I’m writing in response to frequent letter-writer Michael Proto and his recurring commentary on racism. How can anyone tell who is a racist and who is not? Can you see into a person’s heart? Can you read their minds? What a person thinks is not a crime.

I’m sure there are many whites who hate blacks, but there are also many blacks who hate whites. Racism is not just a defect in white people.

If you look at the homicide statistics of almost any year, blacks are killed more often by other blacks than by whites. And far more whites are killed by blacks than blacks killed by whites. You never hear that from the mainstream media. Not trying to start a race war. Just stating fact.

As for who really is a racist, do you remember when Barak Obama in an interview referred to his mother as a “typical white person”? Can you imagine someone using the term “typical black person”?

And there are so many more worse problems in our society than racism. Have you heard about drug abuse and how many people die because of opioid addiction? Does alcoholism mean anything to you? Look how many innocent people die every day because of drunk driving. What about gang violence?

Just look at the crime stats in Chicago after one weekend and see how many young people are dying due to gang violence. And dare I say the problem of sexual immorality and the broken homes it causes. It’s the breakup of the family that’s the root cause of most all the problems in our society.

What about the police who are killed in the line of duty? Do you shed a tear for them? Police are human beings and have families who care about them, too. Blue lives also matter.

You cannot rid the world of racism by running around accusing people who disagree with you of being a racist. That seems to be the number one tactic in the progressive liberal playbook. Everyone on the right is a racist no matter what.

Mr. Proto referred to that person who spoke negatively about him as an “anonomous coward.” He’s not a coward. He’s probably afraid that if he identified himself it would spark a backlash against him — another page out of the progressive playbook. Intimidate and shut down all opposing opinions.

If you really want to rid society of racism you have to work in changing a person’s heart. If you believe in God, it’s simple.  Realize that God made all human beings in His image and likeness. And that has nothing to do with the physical body. And He loves them unconditionally. So who am I to hate them if God loves them?

And if you’re an atheist, you just have to realize that our bodies all came from the same “stuff” of the ground and we all bleed red. In short, we are all the same and “ALL” lives matter. That’s what we need to be convinced of.

John Cintolo
Bristol