of his editorial cartoons. He says so much in one cartoon and usually is right on target. People who want to bask in their glory should also be able to take the heat when they get adverse publicity for their actions.
STEVE PECKYNO
Bethel Park
The U.S. must try to understand how its actions are viewed elsewhere
After spending most of my life in Western Pennsylvania, I moved to the Netherlands six years ago. The longer I'm gone, the less I understand decisions taken by American leadership.
The recent visit to New York by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was bound to spark a lot of healthy discussion and debate. But the refusal to allow him to visit Ground Zero to pay his respects and place a wreath was incomprehensible.
While the United States might want to avoid opportunities for Iranian PR stunts, over here many view the move as further indication the United States is undermining opportunities for peaceful, cooperative conflict resolution. It plays right into the hands of those who have a vested interest in magnifying the schism between the United States and the Islamic world, as well as those who want to drive a wedge between the United States and other partners in the ongoing negotiations with Iran.
I'm as nervous as anyone about the Iranian situation. There are no clear answers. Yet one key lesson has been recently relearned. Divisive unilateral action has proved itself counterproductive to almost all American interests. The continuing tumble of the dollar is only partly due to mortgage worries (remember that the value of a currency is ultimately based on how much faith others put in it).
French President Nicolas Sarkozy may be bringing France back into NATO and building Atlantic bridges, but he'll have a hard time selling any action on Iran to his people if it seems that it is out of spite rather than reason.
MATHIEU AHLSTROM
Delft, Netherlands
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