No on M! 

Editor:

The Philippine-American War initiated by President McKinley with his annexation of the Philippines was a "model" for the later war in Vietnam.

This included the massacre of civilians, the burning of crops and killing of farm animals, the herding of civilians into "detention camps," the designation of certain areas where anyone could be killed (later in Vietnam called "freefire" zones) and the systematic use of torture. The Philippine-American War and insurrection lasted from 1899 to 1913 and the estimates of Filipinos killed range from 500,000 to 1.4 million.

In November of 1901, the Manila correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger reported: "Our men have been relentless, have killed to exterminate men, women, children, prisoners and captives, active insurgents and suspected people from lads of 10 up, the idea prevailing that the Filipino as such was little better than a dog."

Please vote no on Measure M.

Robert J. Hepburn, Arcata

Editor:

Arcata voters choose Nov. 6: 1, Acknowledge history, beginning about 170 years ago, of humans armed with guns coming hundreds of miles from the east to invade land occupied by other humans for tens of thousands of years – and give respect to descendants of the original human inhabitants by voting no on Measure M; or 2, Hold onto the comfortable history crafted by the invading humans and their descendants to justify rape, murder, massacre, enslavement and natural resource destruction for individual short-term gain – and reject the Wiyot People's request and the Arcata City Council's vote to remove the McKinley statue from the plaza.

I urge Arcata voters to respect our neighbors, Wiyot and other indigenous peoples, and to commit an act of inclusion by voting no on Measure M.

Diane Ryerson, Arcata