Dear Editor:

While I applaud Lorine Parks and others who are showcasing Downey community poetry, I question “Poetry Matters” as the banner of their pursuit. 

Last month, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took some heat over her usage of “All Lives Matter”, an appropriation of a the “Black Lives Matter” slogan that has emerged as a unifying refrain for African Americans, who remain the victims of routine institutional discrimination. 

Whether one agrees or disagrees that Ms. Clinton crossed a line, we cannot deny the politically charged undertones that lie beneath this phraseology. Certainly our Downey poets, who ennoble the power and nuances of language, should be mindful that their continuing use of this slogan may implicitly marginalize the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

Chris Wiebe
Downey