Letters for July 19, 2018

Both Sasha Abramsky’s recent Bee column decrying the treatment of immigrant children and the comments from the political right in response aren’t so much lying as changing the subject. Currently, 40 percent of America’s population does not have $400 in savings to deal with an emergency. Medical bankruptcy threatens sick people. Poverty, joblessness, and their knock-on effects in crime, incarceration, homelessness and even starvation and opioid overdose are much bigger problems than Abramsky’s worry about “thugs” in power and the intrusive government those opposing him decry. Separating immigrants from their children, right or wrong, is small potatoes in comparison. But whenever possible, the officious, [ahem!] I mean “official” commentariat and their sanctioned opponents prefer straining at a gnat while swallowing a camel.

Mark Dempsey

Sacramento

via sactoletters@newsreview.com

Bring on tasty veggie burgers

Re “Vegan meals on wheels” by Shoka (V Word, July12):

I tried several of the vegan burgers in the Great Sacramento Vegan Burger Battle. As a self-styled omnivore, The Vegan Van burger is the only burger in the contest that actually had a taste and texture of meat. The rest tasted like an assortment between gunpowder-laced sawdust and shredded velvet. I hope she lets us know when the actual van hits the streets.

William Major

Sacramento

via newsreview.com

A birth-control conspiracy

Re “The conspiracy issue: Planned Parenthood was created to control the black population!” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, July 5):

Regardless of whether Planned Parenthood was founded to “control the black population,” it is no conspiracy that abortion kills the unborn of those whom “progressives” claim to advocate for, including females, African-Americans, immigrants and the handicapped … “Pro-choice” means supporting only abortion on demand and never other options such as adoption. After Planned Parenthood profited with tax support from performing abortions following the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, they changed their position. A 1960s brochure from Planned Parenthood stated that abortion was not birth control: “An abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun,” it explained. How far has Planned Parenthood gone by proclaiming abortion is birth control as well as vital for women’s health care and civil rights?

Michelle Kunert

Sacramento

via sactoletters@newsreview.com

Be as happy as horses

Have you ever seen an unhappy horse? How about a bird who has the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not often unhappy is that they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.

Look at the trees! Listen to the creatures. Gaze upon the clouds, the sea and stars. If you have eyes, ears and an open heart, you will know that the whole of existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Plants are happy for no reason in particular. They will not become president, they will not become rich and they will never have a bank balance. Look at the flowers: It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. Have a great summer and remember to smile back at the flowers!

Ron Lowe

Nevada City

via sactoletters@newsreview.com