We’ve allowed ourselves to hate others

Andrew Yang on Twitter recently quoted a friend of his, Tristan Harris, who said this about human beings: “We have primordial brains, medieval institutions and godlike technologies.”

Or, as my daughter once said to me: “Mom we’re just monkeys driving cars.”

Worse yet, we’re vicious monkeys who take delight in seeing others fail (i.e., gladiatorial games like “Survivor”), laugh at other’s misfortunes or humiliations, and do it all with an altered state of mind by using drugs and alcohol and food.

I used to think that one day human beings would achieve a utopian-type existence where we could use our intelligence to overcome illness, war, poverty and inequality. I don’t have any hope for that anymore.

We’re going backward, not forward, because we’ve allowed ourselves the luxury of hating others who are not just like us.

I fear for my grandchildren. And I want to say to future generations, I’m sorry for my part in what’s going on today. I hope you’re smarter than we were.

— Audrey Baker, Bakersfield

IT’S ABSURD TO CHARGE AT DUMP FACILITIES

I am writing to express my deep frustration with Kern County’s absurd policy of charging people for waste disposal at dump facilities, particularly for items like tires and construction waste, which often end up being illegally dumped on our country roads. And I’m tired of seeing it!

It’s time to use some common sense. If a lot of folks are charged money, they simply will dump elsewhere, period. Local government needs to acknowledge its own limitations. You can’t force people to do the right thing in this instance. So let’s try pursuing policies that encourage good behavior instead of discourage it.

In my view, no landfill should charge for any form of waste. Instead, the government should find the money to run these facilities elsewhere, using tax revenue or other sources of funding. It should always be free for the community regardless of economic status to dispose of waste in public landfills.

— John Freeman, Bakersfield

FREE SPEECH VS. YELLING ‘FIRE’

A response to John Stovall’s (“Reading the news — all kinds,” March 16) opinion piece: His bottom-line argument seems to be for a free press to prevent tyranny. And the revelations of Fox “News” (baldfaced election lies) are just part of our proud tradition of free speech, to get two sides to a story. To claim these fabrications as legitimate news, to me, is denial in the face of fact. All the central characters at Fox admit in their emails they knew they were putting forth a false narrative of the “stolen” election.

I agree with Mr. Stovall, that there is some implicit bias in reporting at some channels. But what transpired at Fox was way over the line. What they did was not free speech but closer to yelling “fire” in a crowded theater.

— Mark Campbell, Bakersfield

MODIFY AMENDMENTS FOR 21st CENTURY

I have to comment on John Stovall’s (“Reading the news — all kinds,” March 16) protection of First Amendment rights and defense of Fox News’ promotion of lies throughout our airwaves. Our first 10 amendments are a crucial part of our democracy, but they are not the Ten Commandments. These amendments must be modified from 18th-century democracy to the 21st century.

In 1776, news did not travel within a second like it does today. We did not have fully automatic weapons with armor-piercing bullets that can release six to nine rounds within a second. Oh, and can anybody tell me what the Third Amendment is? No soldier should live in any person’s private home during peacetime. I guess that was a problem in 1776.

We still need the First and Second amendments and we also need to modify our antiquated First and Second amendments. Fox News is doing a disservice and some might think treasonous.

— Bill Guerrero, Bakersfield

SAVE THE GREEDY FROM THEMSELVES

History has many answers, if you look back. The word deregulation has come up periodically in our past. It seems like the word deregulation is almost always followed by disaster.

The Roaring ’20s got their name from deregulation, and we all know what happened at the end of that decade. The mortgage greed led directly to the crash of 2008. Fast-forward to today — trains derail and banks fail — again there’s that ugly word.

It’s just time to put regulations back in place. Deregulation has never saved us money, only added to the profits of big business. Big business (corporations) have succeeded in owning our country. They stifle opportunity, hinder free competition and price-fix. The greed is rampant. When will we rein them in? Are we waiting for them to suggest we “eat cake”?

— Henry Barron, Bakersfield