Monument helps heal
Editor:
On Feb. 1, the Taylor City Cemetery unveiled the Historic African American Memorial Marker. The monument was installed in Section 5 of the cemetery. This was the African American portion of the graveyard. Many of the deceased were buried as long as 140 years ago and were often only identified by wooden markers.
Sadly, where they actually lay is lost to time.
The program included an honest admission by city leadership that burial in segregated cemeteries was wrong and a legacy of racism and discrimination.
The marker acknowledges we can rectify our past mistakes by admitting and repairing the harm that was done. Hopefully, exposing the true unfiltered history of Taylor can induce more nuanced thinking about contemporary racial inequalities in this country.
A lot of work remains to be done, but we can and must do this. Now, let’s build a better future together.
Jose Orta
Taylor
The Earth is fine — not
Editor:
In reading the recent column “The Earth Will be Fine,” I saw few facts.
Yet, you say people and animals are at risk, so I would like to state some facts in this letter and respond to that sentence.
Ninety-nine percent of scientists agree climate change is happening and that humans are the primary cause. Climate change is occurring too rapidly to allow species to adapt.
A United Nations report published in 2019 ranked climate change as the third direct driver of the disappearance of species.
Higher temperatures have increased heat-related deaths. For instance, 62,000 heat-related deaths were recorded in Europe during the summer of 2022.
Air quality also worsened.
These things should be a concern of everyone living on this planet. It is our job as humans to stop this from happening. It is happening more rapidly, and I agree with you that it has always happened, but now more rapidly because of how we are taking care of this planet or actually not taking care of this planet.
People can go here and read more about why and how to help and to understand: earthday. org/6-arguments-torefuteyour- climate- denying- relatives/
Kathe Forrest
