Stop victim blaming when a driver hits a cyclist. Bike helmets don’t protect against cars
Bicycle helmets
It was disappointing to see another story in The News Tribune this weekend that originally noted whether or not a bicyclist hit by a motor vehicle was wearing a helmet. This is victim-blaming. Just as you should not blame a woman for being assaulted due to what she is wearing, you should not blame people biking for being hit and injured or killed due to their fashion choices.
Despite widespread helmet use in our community, people who bike continue to be injured and killed on our streets. That’s because bicycle helmets are not designed for impacts from cars, especially when a person biking is hit by a large vehicle going at a high rate of speed. This is one of the many reasons Tacoma leaders led the way in 2020 as one of the first municipalities in our state to repeal the mandatory helmet law.
TNT reporters should think more critically when reporting directly from police reports about helmet use for people biking when hit and injured or killed in crashes. The TNT also mentioned helmets in its original story about the death of 13-year-old Michael Weilert, who was hit and killed in a crosswalk along State Route 7 in July while using the flashing beacon light.
It is misleading and harmful to cast blame anywhere except upon the person driving, their lack of attention or reckless driving, lack of infrastructure where people can bike safely, and speed limits that are too high for urban areas.
Sara Kiesler, Tacoma
Dominican Sisters’ response to Colorado mass shooting
Our hearts ache for the five people who were killed and at least 25 injured in a hate crime committed at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs. We pray for those who died so cruelly, and for the healing and recovery of all who suffered grievous wounds.
There is no place for hate crimes in our nation nor for the angry and venomous language that often precedes such evil acts — whether committed against members of the LGBTQ+ community or people who are Black, Indigenous, Latino or Asian-American, or because of a person’s religious faith. As women of faith, we believe in the inherent dignity of every person.
Our Tacoma Dominican Sisters’ mission statement calls each of us to create a just society that addresses basic human needs and ends the violence that erodes our planet.
We call on all people of goodwill to join in doing whatever we can to end the bitter divisiveness that rends our hearts and society with such deadly consequences.
May we see each other as brothers and sisters, all loved by God, sharing precious life on our common Earth home.
Sister Sharon Casey, Tacoma
Homeless response
Where Tacoma’s approach to addressing homelessness fails is in its focus on style over function. The new mitigation site, unfortunately, has encapsulated this. On the surface it is hard to argue against — 50 ice-fishing tents spaced evenly with garbage collection, hygiene stations and on-site staff. A little neighborhood for our unhoused neighbors. Compare this to unsanctioned encampments, which can look a bit more haphazard, and it feels like a step up.
But then the Pacific Northwest reminds us that it is November and that means rain, rain and more rain. Suddenly, that orderly neighborhood’s shiny exterior begins to wash away and we see what was hiding underneath — no waterproofing. Those residents who did the “right” thing (by our city council’s measure) suddenly found themselves and their belongings soaking wet and cold. Meanwhile, those who stayed in their tent and tarp combos outside were dry.
Let’s hope this is a lesson for our city’s homelessness response moving forward. Our focus on aesthetics is putting lives at risk. If we truly want to implement an effective strategy then we need to start asking folks what they need — not just what will look good to someone driving by in their car.
Aaron Sheldon, Tacoma