Letters to the Editor 03.16.17

Measuring Diversity

The law should not make distinctions on the basis of race or ethnicity, and people should not either (“Data shows public schools are resegregating. Here’s why that’s a problem for the next generation,” March 9-16). That’s true whether the distinctions are made for old-fashioned, politically incorrect reasons, or now-fashionable, politically correct reasons. Racial essentialism is a bad thing, and using race as a proxy for how people think or what experiences they have had is a bad thing, too. Treat people as individuals, and quit obsessing over skin color. It’s not that complicated or difficult, and it’s the only way forward as America becomes increasingly multiracial and multiethnic. Roger Clegg | via web

Isn’t it time to add some new categories to the pie chart? It’s obvious to me because my 3-year-old son is white (Irish, Norwegian) and Latino (Mexican). There was a white woman at Seaside McDonald’s the other day with four “Latino” kids. White women are marrying the men who are available here and so the population is becoming more diverse. We need new categories, and if we did that, then maybe we’d see more of a rainbow. Lucy Honeychurch | via web

Fighting the Fight

Thanks for focusing on the power of grassroots action (“Making a Movement,” March 2-8). South Monterey County is remote and its population sparse, yet residents share concerns in common with our urban sister communities. One indicator is the Southern Monterey County Rural Coalition (SMCRC). Founded by a small group of locals, the coalition quickly understood a nonpartisan approach was most effective. Our mission is “to protect our rural lifestyle by facilitating communication and education within the community and with government/public agencies.”

To accomplish that mission, SMCRC began hosting town hall meetings and will host its sixth on March 24. Citizen involvement continues to grow; SMCRC formed a coalition with federal and county agencies to control the yellow star thistle invading local roadways and grasslands. We inform residents of available services such as free legal services for seniors, and we support community events. Bringing action back home, starting locally with our communities, creates vitality. South Monterey County is a great example. Susan Raycraft | Lockwood-Jolon

Anonymous | collage received via mail

Dada was born in Zurich in 1916 as a result of the horrors of World War I. The Dadaists proclaimed that if rational men could create this horrendous war, they, the Dadaists, were going to do everything they could to be anti-rational and wholly ironic (“Letters,” March 9-15).

We have learned a tremendous amount from the art of the 20th century. It has been a period of unprecedented revelations, many of which are poetic and beautiful, but now it is time for something different. This means reaching into the void to try to comprehend something that, like early Modernism, is not immediately comprehensible. I say, throw away the Dadaist Manifesto, it’s from another time, another societal need. Draw up a new manifesto that emphasizes the development of rational thinking, the recognition of the achievements of history, hand/eye skills, the radical pursuit of knowledge and the embracing of humanist beauty. It is that time again. David Ligare | Corral de Tierra

Slinging Pies

Monterey is already the next Santa Cruz (“Squid loses Squid’s appetite when people start comparing the homeless to pepperoni,” posted March 6). Homeless dying on the street in the cold. People being accosted outside restaurants on Alvarado for their leftovers. Not being able to even go downtown without being asked for money or shouted at. Not feeling safe after dark in a neighborhood that used to be the heart of the city. This is an issue that has been handled badly by all cities in the area, not just Monterey. I understand the “problem” some people see but this goes much deeper than an inconvenience to a few members of the community; this is a serious failing of society and how we view mental illness and drug abuse. This is what happens when you don’t take those issues seriously and treat people with compassion. Dani Carvalho | via Facebook

I fear the pepperoni reference is presented here in the wrong context. It was meant to convey that no single shelter can accommodate all the different needs of the homeless and that opening the possibilities of where shelters around the city are located provides more options. I personally think the “overlay” should include the entire city, but I acknowledge that this is a step in the right direction. Joe Livernois | via Facebook

Pro and Con

As a long-time reader of the Weekly, recently I have noticed the review sections (restaurants and movies) are doing a disservice to us. I want to know which movies and restaurants are good. This is a small community and a negative review can cause financial hardship to local citizens trying to eke out a living. Chris P. Johnson | Monterey

CORRECTION The key to two pie charts showing demographic data was wrong (“Data shows public schools are resegregating. Here’s why that’s a problem for the next generation,” March 9-15). Monterey Peninsula Unified School District went 41.9-percent white in 1995-96 to 19.6-percent white in 2005-06, and from 16.2-percent African-American in 1995-96 to 5.2-percent African-American in 2015-16. The key showed these percentages in reverse.