California Forum letters: Bee readers weigh in on gun violence, vaccine line-cutters

Plea to vote

“‘Unbearable’: Sacramento Asian communities, stunned by Atlanta shootings, demand change” (sacbee.com, March 18)

I am a little surprised at how much the Atlanta shootings have shaken me. Last summer I had put up a small “BLM” sign in my window. I had a tear in my eyes. Why does this statement even need to be said?

I am now contemplating a “MY LIFE MATTERS” sign. I shake and sob just thinking of it. I am scared. I go to the store and am fearful of everyone. What can be done about this? The only thing I can think of is VOTE. I used to say you should vote no matter who you vote for. Now it’s vote those out of office who have proven to be racist in their words and legislative actions. They do not deserve to represent us.

Barbara Tanaka

Sacramento

Gun violence emergency

“California sees sharp spike in gun ownership. Why new buyers are arming themselves” (sacbee.com, March 16)

California is in a gun violence emergency. The pandemic has created a perfect storm of factors increasing the risks for homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings.

I volunteer with Moms Demand Action because I am tired of the toll gun violence is taking on our communities. January 2021 was California’s single deadliest month for gun homicides since 2007. I urge our state lawmakers to provide emergency relief by significantly increasing funding in the state budget for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention grant program. We also must pass AB 988 which would establish an alternative to 911 for people experiencing mental health emergencies, and AB 452 which would require schools to provide notifications to parents and caregivers about California’s child access prevention laws relating to secure storage of firearms.

Krystal LoPilato

Alameda

Wait your turn

“California opening vaccine ‘floodgates’ to line-cutting, UC Davis Health chief warns” (sacbee.com, March 16)

Presenting some type of verification of vaccination eligibility does not violate confidentiality. It is common in the workplace to require a doctor’s note to establish eligibility for sick leave, and it does not require disclosure of doctor-patient information about diagnosis or treatment. The point is not that most people won’t lie nor is it to just to “get people vaccinated.” For every cheat who is allowed to lie because the government won’t do its job, a person at high risk does not get vaccinated.

Paul Coble

Loomis

Frivolous alerts

“Fact Check: Are Gavin Newsom’s kids ‘living through Zoom school?’” (sacbee.com, March 22)

With all the issues we currently face, why was where Gavin Newsom’s kids attend school determined to be a relevant topic?

When I see something titled “Capital Alert” I assume it is something critical for both myself, and the Bee’s other readers to know. I don’t see how this topic was anything close to an “alert.” I rely on news outlets like the Bee to provide me serious information. As a teacher who has been “Zooming” since the beginning of the pandemic, doing that for half a year give’s one an informed perspective on what it is like. The topic was trite and gossipy.

Amy Solkovits

Elk Grove

Senate sexism

“Gavin Newsom just threw Dianne Feinstein under the bus to save his own skin” (sacbee.com, March 16)

Gil Duran’s article chronicles sexism as well as ageism against a female senator who is being encouraged to retire. If Senator Feinstein’s name was Donald Feinstein all the other good old boy senators would slap him on the back and donate to his campaign committee. Just for comparison, the men — and they were all men — who served in the US Senate at the oldest ages were Cornelius Cole (102), Strom Thurmond (100), Theodore Green (93), Robert Byrd (92) and Carl Hayden (91). They served before C-SPAN was fully operational, so their idiosyncrasies and oddities were not on display as they would be now.

Judith A. Gould

Sacramento

Disruptive politics

“Expect delays: The biggest freeway reconstruction in Sacramento history is about to begin” (sacbee.com, March 23)

One of the greatest disasters to hit Sacramento in the past several decades was construction of cross-town freeways that destroyed blocks of residences and subjected remaining residents to a never-ending roar of highway traffic and pollution.

Given that lack of sensible and strong city leadership at the time, now, in 2021, one would think our city’s leaders would insist on a sound wall the length of the W-X freeway as part of the new expansion of the roadway. That would be at least partial mitigation of noise pollution and also an indication of strong city leadership that cares about all the citizens it serves, not just those residing in the Elmhurst area.

Robert A. Dell’Agostino

Sacramento

Allergic to transparency

“Retired nurse handcuffed while recording Sacramento neighbor’s arrest settles lawsuit” (sacbee.com, March 22)

We live in litigious society. Everyone knows this, has known it for decades, and it’s only getting worse and often more frivolous. On occasion, though, lawsuits are perhaps the most effective way of changing civil servants’ bad and illegal behavior. Sheriff Jones seems to be allergic to transparency. As one can learn by reading the columns of Marcos Bretón, the sheriff does what he wants, disregarding the oversight needed to help build trust between law enforcement and the Sacramento community. A spate of successful lawsuits may be a way to bring some attention and eventual change to the Sheriff’s Department.

Rodney Siegfried

Sacramento