“When will they ever learn?”
That, of course, is the plaintive refrain from “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” and it is as relevant in today’s world as it was in 1955 when Pete Seeger wrote it. And our questioning continues, but focusing on “we,” not “they:” When will we ever learn to judge individuals by the content of character, not a group stereotype? When will we ever learn to coexist civilly with people different from ourselves? When will we ever learn to accept scientific fact over conjecture? When will we ever learn that equality is a right, not a privilege? The reality is that some of us never will, but the hope is that most already do.
This newsletter is certainly no stranger to the process of learning and evolving, and our team is continually striving for improvement—from quality of composition to layout design to relevancy of content. Of particular benefit to us in this regard are periodic reality checks from our readers in the form of “Letter to the Board” editorials, like the one on page 13, taking us to task for lack of coverage in the May-June newsletter of the Black Lives Matter racial justice protests, which not only are of vital importance locally, but also nationally and internationally as well.
Responding to the editorial, I first want to thank this conscientious B-W resident—a self-identified “person of color,” who requested a first name initial be used in the byline—for the constructive as well as instructive commentary. With respect to the point made regarding BWNA’s duty to the neighborhood, I’m in complete agreement that “…it matters so much for our neighborhood association that the magnitude of this historical moment not be buried.” That said, be assured the BWNA board did not and does not have its head in the sand on this matter. In fact, BWNA’s “Statement Condemning Discrimination,” featured on the front page of this issue, was submitted for board consideration by new BWNA VP Tim Gillespie shortly after the nationwide demonstrations began. The absence of this statement and related articles in the May-June newsletter was not a result of either trepidation (“…how scary it must feel for the newsletter to talk about this subject…”) or dismissiveness (“…deprioritized to articles about gardening parking strips, demolition dust, and a park playhouse…”), but of timing. George Floyd’s death occurred at the end of May, and our newsletter team was up against a submission deadline, with articles already in the pipeline for publication. Still, as acknowledged in the editorial, page two of the May-June issue does briefly mention the movement in Tim Hemstreet’s President’s Message (“…urgent and justified calls for racial and social justice in light of the tragic death of George Floyd…”). As for the implication of misplaced priorities, I would argue that the articles featured in that issue—Wilshire Park enhancement projects, parking strip ecology, residential demolition/development, BBA businesses coping with COVID-19 fallout, and the Eudaly/Mapps race—are all fully relevant and of importance to this neighborhood.
So what have we learned?! Mainly this: “I’d love for the newsletter to represent the neighborhood around this issue.” Thus the seed was planted. Enjoy the bloom.
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And finally, welcome aboard to our newest advertiser, Daren Bucklin of Transworld Business Advisors of East Portland!