Letters to the editor: Stereotypes, peaceful protest, fireworks

Stereotypes

I graduated from Timberline High School in 2016. With the recent conversations about race nationwide, I wish to speak up about an incident that occurred during my senior year.

In the spring of 2016, Timberline put on the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, which featured white students dressed up as Chinese characters, adopting distinctly “Chinese” makeup and exaggerated Chinese accents. The purpose of this depiction was to make the audience, which consisted of mostly white parents, students, and staff, laugh at the portrayal of “oriental” stereotypes. At the time, I was already one of the only non-white students at Timberline — to see my ethnicity stereotyped and made fun of at a school sanctioned event was extremely uncomfortable.

I do not wish to shame or punish the individuals who put on the play, but to ask that future events are more mindful of casting harmful stereotypes on fellow members of the Timberline community. There are many musicals out there — why choose one that degrades an already underrepresented group? I am proud to be a graduate of Timberline, but I also hope that in the future, it can become a more inclusive and welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds.

Canwen Xu, Overland Park, Kansas

Peaceful protest

It is unfortunate that the words “defund the police” is associated with those wishing simply to transfer some of the burden now borne by law enforcement (together with prorated funding) to more appropriate housing, mental health, and social agencies. It is unfortunate, but understandable, that law enforcement officers consider “defund the police” as disrespectful. It is not meant to be. That said, the misconduct of the Boise police exhibited on the June 28 Black Lives Matter peaceful protest at City Hall is reprehensible! For police to allow armed, Nazi loving, white supremacists to intimidate, spit upon, curse, and crowd out of their space BLM supporters peaceably protesting, is actually the police siding with those thugs. To allow the white supremacist thugs to physically stifle the voice of peaceful protesters, instead of separating the two sides, is law enforcement taking sides. Why were the police not protecting the peaceful protesters, why were they not prepared to intervene and make arrests where appropriate? Why, for weeks now, have the Boise police stayed clear back, allowing the armed thugs to stifle the words of peaceful protesters? Perhaps the police union is too strong, protecting officers instead of officers protecting the public from armed thugs.

Tom Newton, Caldwell

Fireworks

The smell of freedom from the common sense thinkers of Idaho. What a joke — Idaho law bans the sale and use of aerial fireworks without a public use display permit. Despite the law, the common sense thinkers of Idaho certainly went out this year, bought fireworks in what sounds like record numbers, and set them off in urban areas, including Boise. An impossible task to enforce the law this July 4, given the quantity of fireworks that were set off. The resulting air pollution was significant, with the night air smelling much like an old-time battlefield. The law banning the general sale of aerial fireworks must be enforced, starting with the (non) issuance of permits to fireworks retailers.

I hope that no houses, shed, yards or gardens were set on fire as a result of the fireworks. I pray that all of the frightened animals find their way home. And with any luck, that none of the fireworks instigators blew off a finger or worse. It’s time to stop this nonsense and ban fireworks from the state of Idaho.

Bonita Biegalke, Boise