I wish to apologize to our dear Somali friends and neighbors for the recent insults leveled at them by President Trump. I very much hope they know that many, many Americans strongly disagree with Mr. Trump’s extremely unfortunate statements.

Unlike Mr. Trump, many of us very much appreciate Somalia’s proud and noble history, and the solid contribution that Somalis are making to our country.

I encourage all readers to review Wikipedia’s entry on Somalia, one of the first areas on earth inhabited by humans. According the summary, Somalia boasts cave paintings that date back as many as 5,500 years, and pyramids that date back 4,000 years. Somalis were trading with Egyptians and Greeks some 4,000 years ago. They have much to be proud of.

Again, my apologies. I thank all Somali people for their hard work, their dedication and their contributions to our country – theirs and mine – and I wish them all the best here in their newfound home.

Lawrence Reichard
Belfast