To the Editor:
I am concerned by our editor’s rave review of Tucker Carlson, whom I sometimes watch as a civic duty. FOX NEWS attorneys won a defamation suit for Tucky by successfully arguing that, “given Mr. Carlson’s reputation, any reasonable viewer arrives with an appropriate amount of skepticism about the statements he makes.” [Emphasis mine] The judge accepted FOX’s argument and ruled that “[Carlson] is not stating actual facts” about the topics he discusses. [Translation: he says whatever his viewers want to hear despite the truth] so, if Tucky is your political guru, be careful where you step.
Mary Bennett’s mind is made up for herself, and for YOU. She prefers the smoting, vengeful god of the Old Testament. The point of my LTTE was, if someone is to decide the future of a fetus, it must be the person with the most intimate relationship with the fetus: the woman. Not Mary or the police.
I think Ms. Walker made a good case for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The alarming statement: “…most of the billions of taxpayer dollars are going to climate change...more Americans are concerned about the rising costs in their everyday life, not climate change.”
Cadillac Desert (1986) by Mark Reisner analyzed the dangers of improper water management in the Southwest US. While agriculture is the primary recipient of surface (and now ground) water, massive desert populations like Phoenix and Las Vegas have hugely exacerbated the problem.
ProPublica has published a recent interview with Jay Famiglietti regarding overuse of the Colorado River and worldwide water depletion and increasing high temperatures and drought. “The Colorado River crisis is urgent…but the hidden, underground water crisis is even worse.” Parts of the Central Valley are 28 feet lower now than a century ago because of vast overuse of groundwater. It can take centuries to restore. You can go to duckduckgo.com and search for “ProPublica interview with Famiglietti on water” to access the article (since PP requires sign-up).
Good government’s job is to help solve what concerns citizens now, but it is also responsible for anticipating impending, life-changing challenges of the future. To ignore or minimize climate change is legislative malpractice and will not stay the future. That’s why Biden’s IRA includes billions for climate change and its consequences. Without one single Republican vote.
Expensive? Yes. Or we can wait until all the money in the world won’t turn on your faucet.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
So, if you want to make America great again, you are a fascist, or semi-fascist according to Biden. I was offended that as a Republican, Biden would call me a fascist. I supported Trump’s policies because they cut my taxes. They relaxed regulations allowing small business growth, built up our military, took a stand with Israel, made historic agreements with the Middle East, built the border wall, increased energy production and energy independence, defeated ISIS, improved the Mexico/Canada trade agreement, sent weapons to Ukraine, reduced prescription drug prices, plus much more.
Common sense doesn’t support the fascist narrative. Biden on his first day overturned many of the positive policies Trump put in place. Republicans aren’t looking for a system of government with a centralized authority or a capitalist economy with strict governmental controls. I don’t hear them suppressing the opposition or spewing belligerent nationalism and racism. Biden, while campaigning from his basement, promised to support “the rule of law, our Constitution”, thereby voting for him would “end Trump’s assault on the rule of law.”
How can anyone ignore the fact Biden put in place government controls all the while ignoring the Constitution he swore to uphold. He federalized state rental laws, he ended all immigration enforcement laws put in place by Congress, and vaccine mandates on businesses, and now is using his executive powers to pay an unknown amount of your tax dollars to pay off student loans forgetting Congress is the only entity that has that power. But Republicans are the dictators?
Hitler used his political power to dominate institutions and organizations that were previously independent, like courts, churches, universities, social clubs, and youth groups. In the last 15 months the government has ignored the many rulings of the courts, churches were sued if they remained open during COVID, the FBI refused to rescind its order to law enforcement targeting parents as domestic terrorists who spoke out against school board decisions, and men have infiltrated women’s college sports.
Are Republicans truly seeking to subvert democracy? Do they oppose the rule of law? Can you outline how they are embracing political violence?
In Georgia they require identification to vote. In the 2020 election they saw three times as many voters as in 2016. There is actually overwhelming support among all walks of life in America for voter ID. Yet Democrats continue to use it as a tool to support their narrative. Are they not subverting democracy by not representing their constituents’ wishes?
Embracing political violence? Really? The Democrats call to defund the police. The current administration failed to call out the DOJ for refusing to uphold the law and arrest protestors in front of judges’ homes. Sen. Schumer said “... you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you ...” Or Rep. Waters when she said, "we've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational.” Sen. Booker said “...my call to action here. Please don’t just come here today and then go home. Go to the Hill today. Get up, and please get up in the face of some congresspeople." Or Rep. Castro said, “fight [Trump] and challenge him in every way that we can in the Congress, in the courts, and in the streets and protests ...”. And finally, Sen. Tester said that in order to take on Trump, you have to “punch him in the face”.
Democrats failed to speak out against these calls for violence within their own party. Yet they firmly believe Trump incited the J6 protest when he said, "I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard...".
Their current Democratic rhetoric is there will be a “civil war” if Republicans regain control of Congress.
From my chair I see a Democratic party that uses words that increase the rise in political polarization and extremism, partisan pressure, support harmful policies on immigration, and vote for bills that cause disparity in wealth, economic opportunity and political influence.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
In the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America it states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and of the Pursuit of Happiness.
At this time I am focusing on the right to life. The medical profession says that life ends when a heart stops beating. (conversely that means life starts at the beating of the heart.)
A child forming in its mother’s womb, a child’s heartbeat, can be easily detected at 5 weeks from conception. Does the child therefore not have the right to life quoted in our Declaration of Independence.
As for the science, medical doctors now perform corrective surgeries on the unborn.
The United States to our shame ranks 3rd in the world in numbers of abortions, 65 million total to date, right behind China and North Korea.
Since 1973 at the passage of Roe vs Wade we the people have been fed lies about the unborn (not) being a life. But science now confirms that at 8 days the brain starts to form, at 21 days the heart starts beating--the sign of life.
At the reversal of Roe vs Wade the abortion laws go to the states to decide. Currently there are a multitude of Pro-Abortion bills in California waiting to be approved by our legislature, 13 of which are in a package recommended by the California Future of Abortion Council. Most distressing to me is AB2223 which extends the time an abortion can be performed after the birth of the baby and removes all criminal liability. AB1245 allows use of our tax dollars to pay for women in other states to come to California all expenses paid for their abortion. I for one do not support or want to pay for this denial of the right to life. There are millions of Californians who feel the same way; will you be one among those to stand in favor of life? Let your representatives hear your voice and consider supporting Life Centers & Abortion Restriction Laws.
Respectfully,
Annette Sula,
Fillmore