Love is what children need
There was a time when an elderly black woman had to give up her seat to allow the nice white gentleman a place to sit down.
Thankfully those days are long behind us and we have only documentaries of African-American heroes like Jackie Robinson to remember them. We are better educated, more civilized, and, doggone it, more sensitive today. That's what makes this country great. We don't see race anymore. Not unless it's to make sure everyone is included of course … Or to keep an orphaned (abandoned) Alaska Native baby out of the home of evil (loving) white parents. Sure, only 20 percent of Alaska children are Native and they happen to make up 55 percent of the population of orphaned children, but it's important for us to fight to keep these children in the communities that failed them. Yes. Failed.
And why? Their race of course. Even if their heritage is 85 percent European. It's more important for us to focus our efforts on the 15 percent that is Alaska Native because — Well, let's face it, some races are more important than others.
Right?
I wonder how far Rosa and Jackie would think we've come with our dedicated hospitals and special set of rules for different people based solely on their race. It parallels all too closely to drinking fountains and bus seats if you ask me.
I teach my son all people are created equal under God, but everything in this world teaches him we should treat people differently based on their race. Unless of course they are white.
The adoption process is cumbersome and stringent as it is, and quite frankly, should have nothing to do with race. If my son is orphaned one day, I pray to God he goes to the people who will love and care for him the best, whether they are black, white, yellow, or brown. Period.
— Chase Perrins
Anchorage
Cole chooses news to use
Dermot Cole's recent column, "Murkowski and Sullivan hide behind the 'non-endorsement endorsement' of Trump," (ADN, June 12) misled the readers by leaving out a critical piece of information. In the column, Cole stated Sen. Dan Sullivan, on a recent appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," refused to call Donald Trump's comments about the ethnicity of a judge "racist."
That's simply not true. Sullivan did just that. But for whatever reason — probably because Cole isn't known for letting facts get in the way of a preexisting thesis — he chose not to include that part, thereby fully misleading readers.
Cole's obsession with all things Trump begs this important question: If he's a fair writer why is Cole not asking other state leaders — Republicans, Democrats, independents, maybe even himself — if Hillary Clinton would be a better choice for Alaska. Do Alaskans deserve to know how much of Clinton's agenda Alaska's Democrat and independent representatives support?
Certainly he's aware she's on record advocating the abridgment of our Second Amendment rights, has vowed to permanently lock up ANWR, as well as the Arctic, and thinks the VA is doing a good job.
Does that sound like the better choice for Alaska, particularly given our current economic situation? But asking that question might disrupt the agenda-driven reporting Cole, once a respected writer, is becoming increasingly known for.
— Mike Anderson
Press Secretary for Sen. Dan Sullivan
Washington, D.C.
Our PFDs can rise again
All the angst over capping the PFD versus losing the PFD. How about capping it for just two or three years in a sunset statute?
At the end of that time, when hopefully the state's income-expenditure discrepancy will have declined, the PFD would automatically return in the exact same format as it exists today.
And maybe the same approach could even be used with our oil tax credits. Drop most of them now, and return them in two to three years.
— Jim Lieb
Palmer
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