Yet again Linda, your gentle touch belies the razor sharp edge of the journalistic knife you wield with the precision of a surgeon. You have that rare ability to see the real behind the assumed truths that so many of us find easier to accept. You then present it in a manner that enlightens and educates without rancor or malice, with sensitivity and unwavering commitment to that truth. All communities have raw spots caused by a continued acceptance of assumed truths that are not valid but nonetheless commonly accepted by that community because the assumption is more comfortable and less threatening than the unvarnished truth. We guard our assumptions jealously, they provide justification for the prejudges we carry but won't acknowledge. It might be apt to note that forty some years ago, the communities and established families of the Mattole were faced with the invasion of their home ground by another group of foreigners that lived in ways that were reputed to be a threat to the established ways of the existing Mattole society. Fortunately the 'old timers' saw past the assumption of those newly arrived oddballs representing a dangerous, uncontrollable, and uncivilized threat, shook their hand, sold them some land-on an owner carry handshake-and taught them how to dig waterbars. And I've lived here ever since.
Linda, you demonstrate a maturity of perception and an unwavering commitment to fair, just and honest treatment of those uncomfortable raw spots in our communities that is so needed in today's world. But then I think I know where you learned a lot of that so it shouldn't surprise me.. Again thank you for saying what needs to be said so well, with so much compassion. You are one hell of a journalist and our Mattole community is much richer for your efforts.
Re: “Not Even From Around Here”
Yet again Linda, your gentle touch belies the razor sharp edge of the journalistic knife you wield with the precision of a surgeon. You have that rare ability to see the real behind the assumed truths that so many of us find easier to accept. You then present it in a manner that enlightens and educates without rancor or malice, with sensitivity and unwavering commitment to that truth. All communities have raw spots caused by a continued acceptance of assumed truths that are not valid but nonetheless commonly accepted by that community because the assumption is more comfortable and less threatening than the unvarnished truth. We guard our assumptions jealously, they provide justification for the prejudges we carry but won't acknowledge. It might be apt to note that forty some years ago, the communities and established families of the Mattole were faced with the invasion of their home ground by another group of foreigners that lived in ways that were reputed to be a threat to the established ways of the existing Mattole society. Fortunately the 'old timers' saw past the assumption of those newly arrived oddballs representing a dangerous, uncontrollable, and uncivilized threat, shook their hand, sold them some land-on an owner carry handshake-and taught them how to dig waterbars. And I've lived here ever since.
Linda, you demonstrate a maturity of perception and an unwavering commitment to fair, just and honest treatment of those uncomfortable raw spots in our communities that is so needed in today's world. But then I think I know where you learned a lot of that so it shouldn't surprise me.. Again thank you for saying what needs to be said so well, with so much compassion. You are one hell of a journalist and our Mattole community is much richer for your efforts.
Melanie Mirthan-Nelson