Letters

Truthful Plaques

Did Presidents Washington and Jefferson practice what they preached? Jim Wallis’ November 2017 editorial, “White ‘Heritage’ vs. the Gospel,” suggests an alternative to tearing down monuments: educational plaques stating the historical truth. I agree. Here are my suggested plaques for the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. The Washington Monument: First president, father of our country, led American Revolution which won freedom from British tyranny. Misused this freedom to continue practicing tyranny over black slaves. The Jefferson Memorial: Third president, authored Declaration of Independence which proclaimed all men are created equal. Proclaimed equality but practiced rich, white, male superiority.

Lowell Noble
Riceville, Iowa

Needing More than a Sermon

While what Jim Wallis says in “White ‘Heritage’ vs. the Gospel” talks to the issue of racism, he has not spoken to the most important issue the church should be addressing: the hundreds of years of preaching and teaching that defined Africans and others as not fully human. These centuries of defending slavery and slave wages cannot be overcome in the few years since the 1950s by just an occasional sermon or resolution.

William Dodge
Schenectady, New York

A Hard Parable

This is regarding Wil Gafney’s November 2017 reflection (“Living the Word”) on the wise and foolish virgins. I appreciate the author’s perspective, but in fact the parable does not chide the wise virgins for their attitude of scarcity or refusal to share. It simply says that they were admitted to the kingdom and the others were not. Wisdom in the Bible is associated with virtue and foolishness with sin. This is a hard parable, and I kind of wish it had been told differently, but the way I read it, the meaning is plain.

Cheryl Kopec
Tacoma, Washington

Luxury of Circumstance

Reading my sister Jenna Barnett’s interviews in her November 2017 article (“Neither Angels Nor Demons”) reminded me that my resilience is a product not only of my hard work, the support of friends, mental health professionals, and time, but also the luxury of circumstance that my socioeconomic status affords me. Abuse within the context of our economically polarized nation and our very flawed juvenile punitive justice system serves to punish victims and perpetuate cycles of abuse. Everyone deserves, but does not currently have, the same opportunities to be able to rise above and beyond their abuse to find joy in life, love, and careers. Let’s begin a deep and broad dialogue about the systems in our society that overlook and even encourage such abuses.

Erin Barnett
Brooklyn, New York

Love in Correction

In “Love in Action,” a sidebar about my book Just Call Me Jerzy: Popieluszko in the United States and Canada in the September-October 2017 issue, the phrase “speaks bravely to thousands in Poland and Canada” is incorrect. Popieluszko did indeed speak bravely to tens of thousands in Poland, but that never happened in Canada.

Judith Kelly
Arlington, Virginia

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