Letters to the editor

Extend 45 mph zone on Glasgow

The new 45 mph speed limit on Glasgow Road is supposed to be for 2 miles from Fairfield.

We live on New Glasgow Road, which is 5 miles from Burlington Avenue in town. About half a mile before the turn off from Glasgow Road to New Glasgow Road, there is a new sign for 45 mph (with a flag) going toward town but directly across from it is the old 55 mph sign going away from town.

I would really like it if the 45 mph sign continued past the turn to New Glasgow Road. Many trucks speed up going down that hill where we turn off at the bottom, just past the bridge. There are many residents in the New Glasgow Association and the mailbox cluster is right at the turn off where we stop to pick up mail.

There is another association at the top of the hill past New Glasgow, with many residents in that area as well. Maybe the 55 mph on Glasgow Road should not start again until past these two associations.

Carole Connet

Fairfield

Warren Buffett misses the point

Earlier this month, I joined 40,000 others for the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders’ meeting in Omaha — popularly known as “The Woodstock of Capitalism.” People flocked to the sprawling Berkshire Bazaar of Bargains — to get discounts on everything from See’s Candy to Yeti mugs to Purple mattresses, to step into a private NetJet, and to tour a complete manufactured home that had been installed on the convention floor.

But the real focus of the event was the long-time head of Berkshire, Warren Buffett — perennially one of the richest people on the planet — and his chief lieutenant, Charlie Munger. Buffett, often called the Oracle of Omaha for his phenomenal success in piloting Berkshire, is 92, and Munger is a whopping 99. The two defied all expectations of age-related decline, as they held the stage for hours, adeptly fielding questions from the audience. The pair were clear, focused, often charming — and, especially in Munger’s case, acerbically funny.

And yet, despite their wisdom and charm, I left the meeting massively disappointed.

One of the people with whom I attended was 17-year-old Hannah Hayes of Des Moines, who was among those chosen to ask Buffet a question. (Berkshire chooses questioners by lottery, and Hannah was one of the lucky ones.) Deeply alarmed by the dangers we face from our rapidly changing climate, she pointedly asked that Berkshire accelerate the retirement of the five Iowa coal plants run by its subsidiary MidAmerican Energy. Hannah pointed out that these plants are enormous sources of greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants, and said it is past time to replace them with a proper mix of solar, battery storage, and wind.

Sadly, Buffett completely sidestepped Hannah’s question — the most important one of the day, given the critical threats posed by climate change. Instead of addressing the documented dangers of coal and fossil fuels, Buffet devoted his answer to extolling MidAmerican’s production of wind energy, and claiming that Berkshire is therefore a leader in renewable energy. Given the seriousness of the crisis we face, being “a leader” in Buffett’s sense is simply not good enough. A true leader faces up to those things that will cause human society irreparable harm, and takes the boldest of actions to avert those growing dangers. Instead, Buffett refused to face the brunt of Hannah’s question, focusing instead on self-congratulations.

It goes without saying that Buffett’s company exists to maximize profits for shareholders. But isn’t there a point where a corporation and its investors have amassed so much wealth that they should be able to recognize that there are other goals besides money that desperately need to be pursued?

Our notion of “success” needs to be expanded to include a heightened responsibility for the ongoing safety and well-being of humanity — especially for our children and grandchildren. We must stop cordoning off financial success as the singular and ultimate achievement, and embrace our wider responsibilities to address the perils that so clearly endanger our future.

Thom Krystofiak

Fairfield

Everyone can celebrate Juneteenth

What is there not to celebrate in the ending of enslavement in the United States? Juneteenth is now an official national holiday that commemorates this event which took place on June 19, 1865. That was the day when the last enslaved people were informed that they had been freed of their enslavement. This is certainly a day to celebrate for ALL Americans.

Ending the institution of slavery was a turning point in American history and it helps to make the freedoms we celebrate on July 4 more complete and meaningful. You see on July 4, 1776, it was the birth of a new nation that gave freedom only to some Americans. White property-owning males were the only ones that truly experience the benefits of liberty. Women, blacks, Native Americans and even poor white people with no property were not allowed to participate in the American system.

Slowly, these groups were included in the blessings of liberty. Finally, on June 19, 1865, four million enslaved black people were given freedom too. This is something to celebrate, and not just for Black people. Those that enslaved others were also freed from that evil system.

Ending the slave system made our country a better nation. We came closer to fulfilling the dream of equality for all that live in this great country. Juneteenth also reminds us that our freedoms are interconnected. If any person’s freedom is restricted or threatened, it threatens all of us. Until all are free, everyone’s freedom is in jeopardy.

Even though Washington is primarily a white community, we believe that it is important to celebrate this holiday. By participating in Juneteenth, we stand shoulder to shoulder with Black residents and citizens. We show solidarity and support for their efforts and contributions to our community.

This year, Washington for Justice is highlighting the life of one of our long-standing Black residents, George DeVaughn. We filmed an interview with George recently and it will be shown at the Methodist Church on June 18 after a Juneteenth potluck meal. All are invited to attend.

Then on June 19, we are hosting a special public Juneteenth commemoration at the Washington Public Library with George’s son, Michael as the guest speaker, followed by a movie about the murder of Emmitt Till. This reminds us that freedom was not completely secured in 1865 and that there is still much for us to do today to secure a “more perfect union.” We hope all will attend.

Dan Henderson

Washington