Honoring the legacy of Harvey Milk
Thank you for publishing Peter Hartlaub’s “Milk’s last big battle was over measure to fire gay teachers” (June 30). Forty years after the death of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, it’s important to remember that part of his legacy was helping to defeat the Briggs Initiative, which would have allowed openly gay and lesbian teachers to be fired.
While much progress has been made in the past two generations concerning LGBTQ rights, there has been a noticeable backlash against our community since the election of Donald Trump.
We must not allow more discriminatory policies to be enacted and must enlist our straight friends and allies in this fight. Such activism would honor the memory of Milk, and further enable all of us to live in a country where all citizens — regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation — are treated equally.
Finn MacLaughlin, Daly City
Focus on guns
Regarding “Trump’s tax ‘miracle,’ flip-flops” (July 3): Thank you for the fact checking article which counters the many lies and exaggerations being made by President Trump concerning tax cuts, immigration, Russian interference in the 2016 election, and former President Barack Obama-era health care. It’s interesting to note that President Trump’s claim of a surge in MS-13 gang activity is refuted by the fact that this group accounts for less than 1 percent of total U.S. gang membership.
Frankly, Trump should be less concerned with MS-13 members and more concerned with the AR-15 rifles that have been used in mass shootings causing numerous deaths in Florida, Texas, and Nevada since he began his presidency.
Lillian Hermann, San Francisco
Costly elder care
Regarding “Charges of abuse at home for elders” (June 30): There might be hundreds of unlicensed homes throughout the Bay Area taking in people with dementia or other care needs.
They exist because there are almost no other options for people needing care and living on less than $2,000 a month. People who are too frail or cognitively impaired cannot continue to live alone, yet nursing homes are opting out of long-term care at breakneck speed, and the licensed homes are charging $3,000-$7,000 monthly for three meals and a shared room.
This is out of range for many people and social workers/discharge planners are constantly struggling to find somewhere for them to live where they are supervised. These unlicensed homes accept the SSI or Social Security payments as a total fee.
The most important service they provide is that someone is present, in the house and meals are provided. Yes, these homes should be licensed for consumer protection.
But, no one else is providing shelter to low-income elderly needing care. It would be inhumane to put them out on the street.
Yvonne Baginski, Napa
Sick of rudeness
In response to “No time for civility” (Letters, June 29): It is time for civility more than ever. I would suggest that, as much as I would like to commiserate with the writer, incivility only breeds the same. With all the challenges, political and social, that face us at this time, and considering from the left or right (or hopefully, the middle) of the political spectrum, only civility, that is, respect, and the willingness to discuss issues working toward compromises allow our great nation to progress forward.
I am not sick of being civil. I am heartily sick of the rude comments of politicians from all sides, including celebrities, sports figures and anyone else that has a free, entitled, endorsed or established mouthpiece.
Justification for one’s own opinion does not allow for being rude and intolerant of those of others. If you are uncivil, then I will no longer listen to, or consider, your opinion, for I have had enough.
James Wollak, San Francisco
Civility is dead
“Civility” is dead because conservatives called it “political correctness” and mocked it mercilessly until liberals and progressives got tired of it and responded in kind.
Adults who should know better regressed back to playground rules and everything went to hell in a handbasket. The only thing that will snap the world out of it is an alien invasion or some kind of global-scale natural disaster. Larry Young, San Francisco
Return to print
“‘Deepfake’ videos could interfere in elections” (July 3) reports fear that videos on the internet are so well made, viewers will be unable to identify “fake news.”
Does this not suggest the evolution of the internet is to retail business, and away from being taken seriously as a news source? Thus, while there are problems, newspapers and magazines can be the only reliable source of information due to cross-checking by the papers, sourcing identification, the ability of the reader to check “facts” and the non-ephemeral nature of news print.
Clearly, abuse of the internet has rendered it useless as a news source. Time to return to printed word. This is evolution. (Note: no economic interest held in newspaper industry.) Michael Martin, South San Francisco