LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Don’t slow the SDSU West plan over politics
Re “Done deal? SDSU wants to finalize Mission Valley transaction in July” (May 1): The voters have spoken, and loudly, overwhelmingly approving SDSU West at the ballot box.
Now City Attorney Mara Elliott has decided to use it as her personal political launchpad by grinding the deal to a halt. It’s time for Elliott to recuse herself and turn the project over to someone capable. Get to work or get out of the way.
I think nearly everyone in San Diego supports the SDSU West proposal and for good reason. It’s an investment in ourselves and our region’s future. Our universities are powerful engines for economic growth and job creation.
If we are going to compete in the global economy of the 21st century, we must produce the leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators that will take us there.
Our city attorney is the stumbling block, seemingly bent on making any agreement with SDSU an exercise in nitpicking, delay and grandstanding. SDSU has bent over backward to present an equitable proposal accepting all sorts of additional responsibilities, costs and commitments.
The citizens of San Diego want this agreement finalized without further obstruction and delay.
Don’t assume hatred has been put behind us
Re “Sheriff ’s Department investigating after man wears KKK hood while grocery shopping in Santee” (May 3): A friend of mine shared a screenshot of the photo of the man with a Ku Klux Klan hood in a grocery store. I was disgusted and immediately thought it was from somewhere else in the country. No, it was in my community, in the store I frequent.
This display is not reflective of my community that I know, but it was in my community.
It is a painful reminder that racism and hatred live in every city, county, state and throughout this country. When we are confronted with it, we need to speak out and take action no matter how shocked or uncomfortable we may feel. There is no place for racism and hatred. Period.
This racist coward can’t be allowed to hide his identity behind his KKK hood. This hate incident must be investigated to unmask and hold accountable this propagator of hate. The photos of this Kkk-hooded “shopper”
raise two questions: What drives his hate of people of color? And why did he think it was OK to reveal his hatred in such a public place?
Whatever the answers, it’s clear that he wore his KKK hood with the sole intent of intimidating and striking fear into people of color, immigrants and migrants.
As a Latinx woman, Daca-mented community member, immigration attorney and executive director of Border Angels, I condemn this disgusting display of racism and hate, and so should we all.
Surely libraries could open some functions
Re “Reopen libraries for those who need them now more than ever” (May 3): If restaurants are open for takeout orders, why aren’t libraries open for takeout books or DVDS? Items could be ordered on the existing online web site.
The existing e-mail system would notify when an item is in. Self-checkout is already available at libraries. Returns could be made in existing dropboxes where items could be disinfected if necessary.
Reade’s claim about Biden not believable
Re “Many democratic leaders mum on Biden
accuser Tara Reade” (April 29): Having worked with survivors of sexual assault in the past, when I hear accusations of the sort made by Tara Reade, I tend to believe them.
In this case, however, given the many discrepancies and curious elements in Reade’s story, I do not.
Since only Joe Biden and Reade know what really happened, I propose that each of them should submit to a lie detector test, the test that Judge Kavanaugh once described as “an important law enforcement tool” to help the American people decide, once and for all, who is telling the truth in this gravely important matter.
Trudeau acts to ban assault-style weapons
Re “Canada bans assault-style weapons after mass shooting” (May 1): In the midst of our total focus on the coronavirus and COVID-19, it is too easy for readers to miss the importance of the Canadian prime minister’s announcement that he will ban the sale and use of assault-style weapons immediately.
No longer can they be used, sold or traded within Canadian national borders. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has earned my utmost admiration and respect. I envy Canadian citizens as they are led by intelligent national leadership.
As reported in your Nation & World section,
Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair stated, “Banning assault-style firearms will save Canadian lives. These guns have no legitimate civilian purpose.”
I look forward to the day when America’s citizens are able to be protected from mass shootings as well. May it be so.
Trump can’t conceal his failure to act on virus
Re “Unlike 2008 crisis, pandemic has no leader, no global plan” (May 4): We are learning more details about the attempt by U.S. intelligence to warn President Trump in January and February about the coming coronavirus pandemic.
As has been his practice, Trump did not read or did not absorb the contents of these presidential daily briefings. His lackadaisical, lazy, uninformed approach to doing his job has now cost more lives than might have otherwise been the case.
Under his “leadership,” the U.S. has been behind in many ways in its response to the pandemic.
The Senate needs to
come back to D.C., or come together virtually, and remove from office this impeached president. Waiting to replace him in November is no longer an option. He is dangerous.
Signature effort shows Trump’s real priorities
Re “Who cares whose name is on stimulus checks?” (May 3): A letter to the editor from Oceanside complained that “On my list of things to worry about, whose name was on the check was number 1,000. Time we all grew up.”
The issue here is that our president had 1,000 other things to worry about during this pandemic, but rather than pay attention to them, Donald Trump demanded that extra time and money be wasted printing checks with his name on them.
It is time that Trump grew up. Those checks were funded by taxpayer money, not Trump, who once again felt compelled to feed his childish narcissism.
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