Her Two Cents

I would like to respond to two pieces from the Aug. 13 issue.

In the From the Desk of the Publisher Robin wrote that she was ticked off about “Biden’s claim that he was choosing as his running mate a woman of color” and did not say that he was picking the most qualified person. Every vice-presidential candidate is chosen to help boost the candidacy of the person running for President, whether to “balance” the ticket geographically or appeal to a different group. Some are well qualified (I think Senator Harris in this category, as have most others) and some are less so (Sarah Palin, for instance). Biden went on to praise Sen. Harris’ background and experience. Trump immediately started with the name-calling (“nasty,” “disrespectful,” “madwoman”) as well as latching onto a new “birther” conspiracy theory. I hope we all do our homework prior to voting (as Robin assured her readers she would) to see who would be the best to solve the country’s enormous problems with the pandemic, economy, racial justice, health care, status with our allies and just plain empathy.   

The second is the letter is by David North entitled “Apologies Go Both Ways.” First of all, I am very sorry that he had such a traumatic encounter in your teens. Those young people who attacked you and your friend were criminals and should indeed have been punished and apologized to you. But the Black community is not an entity and neither caused nor condoned this and does not owe you an apology, just as we in the White community did not cause deaths such as those by various White mass shooters (think Las Vegas or the man who killed Blacks at a church). This is quite different from the City of Glendale, which had “laws” on the books (or at least unwritten policies) called Sundown laws, to arrest/harass anyone who was Black who was in the City when the sun went down. Glendale was also the home at various times to the KKK (including a cross burning) and the Nazi party. [I was a kid during the latter time and saw the hateful literature distributed around Glendale, including in/near schools.] It is fair for the City to look at its past and acknowledge it and figure out ways to apologize and atone for it, perhaps by teaching what went on so it does not happen again.

Jackie Gish

Glendale

Keep the Parklets

Can we at least all agree to keep the parklets along Honolulu Avenue if and when the COVID-19 restrictions are behind us? The extra public space is good for us, and good for business, and we deserve it more than the city deserves a few more parking meters.

Ian Harris

La Crescenta

Doing Good – as a Business and Citizen

The Goodwill store on Verdugo Boulevard has been closed because of the pandemic. However, donations were piling up in front of the store causing an unsightly mess and a health hazard.

I contacted the Glendale police and Goodwill Industries to report this hoping one or the other organization would clean it up. However neither organization did.

Classy Cuts hair salon is next door and owner Jenny Khachekian and her husband took it upon themselves to remove all the accumulated donations, clean up the area and tape it off, hoping to keep people from leaving more stuff in front of the store.

Big shout out to Jenny for doing the right thing as a citizen and business owner! I love Classy Cuts and Jenny Khachekian!

Karen Franchot

Montrose