The slavery which started in 1619 and which theoretically ended in 1863 has since been replaced by wage discrimination. People of color and women have been paid less despite the Civil Rights and the Equal Pay acts. Add to this 100 years of monetary policy (wage restraint) trying to curb inflation and you have half the population not making enough to live and raise a family, not to mention afford housing and healthcare. Poverty which has led to a culture of us and them, with the police in the middle, some of whom clearly relish confrontation.

You could argue that Universal Basic Income is the answer. I’m not sure, but a few who are getting the $600 per week bonus stipend from the feds are the ones to ask.

Whatever the answer, the question still remains. How do you end poverty and narrow the wage gap? Figure that out and finally, all lives, Black, white, female, Hispanic, Asian, will matter.

Peter Tildesley

Brownsville