Having just read Mr. Balentine’s weekly column, I am appalled by his comment that he’d “be surprised if our readership included racists” (“BLM should demand less government, not more,” June 19). Perhaps he is simply taking the term “racist” too literally. The current and ongoing furor about racism in the U.S. and the rest of the world is both historic and enduring. If Mr. Balentine were to substitute the word prejudice for racism, perhaps then he would gain a better understanding of how systemic the issue really is and not be so eager to disregard it.

Warner Price
Harpswell