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Call for an end to war
against Palestinians
The people of Palestine have lived under Israeli occupation for 75 years and while no one condones the surprise attack by Hamas into Israel, the displacement of 2 million people, half of whom are children, living in Gaza is horrific, indefensible and cannot be condoned.
The United States lending its support to Israel’s genocide of the people of Gaza must not accepted or supported. We must voice our outrage and call for the halting of military force against the people of Palestine.
Rev. Sally Juarez
Oakland
Carbon tax would
drive up all prices
Re: “United climate activists deserve carbon dividend” (Page A6, Oct. 12).
A letter urges the implementation of a carbon tax in California. But a carbon tax would significantly increase the cost of conventional energy generation, which we still need since we cannot generate enough green energy to meet our needs. So, what will those who must pay the tax do? They will inevitably pass those costs on to the consumers; in other words, to us. Even if 100% of the collected tax was passed on to the public (which will never happen, due to administrative costs), this would still not offset the increased costs of most other things due to higher fuel, packaging and fertilizer costs.
Higher fuel costs always make most other things more expensive. We saw this in 2021, as well as in the 1970s and early 80s. Bad idea, people.
Christopher Andrus
Dublin
Balance coverage
of Israel-Hamas war
Re: “Israel stepping up attacks on Hamas” (Page A1, Oct. 13).
The headline over a photo of Palestinian children was too much. Those children are not Hamas.
What Hamas did was horrific, but it also gave the Israeli government the excuse it needed to destroy the people of Gaza even more directly than it has been doing for decades. Some balance, please.
Marcia Lovelace
Oakland
Identity politics keep
nation divided
Re: “Democrats must alter platform to draw support” (Page A6, Oct. 12).
Steve Koppman is spot on. I have a degree in behavioral sciences, and it is clear to me that the Democrats and the Democrat-influenced media are causing more divisiveness, not less.
Conservatives and moderates do not respond well to politicians and media that refer to a person or group’s race or gender every chance they get, inferring that white, heterosexual males are the problem. Divisiveness is the problem. We need to check ourselves when we begin a rant about “them.”
Joel Olney
Livermore
Fashion industry must
care for environment
No clothing is worth the destruction of the Earth. However, the fast fashion industry appears to disagree. This industry is one of the most unsustainable businesses in the world because of its practice of continuously overproducing clothing that will never be worn or bought. Every second, they dump a garbage truck equivalent of unsold clothing into landfills or incinerators. These disposal methods are unsustainable for the environment as clothing in landfills leaches chemicals into the soil and groundwater while incineration unleashes excessive amounts of CO2.
One of the biggest fast-fashion companies in the world, Forever 21, has no plan or policy to recycle or donate their excess clothes. Forever 21 should adopt sustainable practices and commit to no longer sending their unsold garments to landfills or incinerators. By doing so, they can be at the forefront of change and help push the industry in a positive direction.
Amy Arnes
Sunnyvale
Source: www.mercurynews.com