LETTERS to the EDITOR

The Race Card

I take offense to Mary Duan’s opinion that racist policies are tolerated at Palma School (“A moment forces us to reckon with our privilege and how to use it,” Aug. 24-30). A hallmark of campus culture is inclusivity, welcoming every young man who wants a Palma education. Conscious efforts are made to present the opportunity to all boys, regardless of ethnicity, and the school population is 58.9 percent students of color.

The hearsay reported by Ms. Duan is plagued with omission. In 2011, students in the Diversity Club devised menus to represent themselves. African-American students chose to celebrate by serving barbecue ribs. Absent from the article is that the president of Monterey’s NAACP enjoyed lunch with the students after making a presentation. Kabobs of chicken and lamb were served to represent the Middle East while sausage sandwiches were served to represent European cultures on a combined Middle East/European day. Included was a presentation by a local rabbi. The week also featured foods to celebrate Latino/Hispanic and Pacific Islander/Asian. Racist or emblematic? There was no outcry, no controversy. Quite the contrary. The students enjoyed sharing their cultural heritage.

More unreported facts: Palma students go to L.I.F.E., Inc. in a gang-stressed neighborhood of Salinas to tutor students; deliver food and basic necessities to farm workers in Soledad every month; deliver food and gifts to 200-plus families in Pajaro at Christmas; conduct book readings and solidarity meetings with inmates at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad; travel to Mexico and Peru during their vacations to build homes for the underserved; and collect tens of thousands of pounds of food for the Food Bank for Monterey County.

Palma is an asset to Monterey County through which marginalized populations are engaged and served. Palma students serve to include and unite all people. Roger Rybkowski | Seaside

Editor’s note: Rybkowski is director of communications at Palma.

If you were trying to find examples of hate on the Monterey Peninsula and you chose an international food day celebrated at Palma to prove your point, all you did was humiliate the community of Palma. During International Week, we have had a Holocaust survivor speak, a women speak on forgiveness when her husband was killed in front of her by men of a different race, a young man who struggled with suicide reach out to the others students who have struggled. This is a proud event.

Journalistic integrity is a big deal these days. You should know better than to throw a stone at Palma based on hearsay. All this article does is create suspicion and blame. I encourage you to do research and come to the school so you can dispel whatever false belief you have created in your head and published in the Weekly. Willie Beesley | Monterey

Editor’s note: Beesley is director of the resource program at Palma.

The Weekly is doing all it can to perpetuate the hate that is permeating our society by “bannering” the anti-Trump banner (“Letters,” Aug. 24-30). I was pleased to see the outpouring of letters calling you to account. There is nothing “articulate” in the use of foul language; there is nothing gained by those who cry Nazi or Fascist without even knowing their root meaning. Mob psychology is at work here and it has nothing to do with the early 1940s… however, it can be equally devastating when fanned by complicit media. Roland Martin | Carmel Valley

Opinion page calls out the deplorables! Keep a list. Thanks Weekly! Excellent! Kelita Smith | Carmel

Rise and Fall

Justice has been served for once! (“Jose Castañeda sentenced to eight years in prison for domestic violence crimes,” posted Aug. 22.) Chris Sierra | via Facebook

Thank you to the survivor for having the courage to speak out. Nona Childress | via Facebook

He finally crossed the line he was looking for a long time. Hope he comes out a better human being. John Chobanian | via Facebook

Old is New Again

People don’t notice treasures around them when they’re free (“A tour of Monterey’s Cooper Molera complex bodes well for downtown Monterey,” Aug. 24-30). Luana Conley | via Facebook

Where will everyone park? It’s going to be a zoo. Barry Kilzer | via Facebook

Here it is! Not sure if I’m happy or not. Still don’t understand where all these people are meant to park? Andrea Baltzegar | via Facebook

BLT FTW

If you have anything besides bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a BLT then it has to be called something else (“Building a list of superb spots for bacon-lettuce-tomato in Monterey County,” Aug. 10-16). Avocado takes the original simple version to such a higher level that it should be a permanent fixture. Then it should be called BLT&A.

To do a fair comparison it should be the original basic version. Quality of the final product then depends upon quality and choices of the four basics, plus the bread, not to mention how the ingredients are prepped and the sandwich constructed. Every bite should include tomato, not to mention the other components. Daniel DeCamp | Seaside

Building Out

Sad sad day for those of us who have lived in Toro Park for all these years (“Court sides with developer on Ferrini Ranch, ending years-long lawsuit,” posted Aug. 23). I hope Landwatch appeals this atrocity. Laurel Hogan | via web