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ASEAN nations advance
respect, sanctity of life

While San Francisco hosts the APEC Summit, the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) defense ministers are meeting in Jakarta. Among the ASEAN nations is Vietnam.

ASEAN nations call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the setting up of humanitarian aid corridors there.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with President Biden and urged him to help bring about a cease-fire.

In San Francisco, protesters condemn the deaths among the Palestinians from Israel’s bombardments.

In Jakarta, the ASEAN nations are also addressing the issue of China’s ongoing military assertiveness and domination in the South China Sea, and call for freedom of navigation respecting international maritime laws.

The world cries out for peace. Let us reclaim our belief in the sanctity of human life, and the principle that nations must learn to live together in mutual respect of each other.

Anh Lê
San Francisco

Bill offers support,
hope for caregivers

November is National Family Caregivers Month. It is fitting to recognize the dedication and sacrifices made by those who care for loved ones faced with the challenges of Alzheimer’s and other dementia. I experienced the traumatic impact of dementia when the medical condition of my husband, Levi Reeves, progressed from open heart surgery to Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia.

Joining the UC Davis East Bay Alzheimer’s Research Program gave me a bank of helpful support and resources. Had it not been for family, spiritual and Alzheimer’s Association connections, I would have lost my mind. Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease for patients and caregivers. Without adequate caregiver support, it can wreak havoc on caregivers’ lives.

Gratitude to Rep. Barbara Lee for co-sponsoring the National Alzheimer’s Project Reauthorization Act (HR 619) to renew and strengthen the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia, to improve care and support for people with Alzheimer’s and their families.

Dorothy Reeves
Oakland

Republican obstinance
threatens democracy

Wow, not even a month has gone by and the new speaker of the House is already on the hot seat from his “fellow” Republicans because he had the audacity to work on a bipartisan solution to funding the government, just like Kevin McCarthy.

Johnson is no prize either, but he’s in the chair. Why are the Republicans so entrenched in their inability to work with Democrats, those folks across the aisle? Partisan politics stifles everything. And the folks who elected these angry people to represent them, when will they wake up?

Democracy is under attack for no other reason than greed, plain and simple. If these representatives’ education had included empathy, we might have had a chance, but that seems to have been skipped both at home and in school.

Stuart Shicoff
Martinez

Source: www.mercurynews.com