Dear Editor:

I was very sad to read about Isabell Trevino’s experience with a member of our police force. This is a man who has vowed to serve and protect us. Even if he is a racist, or biased in some way, it is not supposed to show. I hope that the chief of police used that experience as a springboard to remind our men and women on the force that there is never a valid excuse to treat anyone this way, even if they have been treated poorly themselves.

While I do not believe that we are a racist country or state we certainly do have people who seem to thrive on hatred of any kind. They must be very unhappy people who want to make sure everyone else is as miserable as they are.

All of the people who feel the need to show hatred toward other people for any reason, color, gender, handicap, religion or non-vaccination, have something missing in their lives. I wish I knew what it was so we could fix it! My son experienced a great deal of bullying in his elementary, middle school and high school years. That bullying did not come from just his peers it came from teachers and one principal in particular.

Bullies come in all shapes and sizes and they get away with it because no one knows how to deal with them. Missing an important event in their lives or being held after or put in detention changes nothing. Bullies have nothing to lose.

And then, there are those, like the people in Seattle and Portland who get to do whatever they want without repercussions. They are destroying the livelihoods of many people and no one seems to care. Not all of the victims have insurance and if they once did, now they probably can’t afford it because it has skyrocketed due to the losses.

Our country is full of bullies. Cyber attackers, thieves, murderers, rapists, child molesters. And, it is getting worse by the minute. Some of them even run this country. You may fill in the blanks there but suffice it to say that they can be on either side of the aisle.

I fear that we will be beyond rescue soon if we don’t do something about it!

Please note: I have the greatest respect for all of our first responders. I also appreciate what they do for all of us in spite of the possible danger to themselves.

Linda Graff

Powell