Dismayed by repeated gun violence
I’m disgusted after reading “Gunman competing in gaming tourney kills 2, then himself ” (Aug. 27). The latest shooting with multiple injuries and fatalities in our country occurred at a Florida video gaming tournament, and was committed by a man who lost.
Is this what we’ve come to as a society, where open carry laws let gun owners carry weapons everywhere, and they can fire guns whenever they’re frustrated?
It’s gotten to where no place in the U.S. — including shopping malls, schools, movie theaters, businesses and places of worship — is immune from mass shootings. And now Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is reportedly considering the use of federal money earmarked to help students improve their academic achievement for training teachers and other school personnel to use guns? The dystopian future imagined by science fiction writers like Ray Bradbury and George Orwell is now a reality.
Bennie Oosterhaus, San Francisco
Stay well-informed
Regarding “Thicken your skin” (Letters, Aug. 26): President Trump doesn’t have to do anything to the press. By constantly disparaging a free press to his base, he undermines its authority. A free press is only as good as its credibility with the populace.
If people don’t believe a journalist’s facts, there is no need to write laws to restrict him/her from writing or speaking. This relentless discrediting of reputable reporting should be spoken about frequently by the press and everyone else who cares about the foundations of democracy.
We must be vigilant about being as well informed as we can be and discern the truth, because it does exist. It is not the press that is thin-skinned, it is those it seeks to illuminate.
Carol Kane, San Leandro
Untrustworthy leader
Regarding “No collusion? Maybe. But what about tax fraud?” (Aug. 27): If “Justice” (to borrow the term our mob boss president used to criticize the Justice Department) is able to pin tax fraud on President Trump, many Americans would cheer.
Who can forget him bragging that not paying taxes “makes me smart” during the presidential debates, and repeatedly (and falsely) claiming he could not release his tax returns because he was being “audited”? While citizens pay their taxes for the common good, Trump avoids them for his own self-aggrandizement.
Anyone who uses a “fixer” lawyer to pay hush money to cover up an extramarital affair with a porn star, and then disguises such payments as part of a retainer fee, has no business being in any position of public trust — especially the presidency.
Phyllis Ramirez, San Francisco
Absurd comparison
Regarding “Musk, Trump — arrogant barons of new Gilded Age” (Insight, Aug. 26): It is because I am such a fan of Robert Reich that I am doubly dismayed by his absurd comparison of Elon Musk to President Trump.
Reich asks if Musk’s tweet about taking Tesla private reminds us of Trump and the answer is absolutely not, because there is no comparison between one ill-advised tweet about a business decision and the hundreds of bullying and lying tweets sent out regularly by Trump.
Reich mentions two other tweets by Musk in which he insulted some people, but he failed to mention that Musk soon apologized to those involved — something that Trump has probably never done in his life.
As for being an “arrogant baron,” while Trump spends his time on the golf course, Musk works 12-16 hour days, sometimes sleeping on the factory floor, all the while accepting no salary, in exchange for a bonus if Tesla meets certain sales goals. Like most visionaries, Musk is an imperfect individual, but for Reich to compare him to Trump is not only insulting to Musk but is also a disservice to Reich’s readers, who have come to expect far better from him. Peter Hanauer, Berkeley
Must curb emissions
Regarding “Dealing with fallout from fires” (Aug. 25): Thank you to Erin Allday for bringing to our attention this “new normal” regarding air quality in her piece. The more it sinks in that climate change is here now, not something in the future, the more we are becoming aware of its side effects.
Those of us not directly impacted by sea level rise or wildfires may have thought that somehow we might get out only minimally inconvenienced. But when it comes to the air ... when it comes to whether I can go out for a hike or play outside with my grandchildren, now that is a wake-up call. We’ve been willing to pay a premium to live in this outdoor mecca and if we want that to continue, we must call for a price on carbon to stop this runaway train while we still can. Pricing carbon curbs emissions, which are at the source of all of this. A clean energy economy must be our future and it is up to us to demand this of our elected officials in Washington, D.C. Then we’ll be able to breathe freely again.
Ellyn Dooley, San Carlos
Farewell, Neil Simon
Regarding “Playwright’s witty works set records” (Aug. 27): Thanks for the remembrance of the brilliant playwright Neil Simon. As a native New Yorker, I appreciated Simon’s understanding of city living and human neuroses. One of his most well-known works, “The Odd Couple,” contained this hilarious statement by the fussbudget Felix Unger: “Everyone thinks I’m a hypochondriac. It makes me sick.” Simon’s keen humor will live on as long as there are people trying to cope with life in stressful urban environments. Elliot Branca, San Francisco