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Los Gatos residents
unite against hate
Re. “Who’s behind council meeting disruptions?” Page A1, Oct. 25:
You never think it will be your town. When I learned that Los Gatos was the target of hate and malice by a large group of agitators, I couldn’t believe it. Our charming little town?
This continued until it reached a breaking point with verbal attacks on the Mayor’s own family. Though the following meeting was moved to Zoom, the agitators protested loudly and ruthlessly outside of the mayor and vice mayor’s homes.
While horrible, this hate has a positive side. It is bringing us together. Community members from the town and surrounding areas have made a decision: to stand United Against Hate. While this is an ongoing effort, all are invited to participate as the movement kicks off Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. with the United Against Hate Walk. Join community members in strongly conveying the message that hate is not welcome in Los Gatos, or anywhere.
Kylie Clark
Los Gatos
Employers should reach
out to older workers
The last sentence of your article — “So you want to retire” (Page A1, Oct. 31) — requires laser focus by business and government. Somehow Silicon Valley’s favorite axiom of “diversity, equity and inclusion” is exclusionary when it comes to hiring, training and retaining older workers.
If employment opportunities are limited to the ages of 22-45 (dropping to the thirties in tech) then millions more people — of all races and genders — are facing severe economic difficulty let alone impediments to retirement. Older single women who may not have had highly paid professions are especially vulnerable.
People are living longer, healthier lives and need to be employed as long as they wish, or need, to work. There are a variety of innovative ways this could be accomplished, but opportunities should be available throughout one’s life without sickening stereotypes and ugly bias. This is not only a baby boomer issue. Generation X and millennials: You should start worrying.
Sharon Prager
San Mateo
‘Affordable housing’
promise rings hollow
Re. “377 new homes may sprout near Google’s downtown village,” Page B1, Nov. 1:
Another day, another article extolling more development in downtown San Jose.
We are treated almost daily to news about proposed housing and office space, much of it involving massive high rises, that would add thousands of people and jobs. The term “affordable housing” is almost always used, but we know that any new housing will be far out of reach of San Jose’s growing homeless and low-income populations. Rather, well-paid and high skilled tech workers from all reaches of the globe will snatch up the jobs and housing.
Or will they? The congestion, gridlock, and lack of public transportation (BART to downtown is still decades away) will turn the cutely named Google Transit Village into a Big Congested Bus Stop. As tech companies and workers decide to skip San Jose for less expensive and more livable Boise, Austin and Phoenix, we may be spared the Wuhan-ization of San Jose.
Kirch DeMartini
Saratoga
Uneven treatment for
insulting comic strips
I am all for publishing opposing viewpoints in the paper, including on the comics page, but the Nov. 1 “Mallard Fillmore” went too far. By quoting “Let’s go, Brandon,” known code for “(Expletive) Joe Biden,” Loren Fishman has gone too far.
“Non Sequitur” was pulled after hiding “(Expletive) Trump” in a strip. Mallard Fillmore deserves the same treatment.
Sarah Wilson
Ben Lomond
Global vaccine plan
needs U.S. support
Did you know that at least 15 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been thrown out between March and September 2021? This staggering number must be addressed. Therefore, I am urging Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla to support the COVAX initiative that is aimed at reaching a more equitable distribution of vaccinations to developing countries.
We have given every American aged 12 and up the opportunity to get their first and second doses; now we must reach the world’s most vulnerable through getting these vaccines to impoverished nations. With strains such as the delta variant causing spikes in COVID-19 cases, it is imperative that we do as much as we can to prevent future variants from spreading.
Jenna Gouveia
San Jose
Hypocrisy is evident
in anti-vaccine chant
I watched the New York City firefighters and police (mostly male) protesting having to get a vaccine chanting “My Body, My Choice.” They are following the Republican manifesto about denying the dangers of COVID. Meanwhile in Texas, Republican politicians are denying women the right to choose. I guess their mantra is, “Your Body, but Our Choice.”
One wonders if the correct term for this inconsistency is hypocrisy, stupidity, ignorance, discrimination, power politics or just plain lying.
Don Pugh
Woodside
Let’s return to peaceful
focus of ‘Armistice Day’
Veterans Day was created by Congress in 1954 ostensibly “to honor American veterans of all wars” by changing the name of Armistice Day, a day dedicated to the cause of world peace, to Veterans Day.
Armistice Day was declared a legal holiday by the 1938 Congress as, “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day.” The 1954 Congress turned Armistice Day into a day for displays of militarism and nationalistic chest pounding.
A day that celebrates peace, not war, is the best way to honor veterans and their sacrifices therefore Veterans For Peace seeks to restore the original intention of Nov. 11 to a day for peace. Please join Veterans For Peace in its resolution to “adopt the procedure of honoring peace by focusing on bell ringing on Armistice Day, November 11, and all other solemn occasions.”
Phillip Pflager
Cupertino
Source: www.mercurynews.com