Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
Holmes trial reminds
us to slow down
Marisa Kendall and Ethan Baron identified America’s fatal flaw in “Verdict a Silicon Valley ‘wake-up call’?” (A1, Jan. 5) as they discussed tech’s nefarious “move fast and break things” culture that landed Elizabeth Holmes in hot water.
Blind ambition’s scorched-earth motto has led to tragic consequences for America. Help change this menacing mantra to another, “Slow down and fix things.”
Let’s start with slowing America’s roll to fix our shattered kids. Sadly, more than 70% of them are not even eligible to serve their own country because of poor fitness, education, drug use and criminal records.
Let’s tap the brakes and fix our police departments, which we frantically broke, so we can fix our deadly and blighted cities. Let’s elect “steward leaders” instead of privileged politicians. We need representatives who focus on others, community and society at large. Slow down America. Smell the roses.
Mark R. Clifford
Moraga
Having social media
police posts a mistake
There have been a lot of calls for social media companies to police what posts are allowed on their networks to limit disinformation. While I understand the frustration with disinformation, I think people haven’t thought this through all the way. Do you really want a big corporation controlling the social media narrative on the internet?
Recently Twitter just took down an account that tracked Nancy Pelosi’s stock portfolio (public information) as well as an account that tracked the Ghislaine Maxwell case regarding Jeffrey Epstein and his vast network of elites (also public information).
When you put billionaire elites in charge of the flow of information they will protect themselves and other corporate elites over the interests of the common man.
Max Ritter
Livermore
Studying our history can
bolster our democracy
A patriot is defined as one who portrays devotion to and supports one’s country. They protect government property. They don’t destroy it. They certainly don’t turn their energy over to supporting a single human being who knows nothing about the Constitution and who wants to be king.
Our Founding Fathers left England to get away from the monarchy. The rise of hate and intolerance, not to mention the lack of knowledge and understanding of our Constitution, are beyond the pale.
It’s time for everyone to learn more about American history. This country has become a muddled mess of ill-informed individuals who don’t seem willing to handle the truth. Old glory definitely bled on Jan. 6, 2021.
Betsy Sargent
Alamo
Senate filibuster runs
counter to Constitution
Article I Section 5 paragraph 1 of the United States Constitution requires a majority (a quorum), that is 51 senators, to do the business of the Senate.
Under the current procedural rules, it takes 60 votes (60 senators) to end the filibuster. Therefore, it requires 60 senators to do the business of the Senate.
Fifty-one senators and 60 senators are not identity statements for each other. Hence, the current procedural filibuster rule is erroneous and must be discontinued.
Edward McCaskey
Dublin
Conservative columns
advance media balance
Here we go again. Some of your readers have been up in arms about the different views advanced by columnists Victor Davis Hanson and Marc Thiessen. While calling themselves “tolerant” and “open-minded liberals,” they are asking for the removal of these two columnists from your paper because they disagree with their views and comments.
Calling someone’s opinion “inaccurate drivel” because it doesn’t align with one’s bias is simply wrong. Whatever happened to the concept of balanced news? Why are they so fearful of hearing the other side of the story? Why can’t those oh-so-tolerant readers just pass on the columnists they don’t like? I, for one, congratulate the EBT for providing varied columnist viewpoints.
Linda Thompson
Danville
PG&E still putting
profit ahead of planet
I am so disappointed with the East Bay Times editorial supporting the move to kill rooftop solar.
If PG&E had only used its past profits to invest in its future, it would not be in the mess that it is. Once again consumers must bail out the monopoly that has been convicted of killing people due to deferred maintenance and a commitment to shareholders over customers.
The investment by consumers into their own rooftop solar not only saves on energy bills but is also an investment in our planet, something I would like to see more of from the corporations of this country. PG&E needs to put planet over profits. The CPUC also needs to help reduce the footprint of the utility it has so poorly regulated.
Amy Wright
Los Altos
Source: www.mercurynews.com