Letters to the Editor: Sept. 9, 2016

Reject hate speech

On August 5, you published a letter that I cannot  describe as anything but racist. For a month I have pondered how to respond.

This letter was written in response to the comments made by Khizr Khan, the father of a fallen American soldier. The writer used the language of hatred and bigotry: “We must avoid being numerically destroyed by colonization from the Third World.” He went from the absurd, “He (Mr. Khan) should be disbarred,” to the hateful, “Perhaps he would prefer stoning.” This came after noting that “would that it were so” — that the Khans should not have been allowed into this country. This language both saddens and angers me and has no place in informed and reasonable discourse.

The writer should study the contributions made by immigrants from the “Third World,” a term, by the way, that most who are familiar with the world around us no longer use. To take just a single example, look at the contributions of Pakistani immigrants - largely Muslim and from a “Third World” country. There are over 15,000 Pakistani physicians saving lives every day in this country. Pakistani scientists work at our national laboratories, making important scientific discoveries and helping to strengthen our national defense. More than 50 percent of Americans of Pakistani descent have earned a bachelor’s degree; fewer than 30 percent of all Americans are as well educated.

It is clear is that this writer does not recognize the foundational principles of our nation; his views are distinctly un-American. We in McMinnville can’t always change the world, but we can stand up, shout out and reject racism and hatred in our community.

Nancy Schick

McMinnville