Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Jan. 14, 2024
Facilities at San Quentin need to be updated now
San Quentin State Prison was built in 1854. From my perspective, not much has changed since then.
Going through it is like stepping back in time or watching an Al Capone movie. The living conditions for prisoners look to be deplorable. It’s amazing any inmates have been rehabilitated under such horrible conditions.
Changes at San Quentin are long overdue.
— Sandra Macleod White, San Rafael
Pacheco Valle median vegetation must be safe
As a resident of Pacheco Valle in Novato, I wish to reply to earlier letters of support to retain the status quo for a traffic island on the access road to our valley.
This island is one of several median islands along Alameda del Prado. The Alameda is the only access road into and out of our community, which is designated as a wildland-urban interface area surrounded by heavily wooded open space (thousands of acres mostly maintained by Marin County).
Pacheco Valle contains almost 600 homes and well over 1,000 residents. The particular island in question is about 300-feet long and, at the widest point, about 45 feet across. In total this island is only a fraction of an acre.
Until recently, many of us were happy to have a nonresident of our valley, Marcia Basalla, volunteering her time and at her expense to maintain this island. She has done so diligently for many years under an agreement with the city.
However, times have changed. We want to control our own destiny and maintain our only access road.
Residents of our valley in recent years have taken an elevated interest in wildfire risk reduction and the aesthetics of our landscape. Working with the city, Novato Fire District and Marin Open Space, we formed two local groups. A nonprofit called the Friends of Pacheco Valle is making landscaping and other improvements on public lands. The Pacheco Valle Firewise Committee has been proactive in promoting wildfire safety and risk reduction.
Why can’t the good intentions of Basalla now be applied at another location and perhaps to greater effect?
— Neil Peterson, Novato
Starting a family should be a choice
I am writing in response to the recently published letter to the editor by Peggy Strong, who asked all to respect and understand those opposed to allowing abortions.
She said she prefers the term “pro-life” to the term “anti-abortion.” However, in my experience, anti-abortionists rarely seem to care about a baby born to a life without love or cuddling. Without the ability to choose to have a child, parents often find themselves in a situation where they aren’t able to care for them or don’t want them. I would think that a group calling themselves “pro-life” would want to do more to care for these children once they are thrust into the world.
At one time, my job was to connect with families whose children were not making it at school. In most of the cases, I found single mothers who were overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising a child alone. My job was to find what was needed — to see if the school system could find support for the child and family.
I have a lot of empathy for those children. I am a foster child — a very lucky one. My foster parents took me at 2 years old for a “couple of months,” which turned into 20 years.
However, there was always the threat that I could be removed. It’s hard to be a child knowing that your home might not actually be your home. While I was lucky, the children with whom I worked could not count on any stability in their life. Often, there was no responsible adult to handle life’s challenges for them.
Those kids must figure it out for themselves at a very young age. That’s a tough way to start a life.
— Gladys C. Gilliland, San Rafael
Anti-abortion activists are forcing beliefs on others
I think Peggy Strong’s recently published letter (“Understanding, respect for those opposed to abortion”) is seriously mistaken. I don’t believe anyone is interested in arguing about her feelings on the issue.
On the other hand, it seems to me that people holding her views are very focused on taking the right to choose away from women. That is what the argument is all about.
Respect should be a two-way street. People are entitled to their own opinions, and I respect Strong’s. But when people seek to impose their beliefs on others who do not share them, that is very disrespectful.
— Todd Werby, Tiburon