Editor,

I am a Christian, white, single, male gun owner who is a retired space communications engineer, approaching the age of 70 and living with my dog in my private home.

Communication is the art of sending a message from one mind to another so that the receiver of the message has the same understanding as the sender.

If that understanding is not accomplished communications has failed.

Recently, I read a letter to the editor asking, “Why is it OK for a large number of mostly white men and a few white women to show up on the state capitol steps heavily armed and not be instantly arrested or shot?”

The letter contained little additional information other than asserting if another ethnic group had done the same thing our National Guard or SWAT might have very likely killed someone.

I responded with a letter containing a statement that the writer, and the newspaper, were promoting a racist viewpoint.

The singling out of any group of people for intense negative scrutiny is a racist viewpoint.

Note any racist viewpoint can be expressed by a racist or a non-racist.

Had I written, “racist’s viewpoint,” I would be guilty of saying the letter writer is a racist and the newspaper was promoting his viewpoint.

I didn’t do that.

As to the writer’s assertion the application of the law may be racist, that is something our elected lawmakers representing the best interests of the people, to determine.

Our words are powerful. Therefore it’s important that we use them and understand them correctly.

Delbert Hardesty

Freeland