Rising antisemitism is causing immense harm to American Jews
Rabbi Reuven Taff's article resonated with me. He expressed the painful reality Jewish people are experiencing across California and around the country, facing violent hate crimes at schools and synagogues and Jewish communal facilities, like the Jewish museum in Washington, D.C.
Callous indifference appears to be mounting to abuses and expressions of bigotry and discrimination against Jews. Anti-Jewish sentiment is widespread in America, and it is causing immense harm to Jewish Americans as individuals, as families and as a community. People of conscience need to step up as allies and speak out in defense of freedom, equality and safety for Jews and in defense of the rights and welfare of Americans of all backgrounds and identities.
Noam Schimmel
Lecturer, UC Berkeley
'California updates track meet rules after Trump threat,' (sacbee.com, May 27)
California state law correctly protects the rights of all public school students, including trans students, to be free from discrimination while participating in school-sponsored activities.
To the extent that the President of the United States and California State School Superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw, who is running on an anti-trans platform, think they have the power and/or ability to restrict California's students simply because they don't like our non-discrimination laws just goes to show what despicable bullies they truly are.
The 16-year-old trans student and her mother who are now caught in the eye of this storm are real-life heroines for not only standing up to the bullies holding positions of power in federal and local government, but also to hate-mongering individuals screaming at them from the track meet stands.
Like the state of Maine, I have no doubt that Attorney General Rob Bonta will legally challenge any unlawful action taken by the federal government against California and our students.
Wendi Ross
Roseville
'US Senate votes to overturn California bid to ban gasoline-powered vehicles,' (sacbee.com, May 22)
Congratulations to Congress for blocking California's unprecedented and short-sighted attempt to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2035. In a stunning defeat for Gov. Gavin Newsom, this move restores some policy sanity to the once 'Golden State.'
In a state leading the nation in poverty, with some of the highest costs of living, Newsom seems determined to remake the state into a haven for only the wealthy.
Michael Pruden
Sacramento
'California waives the rules for wildfire rebuilding projects,' (sacbee.com, Jan. 29)
Safeguarding communities from wildfires is imperative, but the Fix Our Forests Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla, isn't the answer.
The bill ignores decades of science-backed research and promotes reckless backcountry logging that fails to keep people or communities safer. It doesn't mitigate fire behavior in extreme wind-driven wildfires and may even worsen fire risk because forest floors will experience increased exposure to the sun's drying heat, and windbreaks will be lost.
We deserve legislation protecting forests and providing real defense against wildfires, not the faux fix of this bill.
Jennifer Normoyle
Hillsborough
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