Today’s two most urgent influences – the planet is heating up and it’s getting more crowded – are already impacting Portland. Pragmatic and collaborative leaders are especially needed in this moment. While I see goodness in the current mayor’s values, the lack of cooperation with the City Council is disappointing. Political fray unfortunately distracts from […]

John Balentine’s recent column “Stop talking about race” proves exactly why we need to keep talking about race. Just because the topic makes white people uncomfortable and angry is no reason to stop talking about it. Talking about race causes conflict and division because of white privilege and white fragility. In her book, “White Fragility,” […]

Much of what John Balentine writes is laughable, but “Stop Talking About Race” – invoking as it does the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make the case Democrats are driving current politics’ race baiting – might be a new low. Balantine cites “Trump’s lack of verbal skills” as an excuse for current discourse. […]

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 […]

Since your Aug. 1 publication of the article, “Yarmouth Council rejects aid for asylum-seekers,” I have thought hard about how to respond. I applaud Portland’s efforts to welcome asylum-seekers at the Expo. I hoped surrounding communities would support this initiative and some did. A proposal to the Yarmouth Council that would help residents get involved […]