Make change with our dollars and sense!

Make change with our dollars and sense!

By Audrey Peterman

 Dear Mr. Henry,

I was moved by your Op Ed on the front page of the July 2-8 Westside Gazette, in which you revealed the refusal of prominent advertisers to use the Black Press and specifically the insulting response to your question by Mr. Goldstein. Since the brownfield is in a predominantly Black area, it is a no-brainer that the responsible agency has a duty to place the information in media targeted to that community. Otherwise they risk the community not knowing what’s going on and being able to act in their best interest.

There is a sure and certain cure for this, and that takes place when the affected people decide they’ve had enough and will take matters into their own hands. That would re-quire a boycott of those firms that refuse to respect them and their media. It’s not hard to get a petition going online now that calls out such corporate irresponsibility. Unfortunately, public shaming of unethical practices is one of the few re-courses citizens have.

In the case of the brownfield, the affected people need to let their local, state and national elected officials know they will no longer accept this treatment. In 2000 we got a clause in the Water Resources Development Act that requires minority firms to be included in any programs related to the environment, but many laws are unenforced because people either do not know they exist or pressure is not applied at the appropriate place. Most insultingly, it’s our tax dollars being used to pay the salaries of haughty and incompetent individuals.

The only way this is going to change is for us to change and act affirmatively on our own behalf.

Audrey Peterman