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Abuses at ICE facilities don’t make U.S. great
Re: “My two years of agony at an ICE facility” (Page A7, June 30). It was heartbreaking to read in last week’sEast Bay Times the account by Brady Tillett of being held at the for-profit facility CoreCivic in Kern County.
Tillett recounts living in a windowless cell, never knowing whether it was day or night, plus many examples of mistreatment, neglect and punitive stays in solitary confinement. This person committed no crime other than seeking asylum in the United States.
Apparently, there are about 60,000 persons currently held in ICE facilities in the United States. What a monumental waste of human potential. These prisoners could be leading productive lives. Can someone please explain how we, as a society, benefit from this?
Laurie Umeh
Oakland
County’s surveillance is a step toward fascism
Your excellent reporting on police surveillance cameras in unincorporated Alameda County shows that Supervisors Nate Miley, David Haubert and Lena Tam are willing to ignore recent violations of state law, with the Sheriff’s Office providing access to surveillance camera data to out-of-state and then federal agencies. Sheriff Sanchez admitted the violations but said only that the violators were transferred. Supervisors Nikki Fortunato Bas and Elisa Marquez advocated balancing public safety with accountability by calling for more safeguards in the contract with Flock before approval.
In 1988, I traveled to Soviet Moscow and noticed many surveillance cameras. Our Russian guide quoted from the novel “1984” in explaining, “Big Brother is watching.” Apart from “political crimes,” the crime rate in Moscow then was quite low. In the book “1984,” George Orwell presages a world where totalitarianism is total and surveillance is constant. I ask, is America great again yet?
Bob Britton
Castro Valley
Depths of Trump’s graft will take years to find
It may take years for historians to uncover the depths of dishonesty and corruption of the current president. Multiple surveys, studies and polls have already placed him at or near the bottom among all presidents in terms of job performance and public approval, but there remains much more slime to be revealed in this cesspool of a presidency.
Long after the greater good has dismantled everything Donald Trump, 47 will surely be found the worst president in American history. He is more fraudulent and morally bankrupt than Warren Harding, more inept than James Buchanan, and more misguided than Franklin Pierce or Andrew Johnson, who was also impeached.
We must ask ourselves, why do we tolerate this behavior? Why do we allow a person who lies every time he opens his mouth to remain in office? The midterms represent a chance. We must turn the tide on the man who lied.
Jon James
Pleasanton
Nation must end the divisive rhetoric
Enough, enough, enough.
I would like people to apply logic and reason to the relentless onslaught of divisive rhetoric that seems to dominate today’s political landscape. Two or more things can be true at the same time.
Years ago, the popular slogans of “My country, right or wrong” and “America, love it or leave it” were the banners of the right wing. I disagreed with them then, and I disagree with them now.
I love my country, but hate what Donald Trump and his fascist minions are trying to do to it. I am pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, but hate what Benjamin Netanyahu and his minions are doing in the Middle East.
To quote the late Dr. King, “When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love.”
Chris Ackerman
Castro Valley
Campaigns should clean up signs after elections
Although the election ended a month ago, streets are cluttered with campaign signs that should be removed.
Ethan Agarwal or any other candidate would be better at ensuring campaign signs are removed after the election. Too many leave signs on property or in places where they are no longer allowed, leaving taxpayers and local governments to deal with the mess. If a resident left advertising signs in the rights-of-way, they would be expected to remove them. Political campaigns should be held to the same standard.
If you can’t be trusted to clean up your signs (messes you made), how can we trust you to clean up other problems? Seeking public office should include respect for the community and the law. Candidates who ask for our votes should remove their signs after the election.
Jim Wissick
San Jose
This summer, let’s do away with rodeos
Summer marks a new season of misery for animals used in rodeos.
Rodeo “entertainment” makes sport of animals’ desire to escape. Terrified individuals are chased into a noisy arena, then roped or grappled by a lunging human, often injuring the animals. Bulls and horses are fitted with a “flank strap” cinched tightly across the genitals, causing intense pain that makes these normally gentle animals buck wildly. Use of electrical prods, or “hotshots,” is widespread.
Roping calves incur hemorrhages, torn muscles, torn ligaments and damage to the trachea, throat and thyroid. Many end up in the slaughterhouse.
The Woodside Jr. Rodeo includes a “Pig Scramble” where kids chase, jump on and drag terrified pigs.
Nearly every animal protection organization in North America condemns rodeos due to their inherent cruelty.
Don’t attend rodeos. Better yet, protest them and protect animals.
Karen Rubio
Los Gatos