I loved The Recorder’s July 30 story about the “Space Exploration stamps” created by the Irish postal service to honor four U.S. astronauts — two women and two men — with Irish ancestry. Many early immigrants from Ireland experienced crushing prejudice and harassment in their new country. Let’s celebrate how much things have changed on that score and consider ways in which we can welcome people from other lands today. My family is positively affected by immigration in many ways, including the fact that my mother is an immigrant. When some humans are accepted while others are spurned, we must examine the roots of such attitudes. Nearly every person reading this letter either is an immigrant or descends from immigrants. There are many sides to every story. When we lead with compassion, everyone wins.
EvelineMacDougall
Greenfield