Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for July 20, 2023
Dominican University inspiring in hard times
In the wake of the affirmative action ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, it was extraordinarily uplifting to read the words of Dominican University President Nicola Pitchford in the Marin IJ (“Marin academic community digests affirmative action ruling,” July 5).
She not only described her pained reaction to the decision, she also lifted up and underscored the San Rafael school’s ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion, equal access to education, as well as social mobility, and culturally rich learning for all.
As a neighbor, community partner and ally, I see the entire team at Dominican working hard to lower barriers to admission and to welcome underrepresented students seeking a college education. Now more than ever, the university’s Center for Community Engagement is encouraging young students to learn about the pathways from elementary school to college.
I so appreciate all the efforts Dominican is expending to make those pathways visible, viable and desirable for young students from diverse backgrounds. I thank Pitchford and her team for all they are doing every day toward this end. We are all the beneficiaries.
— Shirl Buss, San Rafael
Sally Stanford does not deserve a statue
I read the IJ article regarding the effort to place a statue of Sally Stanford in downtown Sausalito with dismay (“Sausalito organizer proposes statue of Sally Stanford, late mayor and madam,” July 11).
Stanford made her wealth for over 20 years exploiting other women, selling their bodies for sex for her profit. She made enough profit doing that to own and maintain a luxury home in San Francisco, and to make a very prosperous restaurant in Sausalito. She was not a heroine in any sense of the word.
I don’t consider her a frontrunner of the women’s movement. I don’t call her a feminist. She was a person intent on making as much money for herself as she could.
Did she occasionally share some of her ill-gotten gains with others, in what is now being described as her generous nature? I have no doubt she did. That does not warrant a statue celebrating her.
It seems clear to me that the woman who went by the names Mabel Janice Busby, Marsha Owens and Sally Stanford was intent on increasing her financial well-being any way she could. While that may (unfortunately) be the “American way,” it does not warrant erecting a monument to her, especially given that she profited by exploiting other women.
— Sonja Hanson, Sausalito
Climate group examines ‘regenerative farming’
Can agriculture help mitigate climate change? Before you answer, let me ask an even bigger question: Can it actually help to reverse climate change? According to data collected in Project Drawdown, food, agriculture and land use contribute 24% of human-created greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. So if agriculture is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gasses, how could it possibly be a key player in saving our planet?
The answers to these questions are some of the most exciting developments taking place in our lifetime. Scientists, ranchers and farmers around the world are discovering new technologies and solutions that not only mitigate, but can actually take carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in the soil where it belongs.
Agriculture, which is in every country in the world, is a system large enough that it could actually reverse climate change if regenerative farming was practiced worldwide. That’s a big “if” and time is running out. So it is so important to educate ourselves on these new, innovative, planet-saving solutions happening in the world of agriculture.
On July 30 at 1 p.m. at Toby’s Feed Barn in Point Reyes Station, West Marin Climate Action is presenting an event on agriculture and climate resilience. Marin agriculture is leading the way with exciting new discoveries in carbon sequestering, red-algae feed, water conservation and reuse, methane digesters and more. A panel of scientists and local ranchers will share expertise — as will several short films — on how agriculture can help mitigate climate change. The videos and panel presentations will be followed by food and drink and lively discussion. The event is free.
So please pull up a bale of hay and come join us for discussions on this important topic. Get more information online at WestMarinClimateAction.org.
— Trinka Marris, Point Reyes Station