Taken aback by letter
I was born and reared in Columbus, but have lived in various other places since graduating high school in 1965. July 9-12 I was in town for a 50-year class reunion of R. E. Hunt High School.
Reconnecting with old friends was exhilarating and refreshing. Frequently, our conversations focused on how much the local racial climate has changed during a half-century.
Given the visible changes, I was taken aback as I read a letter to the editor in the July 10 edition of The Dispatch. In an attempt to bring focus to controversy surrounding the display of the Confederate flag, a provocative letter asserted that, “…every black person who claims slave ancestry, ought to be proud that slavery did exist here …, otherwise ‘African Americans’ would not exist… in the greatest country in the history of the world…”
Really?
The writer seems to not understand the well-established fact that the main reason this country is great is because it was built on the backs, blood, sweat, tears and talents of African Americans. The U.S. is indebted to us and we still awaiting wages for slave labor provided by our ancestors.
It amazes me that in the 21st century, some still hold such antiquated views.
William T. Brown
Arlington, Virginia
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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