Religious fliers, help for homeless, NYPD shooting, air travel | The Sacramento Bee

School right to ban fliers

Re “Girl scolded for religious fliers” (Our Region, Dec. 22): Loomis Union School District was completely within its rights to complain about religious fliers distributed to other students by K.C.

Considering that over 50 percent of the students ascribe to a religion other that Christianity or are atheists, the school was well within its rights to ban distribution of unapproved religious fliers. The lawsuit is blatantly illegal and against all existing school policy.

K.C. also should not be proselytizing her own brand of religion with other students who may not agree.

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Science debunks creationism

I’m one of those indoctrinated evolutionists, but even I can’t help but wonder what the big deal is that a sixth-grader isn’t allowed to give a flier to a school friend. Sounds like the whole thing got blown way out of proportion.

And, frankly, I really like the idea of the Genesis Apologetics group encouraging the students to challenge their science teachers with their supposed answers to the evolutionary theory. Go right ahead and let them see how easily the creationists’ challenges are debunked.

In fact, I think I’d invite the Genesis Apologetics group to come to a sixth-grade science class. Maybe they’d learn a thing or two since obviously they weren’t paying attention when they were in school.

Living in a car not the answer

Re “Wanted: A vehicle for shelter” (Our Region, Dec. 22): The story of Janice Moore, living under the freeway, and the misguided anonymous woman who is attempting to find her a vehicle to live in with her dogs and cat is heart-wrenching, to say the least. The story went on to say that Moore receives a Social Security benefit of $960 a month, but a lot of it goes to feed her animals. Those are some well-fed animals. Far better fed than many families with children.

The story leaves little doubt that Moore needs assistance. That assistance should come in the form of mental heath evaluation and counseling as her situation appears to stem from an inability to utilize the resources that are available to her within the community and to effectively manage resources that she already has.

Giving her a car that requires costly smog checks, insurance and registration to sleep in until it gets impounded and towed away is not the solution.

Cops can be wrong sometimes, too

Re “‘Biased editors’ called to the carpet” (Letters, Dec. 23): The majority of the mostly peaceful and diverse populous protesting incidents of police brutality around the country are not cop-haters. Most recognized that trigger-happy bullies in law enforcement are few; nonetheless, tolerated police abuses need addressing.

Likewise, the isolated example of a deranged, habitual criminal ambushing two police officers is not proof that a “ biased media” has incited a nation to violence against cops.

However, a retired career policeman’s letter to The Bee calling out “biased editors” despite weeks of respectful and sympathetic news reporting following the tragic and senseless killing of two local law enforcement officers underscores that a former cop, as others with different views, can allow his passions to provoke him into making inaccurate, broad-brushed and intemperate remarks.

Amtrak is the answer

Re “Air travel isn’t what it used to be” (Editorial, Dec. 22): Rather than drive to the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART Station to get to SFO, just take the Amtrak Capitol Corridor to the Richmond BART station for connections to the Oakland or San Francisco airports for more direct domestic and international flights than Sacramento.

Since Sacramento’s $1.07 billion terminal is financed by auto parking fees, I do not think we will ever have round-trip rail to the airport like BART has for Oakland and S.F.