Confronting racist policies

To the editor:

I am proud of the wonderful community of progressive folks to which I belong! Let’s come together to celebrate our community’s ongoing strength to document and to act with a screening of Ellie Bernstein’s new documentary, THE ISIS TRIAL about FBI abuses to the Somali community of Minneapolis — also the home of Ilhan Omar.

Paraphrasing Ilhan Omar: “The nation’s ideals are under attack, and it is up to all of us to defend them... Having survived civil war in my home country as a child, I cherish these values (of equal protection under law, pluralism, religious liberty) that are under attack, and it is up to all of us to defend them... The only way to push back is to be unequivocal about our values. It is not enough to condemn Mr. Trump’s racism. We must affirmatively confront racist policies ...”

That is what Ellie Bernstein’s film is doing: confronting racist policies! Come see her film and celebrate Ellie’s strength to document the truth — and our continuing strength to get our voices out there, 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Kingston.

Jane Toby

Catskill