Letters for May 22, 2014

End the death penalty, finally

Re “Cocktails and killings” by Tom Gogola (SN&R News, May 15):

The proponents of the initiative to “speed up the killing” have now adjusted their proposed ballot date to 2016, due to lack of support and signatures. This alleged reform would only serve to clog up the system even further, as each part of what would be an amendment to the constitution would be challenged in court. Time to end the death penalty in California and admit something we should have known all along: “There is no right way to do the wrong thing.”

Christine Thomas

Sacramento

Execute the ‘animals’

Re “Cocktails and killings” by Tom Gogola (SN&R News, May 15):

My issue is these convicted murders are nothing more than animals. At the moment they commit their inhumane act, they have given up the right to be treated humanely. The man executed shot a woman and had her buried alive. The second man, given a stay in his execution, raped an 11-month-old girl. My point is, we put down 1,000 pound-plus horse and cattle on a regular basis. What is the magical brew that veterinarians use? I think we should give these animals (convicted murders) the same amount of compassion that their victims were afforded. That would be zero. Clayton Lockett got what he earned. If these animals knew the penalty would be firm and painful, I think a few may choose not to be a murderer.

Michael Mello

Elk Grove

Union revenge

Re “Barking at big money” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Bites, May 15):

Who is Ali Cooper, and what has he done for the community? From what I have read, it seems that he is a stooge for the Sacramento City Teachers Association and SEIU (both unions had given him money). The unions are still angry at Councilman Jay Schenirer for a vote he made 12 years ago that allowed Sacramento High School to become a charter. This is union payback time.

Beverly Lamb

Sacramento

Pot and oxy the same?

Re “Mom and marijuana” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R Essay, May 15):

While I am not opposed to cancer sufferers and others’ medical use of marijuana, two statements made by the author himself encapsulated my reasons for applauding Sacramento Board of Supervisor’s Roberta MacGlashan’s stand. “[M]y brother scored some edibles from a dispensary worker” (obvious his mom didn’t have a medical-marijuana card, but was still able to obtain medical-grade pot), and “nibbling tiny morsels at bedtime and sharing her supply with curious relatives and neighbors.” The sharing (again, people with no medical card). Pot is a drug! There is no difference between people sharing their pharmaceutical-grade pot and sharing their oxycodone. If a driver hits you under the influence of pot or alcohol the effect is the same! If end users were more responsible, the government wouldn’t have to do it for them.

Mari H.

Sacramento

Sad time for teachers

Re “Marshall Tuck bucks the establishment” by Jeff vonKaenel (SN&R Greenlight, May 1):

Marshall Tuck is not an educator. He’s the same as the ex-right-wing politician who carried out said agenda for rich, ultraright contributors while leading the Sacramento City Unified School District.

SN&R has some sneaky right-wing suck-ups putting this nobody into the limelight. All of the private-charter teachers came through virtually the same training program as public-school teachers. But public-school teachers are now being demeaned and looked down upon so the right wing can have New Orleans-style charter-school dominance.

So sad for the wonderful teachers of the country.

Anthony Damiani

Sacramento