Columnist John Balentine’s argument that we need to “stop talking about race” is extremely misguided. By not talking about race we normalize a system designed to benefit whites over other groups in society and we erase from the public consciousness the many injustices being suffered by black and brown people throughout the country. This includes an uptick in murderous attacks against people of color by white supremacists, such as the recent shooting in El Paso, which was the largest massacre of Latinos in U.S. history. When Balentine says “ordinary citizens … are sick of it all” he clearly means white people are sick of all the race talk. This type of rhetoric furthers a dangerous narrative that “ordinary citizens” are white and everybody else is different and potentially un-American. Only by talking about race do we take the first steps towards making the United States a more just and equitable place.
Logan Puck
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.