Letter to the Editor

Showing support for the young people in our community

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

To the editor of the Nevada Daily Mail:

I am writing this to express my pride for and support of the young people in our community who have organized a peaceful protest to stand alongside marginalized Nevadans and other minority populations in our country.

For 55 years of my life, I've called Nevada, Missouri home. I’ve spent most of those years serving you meals, refilling your drinks, and learning about your families. We’ve talked together, laughed together, and cried together. I’ve raised three daughters here, each of whom have built upon their upbringing in this tight knit and compassionate community to spend their lives serving others.

As tensions in our country have escalated the past few days, bringing to light hundreds of years of injustice and brutality towards black people on this soil, I’ve thought back to comments that I’ve heard from residents over the past month; comments that are blatantly racist, threatening, and violent. Yesterday, I saw comments on the Facebook event for the peaceful protest with undertones of violence and vague threats toward a child in our community. These comments are NOT representative of the place I’ve made my home for over half a century.

I support this protest. I support the youth of our community who want to create a safer and more just world. This gives me hope for our town as we imagine a future that is more compassionate, just, and equitable.

Sincerely,

Peggy Ellis