Another rancorous letter from Edward Bell!
Mr. Bell, where is all this hatred coming from? I don’t make disparaging remarks about you, so why do you assume I am part of some privileged elite or live in a bubble? You’ve never even met me.
I am a naturalized American citizen. When I was 9 years old, my parents and I moved here from Canada. It was not quick or easy. There was a quota system; we needed a sponsor; we had green cards. When my parents had fulfilled the five-year residency requirement, they went to citizenship school, passed the test and the three of us became citizens.
My background was certainly not privileged. My parents worked hard but earned little money. However, they were great believers in education and in those days college tuition was not out of reach as it is today for so many students. I couldn’t afford to live on campus, so I commuted daily to the University of Washington.
When I was a junior, my dad was laid off. I offered to go to work, even took the typing test at Boeing. My dad went ballistic. “If you drop out, you’ll never go back. Education is the smallest package you’ll ever carry.” He found another job, and I stayed at UW to earn my degree in mathematics. I worked for thirty years; unlike Trump, I paid my taxes.
The Republicans’ disdain for books or any kind of intellectual endeavor is scary. Who do they think invented their computers and cell phones or the cars they drive and planes in which they fly? (Of course, since President Trump brags that he doesn’t read, this anti-intelligence stance becomes more understandable.)
Mr. Bell, we see the role of the United States very differently. My family and I are proof this is still a land of opportunity. As someone fortunate enough to live here, I do what I can, even though I don’t have a lot of disposable income. I was raised as a Lutheran, but my Jewish and Muslim friends deserve my respect too. I support universal health care because nothing is more important than taking care of our veterans and our citizenry.
In spite of the Republicans’ belief, we do live in a global economy and things that affect other countries affect us too. Washington State’s wheat, apples, planes and computers are sold the world over. Border walls and discriminatory isolationist immigration policies ignore the obvious.
Yes, I voted for Obama — twice. I was proud that we finally seemed to be moving beyond race in choosing a president. However, the Obama campaign signs I put up were regularly taken down and trashed in the weeks prior to the election. And I doubt very much if the perpetrators were Democrats! (An article about the vandalism appeared on page five of the Kirkland Reporter on Sept. 7, 2012, if you want more details.)
Republicans love to quote the Bible, so here’s one for you, Mr. Bell. “Judge not lest ye be judged.
Carol Lake,
Kirkland
