Native American land must be protected
Your Sunday supplement “Coloring Northern California, A to Z” ( Nov. 8) appropriately recognizes Native American and ally protection and restoration of salmon runs on the Klamath River. When we get to the Ohlone, not only do Ohlone stewardship and traditions endure, as you allude, but the Ohlone people live here still, descendants of tribal bands with eight different languages and eight different creation stories and many villages.
The Ohlone did build and leave behind monuments, 425 village, funerary and cultural shell mounds ringing the bay and documented by Nels Nelson in 1909. As noted in “Indigenous groups gain win over site” ( Sept. 24), the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that it has placed the oldest of these monuments, the West Berkeley Shellmound and Village Site, on its 2020 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. We are guests on unceded Ohlone land, and to be good guests we need to be accurately informed as we honor the restoration of Ohlone people to their rightful place in sacred relationship with their ancestral land and protect the West Berkeley Shellmound from development.
Jane Perry, Oakland
Divisive figure
I read “It’s not over yet” ( Letters, Nov. 9) and the writer’s statement that The Chronicle was premature in its Sunday headline, “Biden wins.” The reality is President Trump will never acknowledge the truth of the election results. The writer stated that Democrats have spent four years constantly trying to destroy the president at every turn. This assertion by the Republicans has been heard for several years. This sentiment is so tedious. The reality is from day one, Trump has told falsehoods and lies and the media remained respectful of the office of the presidency, reluctant to call him on his lies. Eventually, the media did. Since the day that Trump announced his candidacy, to his inauguration speech, and the past four years, he’s been a dark and divisive figure. The headline that would have been equally satisfying to read would have been “Trump loses.”
Ken Klein, San Francisco
Halt mailin ballots
Regarding “It’s not over yet” ( Letters, Nov. 9): I totally agree but think that more than half the country voted for President Trump. One big gaffe was someone’s “vote by mail” brainstorm. After having read an item about the
Kentucky postman who took some of the mailin ballots he picked up and trashed them in a dumpster, I couldn’t help but think this probably happened in many areas of the U. S. We need to call a halt to the mailin ballots.
Barbara Cleveland, Palo Alto
Unsurprising refusal
Regarding “Delaying transition endangers lives” ( Nov. 10): While I wholeheartedly agree with this newspaper’s assertion that the Trump administration’s deliberate refusal to begin a transfer of power to Presidentelect Joe Biden will hurt the country by breeding more disorder and inaction in Washington, is anyone actually surprised by such obstreperousness?
I fully expect Trump, whose limited vocabulary does not include the word “defeat,” to engage in a scorchedearth policy right up until Jan. 20, 2021, the date of Biden’s inauguration.
Mark Templeton, San Francisco
President’s defiance
Regarding “Republican resistance” ( Letters, Nov. 10): The letter writer asked, “Now that the presidential race has been decided, is it time for Republicans to display their “Resist” and “Impeach” banners and bumper stickers as the Democrats did four years ago?” I would say sure. If it is found that Joe Biden welcomed help from a foreign government for his election and paid hush money to a porn star ( among countless other things), go for it, and we Democrats will support you. A lot of people including some Republicans realize that with President Trump, it was not about politics but something beyond that, and his defiance to accept the election results just proves that.
Manoj Agrawal, Belmont
Step out of comfort zone
Regarding “Homekey program gets pushback from residents” ( Front Page, Nov. 10): Everyone recognizes that there is a homeless problem in this country, but most people are unwilling to do anything about it if it will take them out of their comfort zone. For everyone to have the essentials of life, we all must sacrifice at least a little, whether that means welcoming the less advantaged into their neighborhood, supporting a local food bank or even paying, God forbid, higher taxes.
Those who deny NIMBYism are being disingenuous. People such as the Davidors simply want to consume more than their share of the Earth’s resources. This overconsumption is evident in their being overfed and owning largerthanlife gasguzzling motor vehicles. I would encourage the Davidors to go talk to Richard Hoyt; if you have any trace of humanity, you will recognize his divinity and may see that he deserves at least minimal shelter in your neighborhood of perfectly manicured lawns and over privilege.
Paul Sheeran, Davis
Potential sabotage
Somehow, we have to tune out all the whining and the nonsense coming from President Trumpworld. But at the same time, we do have to pay attention to what he does. He is already sabotaging the next president by sowing doubt about the legitimacy of the process. If he continues to lose ground and begins to accept the idea that he lost, he will certainly try to further sabotage the next president. In that effort, I believe that there is no line that he won’t cross; nothing is too petty; no lie is too preposterous.
I am confident that this will be the least organized transition and handoff from one administration to the next in modern history. He may also pardon any friends or family who have broken the law in service to him. That’s where our focus will need to be now.
Brad Kennison, San Rafael
Dems’ lack of decency
Dear Democrats: As you bask in your victory in the coming days and weeks, I, as a Republican, have but one request: Stop telling us that it’s time that we come together as a country, or that it’s time to bring back decency to our discourse. Please. For the past four years that is something you were never able to do yourselves. Those of us who supported President Trump for the past four years were subjected to an unprecedented barrage of vicious attacks and disrespect by the compliant news and entertainment industries, and by our socalled fellow Americans. And we were fundamentally changed by the experience. So, now that your side is victorious, spare us for the calls for a return to normalcy. Those days are gone forever. I’m afraid that you shall reap what you have sown.
Randy Richey, Nevada City
Worry of coup attempt
Does the firing of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper set the stage for an autocoup? If President Trump’s intent goes beyond merely contesting the 2020 presidential election, he needs to have the instruments of state power firmly in his court.
Having removed Esper and replaced him with one of his sycophantic courtiers, especially one with a specialoperations and counterterrorism background, he now has control of both instruments of state security, the departments of Defense and Homeland Security. If his intent is to conduct an autocoup, this is absolutely necessary. With this act, President Trump may have “crossed the Rubicon,” leading the nation inexorably toward a presidential coup d’etat ( autocoup), one that many on the right wing would support.
Charles Morris, Hercules