Johnson's quote was taken out of context

Maureen Patterson’s recent letter in local newspapers gets it wrong again. She quotes Manning Johnson, saying “a black 1960’s former communist.” Manning died in 1959. He was formerly a Communist, he left the party in 1939. Manning’s quotes address the 1950’s Cold War, not African Americans in this century. His concerns were that Socialist Russia and Communist China were inciting Black Americans to rebel to “make them work for Communists.” In the 1950’s mis-truths like these were rampant. The McCarthy hearings are a shameful example of corrupted justice that was later discredited.

Maureen has written letters condemning Mexican immigrants. She supports detention centers, the border wall and Donald Trump. In 2019 she wrote “At Western Union (where she lived) there were always Mexican illegals, mailing their U.S. earned money back to their families in Mexico,” as if supporting their families is wrong. She must have ESP to know Hispanics wiring money were illegal and Mexican. My immigrant German relatives sent money to family and sponsored them to immigrate here.

Maureen is trying to manipulate a sixty-plus-year-old quote in attempting to convince that today’s BLM movement is being orchestrated by China and Russia. Her view denies the radically unjust systematic racism that African Americans face.

Maureen’s hero, Donald Trump loves Socialist Putin, Communist Yung Un, hoodlum Al Sad, all suspected murders. Putin was Trump’s “Man of the Year,” and of Jung-UN he says “I love him, he loves me.” Trump panders to the basest human flaws. Trump legitimizes and encourages hate. He refuses to denounce white supremacy. Many MP’s in the country ignore and deny America’s history and condone Trump’s relationships with criminals and dictators. Trump has spread Covid-19 at every packed rally where he condoned no masks or social distancing contracting it himself. Get your heads out of your trances.

BETTY GARDNER

Priest River