Letters: Incarcerated youth | Disconnected Chavez | Vaccine mandates | Wind power | Flag protocol | Women’s rights

Mercury News Letters to the Editor for Oct. 5, 2021

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We must do better
by incarcerated youth

The justice system bares its fangs at you the second you are born a person of color. Once an individual makes a mistake at a young age, the system mercilessly constricts them like a python and suffocates them.

In San Jose, 85% of the incarcerated youth are Latino. 90% of the youth in court are disengaged or failing in school. Once a child ends up incarcerated they tend to fall behind academically. They will most likely never catch up to their peers. Society looks down on them as well throughout their lives. That shows there is a massive flaw in the system.

If the incarcerated youth were rehabilitated instead of just facing punishment, they could bounce back and make positive contributions to society. When children of color are treated like criminals, they will act like criminals. If they are given equal opportunities and treatment, they can flourish like their peers.

Muzakkir Khan
San Jose

Chavez’s record shows
she’s out of touch

In the Sept. 30 edition of The Mercury News, Sal Pizarro commented on Cindy Chavez’s previous run for San Jose mayor (“Chavez announces run for mayor of San Jose,” Page B1). He said that Chavez’s “perceived alliance” with then-Mayor Ron Gonzales (who had been indicted) “dragged down her candidacy.” But that’s not the only reason why San Jose voters rejected her candidacy.

Cindy Chavez voted to build the over-priced downtown City Hall shortly after the Mercury News published a poll that showed a majority of San Jose voters preferred a less costly option. She went against the clearly expressed will of the people.

In addition, Chavez voted to use eminent domain in an effort to seize the Tropicana Shopping Center, which would have displaced many small business owners.

Cindy Chavez lost not because she was connected to Gonzales, but because she was disconnected from San Jose voters.

Pete Campbell
San Jose

Don’t force the police,
or anyone, to vaccinate

I strongly disagree with your editorial (“Police resisting vaccines should seek another job,” Page A16, Sept. 26) stating that police, firefighters and other public safety workers should “seek another job” if they don’t agree to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

We have been repeatedly assured by the CDC and President Biden that the vaccines are effective and protect against serious illness.

Vaccinated people are safe. They are not at risk from the unvaccinated.

Although the vaccines are safe for most people, there are still reports of death and adverse effects at VAERS — the vaccine reporting site run by the CDC.

For many people, getting the vaccine is a no-brainer, they are older or have co-morbidities that make them vulnerable. For them, the vaccine is a life-saver.

However, it should remain their, and others’, choice. It is an intrinsic part of our civil liberties — liberties that have been hundreds of years in the making.

Julia Hover-Smoot
Morgan Hill

More wind power will
save birds in long run

Re. “Wind farm redo to power 47,000 homes,” Page A1, Sept. 25:

I was very pleased to see the front-page article about updating windmills at Altamont.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a code red warning about climate change that should scare everyone. Kudos to our state legislators for passing very aggressive targets for transitioning to an all-electric, clean economy.

I’m a long-time supporter of environmental policies to save endangered species, but we are at a critical point where even the National Audubon Society says that 389 out of 604 bird species are at risk of extinction if global warming rises by 5.4 degrees F by 2100. Most electric utilities are implementing very high Time of Use (TOU) rates for evening hours when solar output declines but wind is often strongest. Wind is among the cheapest power in the United States. We need to fast-track wind projects like this as well as transmission lines.

Sudhanshu Jain
Santa Clara

Time for a refresher
on flag etiquette

Several times a week I walk in the neighborhood and notice at least five or six houses are displaying our national flag.

I grew up in a small town in Ohio in a family of Boy Scouts. We went to a summer Scout camp that made a large ceremony of raising at sunrise and lowering at sunset our national flag.

When I last checked the U.S. flag protocol, it stated that the flag should be”lowered at sunset” unless it had a spotlight on it. Our neighborhood flags do not have spotlights but are up all night. Despite what I am sure is intended to show respect for the flag. they are in fact showing disrespect for it.

As a veteran, I note Veteran’s Day is coming. I would respectfully request a review by all of us of proper flag protocol.

Richard Sheehan
Campbell

State sets example for
honoring women’s rights

Just a few weeks ago the state of California voted no on the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In Newsom’s speech, he stated his continuous support of a woman’s fundamental and constitutional right to decide what she does with her body. This was calming for many women in California to hear after the state of Texas banned all abortions after the six-week mark of pregnancy.

Newsom followed through on this statement recently by declaring reproductive freedom in California and signed AB 1356 into law. This law preserves the privacy and information of abortion providers and recipients. Newsom also signed AB 1184 that protects a child’s rights to withhold information about treatments they receive, including abortion, from their guardians.

Women have been suppressed throughout American history and have a fear of going back to having fewer rights than a man. Thankfully it looks like we are moving forward in California.

Alina Sandoval
San Jose