Hearings may not matter to Big Lie believers
Regarding “Trump dismissed threats of violence” (Front Page, June 29): The Jan. 6 hearings so far have been a revealing and frightening experience, especially the testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson. It is unclear to me, however, what effect the hearings will on those who still believe in the Big Lie.
It would be wonderful if the hearings caused these true believers to finally disavow Donald Trump and his true believers running for office. Will these true believers finally see the ketchup on the wall? If not, anyone in the United States could be forgiven for losing hope in our political system.
While seemingly counterintuitive, the Republicans are the main cause of these feelings of helplessness and may be the beneficiaries in the upcoming elections. Let’s hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Ralph Stone, San Francisco
Trump’s role overblown
Regarding “Trump’s coup succeeds” (Letters to the Editor, June, 28): The writer gives vastly more credit to Donald Trump than he deserves with engineering the current radical makeup of the Supreme Court.
This is the McConnell Court given then-Senate leader Mitch McConnell’s unprecedented stonewalling of the nomination of Merrick Garland and subsequent hypocritical rush to install Amy Coney Barrett.
This could be the Federalist Society Court for the conservative group that gave Trump its list of acceptable judges to nominate. Trump was merely a useful foil who would do its bidding.
It shouldn’t be overlooked that five of these nine justices were nominated by two presidents who lost the popular vote. Thus, maybe we should just call it the Electoral College Court.
Whoever you want to credit with the creation of this powerful right-wing cabal, Trump was really just a marionette with a rubber stamp. Gregory Hirsch, Pacifica
A step back for women
Regarding “Roe news dampens Title IX festivities” (Sporting Green, June 27): Thanks to Ann Killion for her thoughtful column. What hit home for me was her observation of how Title IX transformed views of body image and beauty. How it allowed women to feel strong, capable, competitive and independent.
I missed reaping the benefits during my high school years since I graduated in 1972, just before the law was passed.
It seems so long ago, and something that I rarely think about anymore, but I remembered during high school being embarrassed about being athletic and having a muscular body. Imagine that!
Hopefully, young girls today never have those thoughts. And, yes, we never even considered the possibility of a career in sports.
Roe and Title IX did go hand in hand, and both became pillars of a new era for women. Sadly, one of those pillars has now collapsed.
Gail Husson, San Leandro
Public shouldn’t pay
Regarding “Religious schools help” (Letters to the Editor, June 27): My children attended Catholic school from kindergarten through 12th grade. Never once did I think that tax payers should help pay for the tuition. It was a rather big amount toward the end of their high school years, too.
I decided I wanted them to go to Catholic schools. So why should the tax payers help me pay for something I was not forced to do?
The Supreme Court case involving Maine was a little different as it related to having no public school in an area. But I find it ironic that people who accept social services are often criticized. Yet when funds could be available for those doing the criticizing, many of them are the first ones get in line. Jo Harris, Stockton