Letters for September 4, 2014

Longing for the old world

Re “The domestic military, Guest comment, Aug. 28):

Dean Carrier’s guest commentary was certainly well-stated and well-written. Sounds like our life paths have run pretty much parallel to one another. And, like him, I’m glad to have been a part of the “old world.”

Floyd Stearns
Magalia

Blame the ‘Drug War’

Re “This isn’t Ferguson” (Editorial, Aug. 28):

Your editorial about Ferguson, Mo., was right on. To further understand the militarization of our police forces and how it is being instituted, consider the following: SWAT teams have grown 14,000 percent over a 10-year period, Al Jazeera reports. Ninety percent of the tasks performed by these SWAT teams with their newly issued armored vehicles and military-grade weapons are for nonviolent drug raids and serving drug warrants.

Basically, this already-proven failure of drug policy—the “Drug War”—is being used as a sorry excuse to militarize the police against us. We must demand an end to this drug war, once and for all.

The problem is that the police/prison industrial complex has grown in political power to a point that virtually all politicians are on their dole and are being “handled” by them. Our whore politicians will not even consider any change in drug policy as it is political suicide because of this unholy union. Our only hope for the people and America’s freedom is to rally behind any grassroots effort to reform the drug laws in this country. We must stand behind every effort such as our local pot growers’ Measure B in the Nov. 4 election.

Garry Cooper
Durham

She doesn’t want banners

Re “Two views on banners” (Letters, by Patrick Newman, Aug. 28):

Thank you to Patrick Newman for his thoughtful letter regarding hanging military banners along Chico city streets. I am also opposed to this proposal on many levels, including the display of militarization.

However, I am also opposed to it from an aesthetic perspective. Chico is a beautiful and special city, our city of trees. One of the things I most appreciate about living here is looking out over the city and seeing all the trees, the outline of the hills and mountains, Upper Park, the horizon with its often glorious sunrises and sunsets. I cannot imagine how distracting it will be to have to look past large, flapping permanent vinyl banners along city streets.

Please consider how extremely uncomely and bothersome these banners will be. Also, why is the military being singled out for this recognition? What about the other “heroes” in our city, i.e., firefighters, police officers, trash truck operators, nurses, teachers, etc. There must be other ways to honor all our heroes.

Chico residents should seriously consider what they want to look at every day, forever. I also encourage residents to write to the City Council and/or attend the next City Council meeting to let their feelings be known.

Olivia duMosch
Chico

Three on the Middle East

Re “Grossly unfair images” (Letters, by Julie Danan, Aug. 28):

Rabbi Julie Danan claims that billboards with images of wounded Palestinian children are “unfair” and “deeply offensive to our community.” We should be satisfied with knowing that the issue is “complex.” We should find the various activities of Hamas—building tunnels, firing rockets, etc.—justification enough for the bloodshed.

But, what am I to make of today’s headline story? Israel is expropriating another 1,000 acres of olive groves in the West Bank—within days of the latest ceasefire. The U.S. has filed another routine objection, but we will send our $3 billion per year and the Israelis will keep building settlements.

I’ve spent some time trying to find a reasonable argument for the continued colonization of the West Bank. I haven’t seen one yet, but perhaps Rabbi Danan can enlighten me. Perhaps she can explain why the state of Israel has settled over 500,000 people in what is left of a possible Palestinian state—an area not much bigger than Butte County.

Until we see a cessation of land grabs and a removal of illegal settlements, questions of “fairness” should probably be addressed to the people of Israel.

Patrick Newman
Chico

To all those with a quick response to “billboard buyer speaks out”: First, consider the source of your information. I ask, why is the U.S. ranked 22nd in freedom of the press? If your information is followed by a commercial for a big corporation, red flag. I suggest you look at sources of information that are not bought and paid for by multinational corporations. Listen to a little of Democracy Now or read a little Mother Jones. Then give us your response.

Charles Withuhn
Chico

I wonder if anyone else is offended by the Peace & Justice Center’s stance on the “Palestinian” crisis? What about the Israeli crisis? I wonder why in 1947 the world gave the Jews a home in Israel. I wonder if they were not punished enough with the Holocaust. No, we need to back the so-called Palestinians who in 2014 are still bombing Israel. This is very disturbing to me as a Jew.

The [Palestinians] are just disgruntled because the Jews finally have a home, which they do not recognize as a sovereign state. I do believe the Peace & Justice Center is more of a “war machine” with this rhetoric. So, to that I say, peace and love.

Joel Castle
Chico

Everyone needs shelter

Re “Shelter from the storm” (Newslines, by Tom Gascoyne, Aug. 28):

The Chico Housing Action Team (CHAT) appreciates the CN&R’s coverage of our winter emergency shelter program in partnership with the faith community for the coming winter.

We would also like your readers to know about our plans for a tiny house village that would provide longer-term housing for those without shelter. Recently, some CHAT members toured three West Coast cities with successful tiny house villages. These inspiring and innovative efforts, as well as many more projects nationwide, provide a framework to tailor a unique response to Chico’s needs and for achieving CHAT’s goal of ensuring that everyone in our community has access to fair and adequate shelter and sanitation.

Based on this trip, CHAT has produced a 30-minute film that will be shown at the Pageant Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m., with a discussion to follow. We hope that this will help educate people here on the growing nationwide movement toward a tiny home model.

Visit CHAT online at chicohousingactionteam.org. CHAT is also eligible for tax-deductible donations to the Annie B’s community drive via our website.

Sheldon Praiser, CHAT member
Chico

While the issue of bedbugs has been brought up, the reason groups backed out was a lack of trained or experienced supervision.

CHAT is naive, inexperienced and untrained to handle unruly clients. Like teenagers, they are sure they have all the answers and are not prone to taking advice or accepting offers of training. If they cannot responsibly handle a small group of people on a temporary, short-term basis, what makes them think they will run a camp/village?

I am not against churches and groups providing shelter. Safe Space is a great solution that works and more than has its rewards. It also has its problems that must be faced with full knowledge and a mature sense of responsibility. To assume that things will magically take care of themselves or that there will never be any issues is unrealistic. Think of the old adage “If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”

Crystal A. Mourad
Chico

Ignorance or inflated egos?

Re “Hit the road, Mr. Mayor” (Letters, by Michael Reilley, Aug. 28):

I agree with Michael Reilley’s letter that blasted Scott Gruendl running for City Council again. I don’t know if it’s ignorance or inflated egos when incumbents run for re-election after disastrous results during their tenure.

Remember when Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick refused to quit after public corruption charges? Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich basically flipped off the public and refused to step down after his department’s corruption. Gruendl should have the common sense to move aside after so many under his supervision let the public down.

Incumbents whose departments perform poorly should step aside and at the very least allow new faces to give a try. The odds of someone new making a difference is far greater than thinking that an incumbent will be any different.

Look how many years Chico has been burned by terrible school boards? I just read that incumbents want to be re-elected. One will make it out of default, because not enough people want to run anymore. The arrogance of incumbents is maddening!

I don’t need to know who’s running against incumbents. If they can breathe they deserve our votes to avoid re-electing incumbents. As Reilley said, why would anyone hire the same incompetent contractor?

Michael Proctor
Chico

Editor’s note: Mr. Gruendl has not been accused of any illegal activity.

Thoughts on annexation

Re “Voice of the ’hoods” (Newslines, by Melissa Daugherty, Aug. 21):

As a resident of Chapmantown, I would like to thank our former supervisor, Jane Dolan, for coming to the City Council meeting and standing up with us against the forced annexation of our homes.

The United States is still fighting in Afghanistan to give them the right to vote, while my right to vote is being taken away here in Chico. My son went to Iraq three times to protect that right for me, but it is being taken away here and now.

I do not understand why Michael Jones thinks that people of Chapmantown are secondary citizens and cannot think for themselves, just because we do not think like he does.

Wanda Story
Chico