Letter: Not swayed by political rhetoric

Published 10:00 am Tuesday, August 25, 2020

To the Editor:

This letter is a response to the letter in the Aug. 12 edition submitted by Ashley Stevick. The word racism is permeating our society. This week I saw it on the cover of a popular magazine and on the wrapper of a protein bar. The word racism is being used without reason, comparison, and statistics. Is there a documented problem? Where is it? What has been done? What is the plan going forward? Is there a time in history when people of different races have lived better lives? Should we tear down or build up? Without answers to these questions, the flood of racism language turns into propaganda. The definition of propaganda is: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. It presents facts selectively in order to produce emotional rather than rational responses. People who react emotionally are easy to incite. On another point, the electoral college was created to give a measure of equality to all demographics. The word racism is now being used to make it unpopular. I, for one, stand against the national and local propaganda of the word racism that causes the population to believe sweeping statements as fact that are not undergirded with knowledge, explanation and reason.

Terry Aasness

Mt. Vernon