Letter: An editorial blunder
(Rick Bowmer | AP photo) Gail Miller, owner and chairwoman of the Utah Jazz, addresses the crowd before an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Salt Lake City. Miller warned fans to not engage in inappropriate language with players. There was a recent incident involving a fan and a player from the Oklahoma Thunder where the fan has since been banned from Vivint Smart Home Arena.
I extend kudos to the Tribune Editorial Board for championing Gail Miller in their Nov. 1 editorial. She deserves all the praise that the article describes.
She continues to make decisions that are best not only for the Miller business enterprise, but also for the people of Utah. Her philanthropy and concern have been widespread, from the arts to the welfare of the homeless.
Given the strength of the piece, I was appalled when the beginning of paragraph 12 described Miller as “this little old white lady from Utah.” What a blunder that was. The board should have described her as “this powerful woman in the state of Utah” who stood up and addressed a Jazz crowd in words that left no mistake as to her commitment to racial equality for all players in the Vivint Arena.
I wonder if the biased insensitivity of the phrase was overlooked because the three board members are men.
Maurine Haltiner, Salt Lake City
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