Dear Editor:

I expect more from a newspaper column, especially one written by the publisher. In the Blindside column published June 25, Mr. Slechta wrote, “The death of George Floyd in Minnesota was tragic, but…”

Nothing good ever comes after you state the obvious and proceed to follow it up with the word “but.” The sentences that followed showed the author’s true ignorance to the monumental struggle for equality playing out across our country. A struggle very real for many who have too long been marginalized, discriminated against, stolen from, murdered.

Of course, as the publisher writes “All lives matter.” That is precisely the point. The Black Lives Matter movement never said all lives do not matter. By saying Black Lives Matter, the movement is pointing out the atrocious inequalities perpetuated against black lives at a time when they are treated as second class, third class, fourth class…citizens, if they are even treated as citizens at all.

It is well past time for all of us born with privilege to speak out against those who allow racism to perpetuate in our society. This is where I stop allowing others to narrow-mindedly discriminate without calling them out. It is 2020 and we need a better vision to move us forward than the vision of continued inequality painted by Slechta’s column.

Tyler Baird

Lone Tree