LETTERS from Gazette Readers - October 2019

Monarchs at Risk

Woooohoooo! Vesta, you have done it again!!!! Mountains and valleys and oceans and continents of thanks!

Thank you for bringing attention to this most important topic! (Sonoma Joins Tri-National Campaign to Protect Monarch Butterflies - August Gazette) I was informed earlier today that the Santa Cruz Monarch count this year is down from 7000 last year to 700 this year! And then your article appeared…! How timely! Thank you!

I now know where to look to find the Gazette here in Sonoma! I have been forwarding this article to many and posted it on FB too.

I love you, Cindy

Wonderful - more butterflies not less - more plants to feed them not less - more habitat not less! We VOTE our way to healing the planet! ~Vesta

Please be Careful with Truth

Appalled that the letter “A touch of truth” was published (September Gazette LETTERS). The idea that all ideas have merit and should be published is naive and in this case painfully divisive.

The writer uses the word “fact,” when in fact he is expressing his radical religious views. He is entitled to them, however hateful they are to the many of us who do not share his narrow, negative, and divisive views. Belief in any sort of god is personal; there is no proof other than whatever passes for faith for that person. The writer seems to believe and, in this letter it seems, hope for a vengeful god to inflict eternal torture on those who disagree with him.

It is this kind of radical judgment and, I believe, political view that has guided so many people now and throughout history to label those who disagree as heretics, enemies, abominations. This writer conflates liberals with satanists, gays with abomination.

The writer conflates Trump with godliness, and writes that Trump was preordained as president by god. This is simply disgraceful and deeply dangerous. It does, however, reveal the twisted way many people on the religious right justify their hypocritical support of Trump.

History has shown us people like this before, and it has shown the results of this kind of thinking. It is not always in god’s name; it is however always the same basic message. We are ordained; they are evil. Don’t forget Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler, the Taliban, Al Queda, the Inquisition, and others. Don’t forget the millions called out as abominations, the other, and killed or banished. We should not accept, spread, or publish, this kind of dim-witted political and religious inanity, confusing and equating it with truth.

Fools proliferate when we feed their voice. In this case the writer was using language that was not only divisive, but was reprehensible.

I really appreciate your paper, and especially the range of views. One of the times I disagreed with the ACLU (long time member) was their defense of the Nazis marching through a Jewish neighborhood of Holocaust survivors. I fear the repercussions from normalizing the “very fine people on both sides” view.

I realize it is a fine line between censorship and simply ignoring idiots. Of course, reading that letter might make some people more aware that there are people who believe that stuff; it could also inflame some people to do “god’s will” by attacking gays, atheists, agnostics, and liberals.

Keep up the good work, keep walking the lines.

— Harry Fleishman

PS. I did not capitalize god on purpose. I did conflate the religious and political in this writer’s views on purpose.

I believe in a free press. I cannot censor but I do eliminate some letters that are pure rage. You should read some that come to me! But in this case I had just written about diversity and I had two responses to that editorial that were submitted as letters to readers. I do publish articles and letters that I find objectionable.

Thanks for your letter! ~ Vesta

Share Housing

Vesta - this article is amazing for us. (Creating Immediate & Affordbale Housing Through Home Sharing by Joy Lovinger - September Gazette) We have had such traction from your beautiful article and I can’t thank you enough. We’ve had so many folks call - it’s astounding because no other article ever has come close to the response we’ve received from YOUR article.

We have had 13 calls, 4 emails from folks. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot - but, it’s already creating housing for several people and some housing opportunities from those who’ve called to possibly open their home.

The pic of Bob with AJ: Bob is a Rotarian and he had to pay $ because someone saw his mug in this article! You KNOW how Rotarians are! Pretty funny, actually. I am taking the two of them to lunch as a reward!

Thank you so very much. I am grateful. Take great care and THANK YOU for the insightful work that you do for our community.

— Amy Appleton, Executive Director SHARE California

More junk science

Re: Thegood’s letter in the 8/19 issue, p. 7, about 5G cell phones: I regret that it is necessary to point out, yet again, that there can exist no scientific basis for his complaint. Because the intensity of any radiation falls off as the square of the distance, the radiation from your own phone will be tens of thousands of times more intense than that emitted by a cell phone system antenna. And this is particularly true of 5G systems: because 5G antennas are located closer together than in earlier systems, the power transmitted from such antennas can be much less.

— Robert A. Saunders

Quintessentially Quentin

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Diane McCurdy Review, September Gazette) is structurally a film I have never seen before. Quentin Tarantino once again pushes the boundaries of filmmaking with such confidence and ease.

The film follows a Hollywood actor and his stuntman in the 60s as they come to grips with reality and the less intriguing side of being a star. Brad Pitt gives a career-best performance as Cliff Booth and easily steals the film for himself.

I originally went into this film expecting Quentin Tarantino to use the tragedies of the Manson murders as a plot tool throughout the film, but instead the focus lies on a much more basic concept about human relations and struggles. The third act brings it all home in an epic finale that weaves my prediction into the story in a flawless way.

The film is a slow burn full of memorable scenes and moments that only serve to further develop the characters so that when the tension does come it’s all the more investing.

Once upon a time in Hollywood is a wonderful piece of modern cinema which breaks the formulas and tropes we as movie goers are so accustomed to seeing and expecting. This makes for an unforgettable and thought provoking experience.

~ Neo Wagner

Woodland Destruction by Wine Industry Executive

Anyone who loves Sonoma County’s natural beauty has to be appalled by the recent news regarding the bulldozing and removal of 40 acres of oak woodlands and the deep-ripping of over 100 acres near Cloverdale for vineyard development. Destruction included pushing trees, brush, and soil into natural water channels that empty into the Russian River and filling a wetland area.

The owner of the property, Hugh Reimers, whose company Krasilsa Pacific Farms undertook this woodland destruction, was formerly president of Foley Family Wines and Jackson Family Wines. Obliteration of this woodland was undertaken without any required permits and inspections. Reimers can hardly claim ignorance about proper regulations and procedures regarding land development.

One major question is whether some wine industry operators assume that they can ignore regulatory protections because the fines are simply part of doing business.

Full restoration of these illegally destroyed areas, in addition to hefty fines, needs to be the corrective action. Otherwise, the bad players in the wine industry will think Sonoma County’s natural woodlands and wetlands are fair and easy game for destruction.

— Chris Stover

THANK YOU Chris for the heads-up on this. Anna Rannsome has written an article in this month’s Gazette covering this topic. It’s stewards of our home who protect what we have.

~ Vesta

Walking at Night

I have been wanting to mention something for a long time. I work in Sebastopol, an when daylight savings time comes and it gets dark early, and people are out walking, as I get ready to head home, I am well aware that people are still out walking. Twice last year I almost hit someone. Why because they were wearing dark clothing or not paying attention.

If you think about it, we are a very casual community. we wear jeans that are dark, most of our coats are dark. Which is pretty normal, what I would like to say is that the drivers need to be extremely aware of this, and I think for the most part we are. I would like for people that are out walking at night when it’s dark to know that the drivers cannot always see them, and they have a responsibility to remember this.

I was getting ready to pull out of the driveway at the Senior center last year, where there are a few big trees on one side and the Senior center on the other side. I cautiously looked both ways twice, and just as I was about to go, a gentleman was hitting the hood of my car to let me know he was there, where he came from is beyond me. And he was wearing all dark clothing. I think this is important to let the people know.

Thank you

— Lois Galloway

Small business owner, Sebastopol

Let’s talk tax policy

ealthy was raised to 79%. It went up considerably during WWII and in the 1950’s and then down again, but never dropped below 70% until Ronald Reagan slashed the tax rate.

In 1942 the corporate rate was 40%. It’s gone up and down a little, but never dropped below 38% until 1988.

Our current tax rates, coupled with a spending cap on social security that caps people who make a lot of money from paying into social security the whole year (most athletes cap out after 1 day) accounts for more than $10 trillion that should be in our economy every year.

When you take into account the 60 biggest corporations pay zero federal tax and the amount of untaxed money in overseas tax havens, this number goes up to about $12 trillion.

So when the government says it can’t afford to spend more on education, health care, veterans or your grandmother’s social security check that’s why.

— Jason Kishineff

American Canyon