Letters: It’s beginning to feel a lot like ‘1984’

In 2017, like in ‘1984,’ 2 + 2 = 5

Re “There are no alternative facts” (Editorials, Jan. 24): The Orwellian course of the Donald Trump administration is fascinating. Witnessing it firsthand is shocking. The distortion of facts, the elimination of information contrary to Trump’s “beliefs.”

The slogan, “when you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice,” promotes the state above all things, as his policies give greater wealth and power to the privileged classes, and place greater burdens on the working classes.

Without a single public outcry, the only voice of the people, the news media, will be minimized and silenced. The people will give up their freedoms for happiness and safety. The Trump regime has taken power. While the establishment remains focused on how bad Trump is, a proven failed tactic, we await that significant event, that wake-up call that brings us all together in revolution against tyranny.

Transitional housing is answer

Re “Homeless poised to move up” (Page 1A, Jan. 25): Good, the city and county of Sacramento are going to work together to deal with homelessness. Bad, they think one size fits all. Placing the homeless in subsidized housing scattered around the city and county will hide them from view and cut them off from the services so many of them need.

The homeless have different needs and challenges. They range from those who lost a job and have no family and friends to rely on, to those who want to live outside of society. And many are addicted to drugs or alcohol.

To truly help, transitional housing and services tailored to each person should be front and center to the discussion.

Silence on politics makes sense

Re “Brewer apologizes but risks boycott” (Page 3A, Jan. 25): I’ve owned a couple of small retail businesses in the foothills since 1989. I identified the perils of politics long ago; publicizing a position risks losing the patronage of those that disagree with it. In my market, that loss could be big because Amador is small and one of the reddest counties in the state.

I’ve learned to hold my tongue, but getting employees to do likewise is a challenge. They are surprised when a customer disagrees with “the truth” and I’ve witnessed discussions quickly escalate into arguments. My employees and I agree to silently disagree, probably because I write the checks. A couple of my employee vehicles are still sporting Trump stickers. A regular customer wanted me to know that she would not be shopping at my store because of those stickers. Darn, I lost one.

This story was originally published January 28, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Letters: It’s beginning to feel a lot like ‘1984’."