To the Editor,

The revision of the letter to the editor that you published, titled “ORR school district should not abuse its public platform,” is abhorrent. It is about an issue that is not controversial. As the editor of the paper, you suggested that I write an “opposing viewpoint” and make my opinion heard. However, systemic racism isn’t a viewpoint. It is real and it is deadly. Yes, people have a right to their personal opinions, but when those opinions ignore facts, put real peoples’ lives at danger, and minimize the experiences of black people, they should not be published in a newspaper.

The piece I reference not only ignores, but blatantly denies the history and present state of our country by saying that systemic racism does not exist and turns a blind eye to the overwhelming majority of experts on this topic. Things like redlining, gerrymandering, voting laws, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the war on drugs, the school-to-prison pipeline, black mothers dying during childbirth, and police brutality are just a few very real examples of systemic racism. Racism has roots in every one of our country’s systems and institutions. This includes newspapers such as Sippican Week that decide to publish racist ideology.

The sentiment that public schools should not speak out against systemic racism is also damaging. This piece is effectively telling students in the ORR school district that black lives do not matter. By publishing the piece, you are failing to support a school system that many of your readers rely on for education and guidance.

It is because of the spread of ideas like this that black people face physical, structural, and emotional violence. Your failure to remove this piece and issue an apology means that you are actively participating in racism. You claim that Sippican Week has never taken an editorial stance on any issue, but rather provides a forum for the differing opinions of all readers. Not taking a stance is not an option. Silence is what leads to the issues we are seeing today. We must all be anti-racist, including your paper. I hope that you and the author of the original letter reflect and make change, rather than continue to contribute to systemic racism in this country.

MaryGrace Brogioli
Wareham