Letters for July 30, 2015

‘True diversity’?

Re “Our diversity problem” (SN&R Editorial, July 23):

It makes sense to me that a paper that mostly appeals to white liberal hipsters would be staffed by people who can appeal to white liberal hipsters. That's your market segment, and you need not feel guilty about it anymore than BET, which is almost exclusively staffed by black folks, or Univision, which is almost exclusively Latino. Myself, I celebrate true diversity and that means I love Mexican restaurants that are staffed with Mexican folks who love and understand their cuisine. Likewise, I like Asian restaurants where the menu items are things the staff grew up with and not just something they learned from a cookbook or a manual. I also enjoy SN&R for its ideological liberal approach to seeking and reporting the truth and if the best folks for that job are white liberal hipsters then this white conservative will keep reading every week. True diversity at the SN&R would mean you'd have to hire corporate toadies, political wonks, conservatives like me and etc., but then you'd lose your identity and your appeal. Bottom line: We must first celebrate diversity by celebratingwho we are. Only then can we truly appreciate others.

Peter Finn

Sacramento

SN&R ignorant

Re “Our diversity problem” (SN&R Editorial, July 23):

When I saw the cartoon cover depicting Mayor Kevin Johnson a few weeks ago, I thought immediately of two things: One, it looked very much like the racist depictions of black people that were everywhere in our society up until recent times, and two, if I were making the decision at SN&R, that cover would never have run. I imagine this happened not because I think SN&R is racist, but more likely ignorant of or perhaps insensitive to this history of one of the many ways black people were marginalized in this country. To not see or admit how that image of Johnson is so similar to the historic hateful images reminds me a bit of those who say the Confederate flag is only about “Southern heritage.” At best, such people have blinders on or are ignorant of history.

Frank Bruno

Sacramento

SN&R ‘caved’

Re “Our diversity problem” (SN&R Editorial, July 23):

It feels like you caved in to accusations of racism by the NAACP. I consider myself American, but for everyone else who is entertained by segregationist labels, I am Mexican-American. Your argument that a paper’s staff should be reflective of its readers is noble, but how do you put it into practice when people that look like me are not interested in such work. Please do not do me any favors.

How would a person of color draw K.J.? How would we write the story differently? By the NAACP’s measure, every caricature artist in San Francisco would be racist, as well as every school child across America.

Please keep America a meritocracy and do not resign it to mediocrity by hiring based on phenotype. As Christopher Hitchens wrote: “In this country, it seems that you can always get an argument going about ’race’ as long as it is guaranteed to be phony, but never when it is real.”

Claudio Cisneros

Sacramento