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GOP alone denies
man’s effect on climate
Re: “Marin County relatives of ex-Giants pitcher Tyler Walker among missing” (Page A1, July 8).
As a grandfather of children the age of those caught in the exceptional river flooding in Texas Hill Country, I am horrified at the death toll of such young and innocent children. My heart goes out to the families who lost children in this event. I hope the family of former Giants Pitcher Tyler Walker will be among the survivors.
I am also angry at those in power with no knowledge of climate dynamics declaring that man-made climate change is a liberal swindle. At a minimum, man-made climate interference increased the magnitude of the downpour as warmer temperatures cause more moisture in the atmosphere.
We are the only developed country that has a major political party promoting such nonsense. There are right-wing parties throughout the globe, but they do not deny man-made climate change.
Gary Latshaw
Cupertino
Keep NIH, NSF funding
to reap training benefits
For students who must work off-campus jobs, act as caretakers or independently find scientific mentors, investing the time and money for scientific training can be prohibitive.
Until recently, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation managed programs that broadened science training access to exactly these students. Students were supported holistically through tuition scholarships, stipends to perform research in faculty laboratories, funding to attend professional scientific conferences, and mentorship in preparing Ph.D. and internship applications. From one such program at San Jose State University, U-RISE, 85% of trainees pursued careers in science, creating a vibrant workforce ready to tackle pressing health problems.
In the upcoming year, it will be critical to maintain funding to the NIH and NSF, and to expand programs that increase access to training in science, so that our society continues to reap the benefits of scientific advances for decades to come.
Sonia Singhal
San Jose
Change county charter
and redirect savings
Re: “Supervisors should find way to say no to election” (Page A6, July 4).
I agree with Judy Barbeau — change the Santa Clara County charter and, while doing so, demonstrate leadership for at least all of California to establish that no person age 75 and older may run for elected office.
The millions saved will be needed in the Public Health Department with the next “opportunistic infection” in our country, most assuredly.
Barbara Rieder
Palo Alto
Will the future tell
the truth about Trump?
Obituaries for prominent citizens are typically written beforehand, and I wonder what has been written about Donald John Trump.
Will right-wing sources admit that he was essentially a self-promoted real estate dealmaker and a scofflaw landlord, without prior national or global political experience, and that he was never committed to constitutional democracy? Will Fox News finally acknowledge that their sinister political promotion of Trump for the presidency was aimed solely at boosting their media revenue? Will those epitaph writers acknowledge how Trump manipulated American voters — with a crafty, simple-minded story line — into giving him the second-term power (aided by his Supreme Court appointees) to dictate extreme nationalistic policies? Will the truth be told about his role in transforming ICE into a Gestapo-like secret police force, while politicizing every federal government agency?
Perhaps AI will give us that honest accounting.
Jerry Meyer
San Jose
Accords are notable for
countries that didn’t sign
Re: “Column ignores Mideast reset toward peace” (Page A6, July 3).
Brian Suckow cites the Abraham Accords as proof that Arab states can establish peaceful diplomatic relations with Israel without an independent Palestinian state.
While it is good that diplomatic relations have been established between Israel and Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain and the UAE, it is important to note that Bahrain and the UAE have never been at war with Israel.
Suckow’s statement that the Abraham Accords have caused a shift in regional dynamics would be much stronger if countries like Syria, Lebanon or Iraq were part of these accords.
Tim Avila
Santa Clara
Trump is methodically
taking our democracy
Re: “LAPD, public baffled by ICE masks, actions” (Page B5, July 7).
This is not the America I grew up in. This is not the America my father fought for in World War II. Masked ICE agents forcefully snatching people off our streets, incarcerating them, is a traumatizing experience and a reminder of Jews taken and sent to death camps by Hitler. What’s next?
John Kelly, a former Marine general who worked for Donald Trump from 2017-19, warned us of Trump’s admiration of Hitler’s generals. President Trump’s authoritarianism, created by replacing expertise with loyalists in his government, centralizes and increases his presidential power, resulting in the loss of our democracy.
Susan Dillon
Morgan Hill
English (US) ·