To the Editor:
Today, my mailbox contained a document from the Citizens for Responsible Government that alarmed me because it was filled with accusations and vitriol. Words like “infected,” “foist,” “poisonous ideology” are meant to inflame and alarm the reader but the thought that came to my mind was hate. This kind of diatribe just exemplifies the racism that the CRG doesn’t think exists in Easton.
White folks, myself included, can be uncomfortable tackling issues of race. That is not surprising since it was the White man who drove the indigenous people off their land. It was the White European who enslaved people for their own economic advantage. White real estate brokers steered people of color away from predominantly White communities and White bankers turned down Black mortgages.
That’s just history, just plain facts. That knowledge is not meant to make people feel guilty. It should help us to understand the foundations of our country and why White privilege exists. The three theories that the writer denounced are academic constructs that help people understand society and the “isms” that might be influencing that society. What great conversations they can spark in a Social Studies classroom!
The founding father’s ideal, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” can never be replaced. But it can and should be realized. Martin Luther King’s dream was based on those words, to see the forces of injustice defeated to make a truly inclusive society possible.
As a Christian, I am called to see all people as made in the image and likeness of God. As a member of the Vestry of Christ Episcopal Church and the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Team we are examining our own historic complicity in racism so that we might help to combat it. I am pleased that the town is doing this important work. We are called to do God’s work here in Easton. Moreover, I believe that all humanity is called to do God’s work. Racial justice is God’s work.
I hope that any positions held by the community members are voiced and owned. But they should be discussed civilly and without inflammatory language. Let us treat everyone as children of God, even if we disagree.
Vicki MarkAnthony
Easton
