Letters: Renewed empathy could heal country’s divisions
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Renewed empathy
could heal division
To all those who are demanding empathy for Charlie Kirk and his followers, let me remind you of his own words: “I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that — it does a lot of damage.”
He was wrong — about empathy and a lot of other things — but you are right in crying out for compassion as we see our culture divided by terror and inhumanity. We all need to practice more understanding, especially toward those who think, look and speak differently than we do.
Early in our lives, wise people taught us to treat others the way we want to be treated. Today, media personalities mock that idea as “woke.” But it’s the basis of human freedom: Whether or not we agree with each other, we owe each other kindness and forbearance, free of judgment and bigotry. That’s one thing we all want and deserve.
Joel Swett
Brentwood
Pied Piper was apt
comparison for Kirk
Re: “Story ignored full measure of Kirk” (Page A8, Sept. 14).
In the Sept. 14 letters to the editor, a man from Antioch was disappointed with coverage of Charlie Kirk not being adoring enough and accused the paper of having a “left-leaning narrative.” He goes on to call Charlie Kirk “the Pied Piper of the conservative movement.”
While I do not think the author intended it as such in his doting, the Pied Piper comparison he made was surprisingly appropriate. Remember, the Pied Piper was not a hero but rather a villain. When someone is called a Pied Piper, it suggests they are a charismatic but ultimately untrustworthy leader who uses their allure to draw followers into a potentially harmful situation they don’t fully understand.
In calling Charlie Kirk “the Pied Piper of the conservative movement,” the author inadvertently hit the nail on the head by describing how many of the working-class conservatives have been duped into voting against their own interests.
Jimee Welte
Martinez
Bill is important step
in protecting water
Re: “Newsom must kick plastics out of water” (Page A8, Sept. 14).
Gov. Newsom has a chance to take a simple but powerful step to protect Californians’ health and drinking water: sign AB 823. Microplastics are no longer an abstract problem. They are in our rivers, reservoirs and even our bodies — linked to cancers, reproductive harm and developmental issues in babies. Yet we continue to allow unnecessary plastic microbeads in cleaners and cosmetics, despite safer alternatives like shells, sand and mica.
The bill doesn’t ban exfoliants or glitter. It simply requires that they be safe. This is common sense — preventing pollution at the source rather than forcing water agencies, and ultimately ratepayers, to pay billions for costly clean-up. California has led before, successfully banning microbeads in rinse-off products. It can lead again by keeping microplastics out of our water supply and safeguarding public health for future generations.
Arav Mestry
Fremont
We need legislative
solution for migrants
My name is Vidushi, and I’m a graduating senior at American High School. I’ve lived in the U.S. most of my life on an H-4 visa, yet my future is in jeopardy.
Despite being raised and educated here, I am forced to apply to colleges as an international student. This means I’m not eligible for federal aid or in-state tuition. My family pays taxes, yet we must pay thousands more for my education—an American education.
This financial burden is a direct result of our broken immigration system, which prevents my family from getting a green card due to decades-long backlogs. I am a “Documented Dreamer,” and my life has been shaped by American values. Don’t make me leave the only home I’ve ever known. It’s time to pass legislation that protects young people like me.
Vidushi Agrawal
Fremont
Trump’s untruths are
undermining democracy
American democracy is in serious trouble. Too many voters accept whatever Donald Trump says, so long as the story sounds good. His claims often begin with a kernel of truth but quickly become a cover for imposing his will.
Trump has targeted immigrants, denying legal rights and detaining thousands. An estimated 70% of those held had not been charged with crimes; many were here legally and following immigration rules. The most shocking case came over Labor Day weekend at 2 a.m., when 60 children awaiting release to relatives were put on a plane to Guatemala — until a judge stopped it.
In the name of fighting drug smuggling, Trump went further, appointing himself judge, jury and executioner by ordering the military to sink a boat 1,000 miles away, killing 11 people he claimed were an “immediate threat.”
Demonizing, coercing, exceeding his authority and bypassing the law — Trump’s tactics put democracy itself in peril.
Larry Bieber
Castro Valley
Recapture integrity
by opposing Trump
Re: “Honesty, integrity could make America great” (Page A6, Sept. 11).
Regarding Tim Brown’s letter to the editor on Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” being a good slogan, it wasn’t Trump’s idea. Ronald Reagan used this motto in his campaign.
But I must agree with the thesis of Tim Brown’s letter. Yes, we need to reclaim our country’s honesty and integrity by standing up against Trump’s lies and policies of revenge and hatred.
Elizabeth Pentacoff
Pleasant Hill