Letters: Backpage.com + Tehama shooting + Sacramento parking tickets

Online bordellos

Re “U.S. Senate must act to close online bordellos, especially those that exploit children” (Editorials, Nov. 15): Pretend for a moment that this letter incorporates an offer of sex for money, couched in non-obvious language. Suppose that I post this letter in your online comments section. Under Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, S. 1693, as currently drafted, The Sacramento Bee is now complicit in my illegal sex-for-money scheme, and any of the 50 states attorneys general could prosecute The Bee as a partner in my crime. The fact that The Bee had no idea of my evil intent will not protect The Bee from SESTA. The practical effect of SESTA will be thousands of innocent online forums disappearing. Innocent sites will not be able to police their comments to comply. Only the major internet portals will maintain online comments. We will all be the poorer for it. The free speech about to be taken by SESTA is ours.

#MeToo

Re “After #MeToo, then what? We can’t hashtag our way out of sexual harassment” (Shawn Hubler, Oct. 20): I am a retired clinical social worker who worked as a psychotherapist for 15 years in the 1990s. I counseled many women who were victims of incest or had been sexually abused, assaulted or intimidated by men who were in power. In many cases, this had been going on for years and women had repressed these feelings and now had finally come out. They could not confront their abusers then for fear of losing their jobs, their parents, and their family. I can understand understand women coming forward now to say #MeToo. There is strength in numbers. We live in a patriarchal society. In the 2016 election, we saw Donald Trump invading Hillary Clinton’s space, making lies about her and calling her names. Yet Republican voters chose Trump, knowing that he had previously sexually assaulted women. What does this say? Men and the women they control will chose someone they can identify with who is like them, to maintain the status quo. Women will have to overcome this together.

Tippling politicians

In early television the comedian, Ernie Kovacs created Percy Dovetonsils, a tippling, comically bespectacled poet who would read mawkish verse while sneaking sips from a drink that he imagined was hid from his audience behind the thin volume of poetry held close to his face. OK, it was1950s humor. I’m reminded of that routine every time Republicans launch another “crooked Hillary” venture. Like Dovetonsils, they are inexpertly hiding something. By stitching together anachronistic dates and facts, those wishing to draw attention away from likely Russian collusion with Donald Trump’s campaign offer a richly fabricated narrative claiming that for a price the Clintons plotted with a Russian entity seeking to buy American uranium. Cut and paste deceptively render the story plausible. It’s laughable for the willingness of Trump acolytes to embrace obvious conspiratorial obfuscation. But it’s not funny.

Trump’s service

Re “Trump in ’Nam” (Letters, Nov. 14): Yes, Donald Trump came from a rich family and avoided the draft, which was common, sorry to say. However, Bill Clinton never served. He magically received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University in England for two years, which enabled him to avoid the draft. Obama never served. Hillary Clinton never served even though she said she would have joined the Marines had she decided to enlist. Nor did any of these three ever join the National Guard. At least George W. Bush enlisted in the National Guard. Some say that he did not complete his service. However, he went on full duty for his last year to complete his obligation. Until Democrats can field a candidate who has had military service, they should not complain about Trump. President Trump has done more that Obama to improve our country.

Kids vs. guns

Re “One lesson from Tehama shooting: School lockdowns save lives” (Editorials, Nov. 15): One more lesson from Tehama shooting: We live in the only developed country on earth where school lockdowns are regularly needed. If our schoolchildren mean more to us than the Second Amendment, what are we willing to do about it?

Doug LaMalfa

Re “I’ve worked to fight gun violence. But the Tehama County rampage hit close to home.” (Viewpoints, Nov. 15): I tried to take op-ed writer Nicholas Kitchel’s suggestion to call Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s office. His mailbox is full and is not taking messages. I tried to e-mail him but his website will not let me send an e-mail because my ZIP code is not in his district. That is how you do not allow input from those who may disagree with you

More treatment

Tehama County mental health officials chose to ignore Kevin Jason Neal, inevitably pushing him into increasingly violent crimes as he refused treatment. To avoid a Tehama-like bloodbath, Sacramento County should prioritize the dangerous mentally ill for the $44 million in unused Mental Health Services Act funds now devoted to homelessness. It’s easy: First, the county should adopt Laura’s Law, which provides early intervention for severely mentally ill treatment-refusers who have a recent history of dangerousness. Laura’s Law has cut homelessness by up to 62 percent in the 19 counties that use it, with similar reductions in arrests, hospitalizations and violence. Sacramento County should also stop ignoring Section 7(f) of the Mental Health Services Act, which mandates Laura’s Law-like programs for the severely mentally ill just released from local jails. Nationwide statistics show that such assisted outpatient treatment keeps people housed and well, while saving lives and public money.

She should pay

Re “Judge rules that parents of Sacramento deputy killer can keep home despite son skipping bail” (sacbee.com, Nov. 10) The ruling by a hand-wringing judge, Susan Illston, allowing Nicole Littlecloud to keep her house is insulting to the memory of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert French. If she had wanted to help law enforcement locate her son, Thomas Littlecloud, Mrs. Littlecloud would have never posted bail. His location would have been known: jail. By her actions, she allowed her stepson, a known criminal, to leave jail and continue his unlawful activities. Losing her house is the smallest price she can pay for the consequences of her decision to unleash a violent criminal.

Ticket debacle

Re “Sacramento has mistakenly issued nearly 4,000 parking meter tickets this year” (sacbee.com, Nov. 15) About five months ago, I parked my car by the Crocker Art Museum and fed the meter with quarters. Nevertheless, an “expired meter violation ticket” sat on my car’s windshield as I left the museum. The green light on the meter was blinking with a meter reading of 30 minutes remaining. I decided to challenge the ticket. The inconvenience and expense of filing a protest form, along with proof, is not mentioned in the article, nor is the suspense that follows while waiting for a response. I was told I would receive a response within six months. I haven’t received a response. Meantime, I have discouraged friends from going to downtown. Is the city that desperate to raise funds to pay for the Golden 1 arena debt?

Hall of Fame

Re “Ball, Plunkett, Spielberg head to California Hall of Fame” (sacbee.com, Nov. 14): I couldn’t help but notice the names of people who got expanded descriptions, and those who didn’t. Michael Tilson Thomas was described as a musician. Folks, MTT, as he is known, is the greatly respected long-time conductor and music director of the world famous San Francisco Symphony. To refer to him as a musician is like calling Leonardo da Vinci a painter or Joe Montana a football player.

Good Samaritan

Last week I was visiting my brother in Antelope. On the way home from visiting another relative,he was in a motorcycle accident and was badly hurt. A very kind person who saw it happen stopped and helped him while the driver of the car just drove away. The kind person called me on my brother’s phone and told me the situation and where he was. I got there as soon as possible, but never got the name of the Good Samaritan who helped my brother. I want to thank you whoever you are and say this crazy world really needs more people like you.

 

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This story was originally published November 18, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: Backpage.com + Tehama shooting + Sacramento parking tickets."