We can all be better

I have long respected Trudy Rubin for the honesty of her columns and consider her latest piece (“Chinese make most of U.S. blunders,” March 20), in your paper, to be a fine example of that tradition.

As she illustrated, today, the patient wisdom of the people, at large, can be a better guide than are the pronouncements of national leaders, at times. Case in point, her evaluation of some recent comments by leaders in China and in the United States, about blaming the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

When I visited China, back in 2003, I was surprised by the affection in which Americans were held despite China’s decades under communist leadership. They specifically referred to our WWII assistance in the war with Japan. Of course, it helps that I have a wife, descended from China, and a son partially so.

But I am dismayed to see recent racism blaming all Asians for a virus which took all humanity by surprise, and hope that we can take the view that we are all in this, together, and are resolved to fight the virus, instead of each other.

Philip Mulligan

Spokane