Adopt Laura’s Law
Re “Tehama County had a tool to get shooter into treatment. It just didn’t use it, and the system failed” (Forum, Nov. 19): It is time to adopt Laura’s Law in Sacramento County. As family members of individuals with serious mental illness, we agree with John Snook that the tragedy in Tehama County might have been averted had the county used existing law to provide Assisted Outpatient Treatment to Kevin Neal.
We are heartbroken about the shootings and pray that our loved ones with brain illness never commit such horrific crimes. We have few alternatives, however, when our family members cycle between homelessness, delusional thinking, hospitalization and incarceration.
Adopting Laura’s Law would provide a preventive approach to support individuals who refuse treatment. It could make the city’s and county’s recently-funded program of Whole Person Care more effective.
Nineteen counties – 65 percent of California’s population – have adopted Laura’s Law, including Nevada, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo. Positive outcomes include reductions in homelessness, hospitalizations, arrests, and incarceration thus saving money and, ultimately, lives.
Wade and Nancy Brynelson, Gold River
Important detail
Re “To the 3 a.m. intruder who terrified my family: You got lucky. Here’s how you can make up for it” (Forum, Nov. 19): In Sasha Abramsky’s article, all sides to the drunken conflict were considerate and resolved quietly. However, the reference to seemingly similar 2009 incident with the African American professor arrested while trying to get into his own home was missing one significant detail.
The professor was belligerent and confrontational toward police when was asked for identification. If everybody obeyed police orders there would be fewer arrests and unfortunate incidents during arrests.
Vyacheslav Bulkin, Sacramento
Russia probe
Re “Silicon Valley has a duty to help with the Russia investigation. Here’s how” (California Forum, Nov. 12): Russians gave $148 million to the Clinton Foundation, just to be nice, not to buy influence, and then, conversely, spent only $100,000 on Facebook to persuade people to vote for Trump.
Why such a lopsided effort? Did they run out of money?
Who did they want to win the election, someone who took their millions? And then those same Russians supposedly broke into the DNC emails to only exposed exactly what the DNC wrote to each other. Wow, that’s really evil.
John Kerhlikar, Shingle Springs
Colin Kaepernick
Re “Colin Kaepernick” (Letters, Nov. 12): I want to offer a salute to letter writer George Meyers for his thoughtful letter regarding Colin Kaepernick. His is the first thing I have read about the issue kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem before the start of football games.
Meyers recognizes Kaepernick for exercising his First Amendment rights. Kaepernick has not made any derogatory statements against the people who criticize him as do those who speak badly about him. I am a 90-plus-year-old man who served in the Navy during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam and I firmly stand behind Kaepernick even if I do not agree with him. We both have the right to our opinions as long as we do not harm anyone.
I have seen others who are more disrespectful to our flag during the playing of the anthem. Just look around the “fans” in attendance. Some are not standing, some have not removed their hats, some are guzzling their beers.
James Page, Sacramento
News monopolies
Re “Fake news is only the beginning. The FCC is about to let monopolies decide what local news you see” (Forum, Nov. 12): The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the Federal Communications Commission, introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was honest, equitable, and balanced. During the era of deregulation, championed by conservatives, this rule was abandoned.
The Balkanization of American politics can be largely traced to that decision. If Fox News and Clear Channel (think Rush), were not the seamless echo chambers they have become, Republicans would not control Congress and the presidency.
The GOP-controlled FCC just acted to permit corporate conglomerates to gobble up even more of the media. Conservative media corporations such as Sinclair Broadcasting plan to snatch up multiple stations in one market.
The public airwaves belong to every American. A variety of points of view should be available everywhere. An updated fairness doctrine would serve us all.
Al Franklin, Auburn
All men pay
Re “Are all men really pigs? Or does it just seem that way lately?” (Forum, Nov. 19): It’s hard as hell being “a decent guy” in our culture of the past 25 years or so. And God do I celebrate deserving women coming forward to call out the disrespectful, vulgar actions of many men. Yet, as Erika Smith brilliantly depicted, behavioral standards are fraught with conflicting mores, opinions and power structures. The pigs harm women without remorse. Everyone else suffers as we try to learn the “rules” around “flirting,” “joking around” (best to leave out any ladies when telling a joke, gentlemen – how’s that for a positive work environment?), and even the rules around managing a subordinate. It’s impossible to legislate morality. Rules and laws create anxiety, isolation and disengagegment. We have to supprt victims’ rights, and continue to teach our children that men and women are equals, and that true power only comes in respectful, inclusionary communication with all genders.
Mitch Darnell, Sacramento
Arts support
Re “Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ raises a question: Is Sacramento more talented than we thought?” (Editorial, Nov. 19): I am happy to see The Bee challenge our city to support local artists. However, I have noticed that you have cut down quite a bit on your coverage of local arts. There are many local writing, author readings, and arts events that The Bee does not report on. If you can give a whole section to sports every day, then can you back up your words and give more than a nod to the arts?
Deborah Meltvedt, Sacramento
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