Letters to the Editor | Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 | The Modesto Bee

So much pain after another rampage

I heard the news (“At least 11 dead after shooter enters Pittsburgh synagogue,” Oct. 27) and was, again, appalled. All the thoughts and feelings that sane people (and I consider myself in that group) feel overcame me.

I am a Catholic, but I am blessed to have a Jewish son in law. My grandchildren have been raised to embrace both Jewish and Christian history and religion and to appreciate that the love of God, no matter by what name you address him, is one and the same in your heart. My son in law and his father have answered our questions about Jewish rules (dietary, dress, etc.) and feel I am a better person for seeing them in everyday use.

My son in law’s grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, but never spoke of it. The president, by his constant ravings and acceptance of brute force to resolve problems, should be held responsible. I realize this will not ever happen, but I am sure many of us would like it to be the law of the land! My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those now left to ask, “Why again and why here?”

YCCD should honor teachers

The Yosemite Community College District board has overlooked its strategic direction to improve and sustain institutional effectiveness when it formed resolutions for emergency procedures that will penalize faculty forced to strike to for a contract they’ve gone without for years. The board has chosen to rule with an iron fist expecting the faculty to abandon their integrity and to be complicit in their own ill-treatment.

Does the board know more than the faculty about what they need? Do their funding priorities serve the common good? Has the board reached out and petitioned the state since California has one of the largest economies in the world? What other resources has the board sought to bolster the district’s finances?

Teachers are the lynchpin of education. Teachers should have priority and the board’s support.

Our nation needs greater balance

In the recent primary, I was labeled by some commentators as ultra-liberal. I don’t mind that, but they are mistaken. In the civilized world I am centrist:

▪ Healthcare should be a right.

▪ Guns should be a privilege.

▪ We should: protect labor;

▪ support the rights of women and minorities;

▪ protect the safety net;

▪ balance the budget.

▪ War should not be our highest priority.

▪ We should reduce California’s flooding risk and sufficiently increase water supplies for farmers, fish, and cities.

It is not that I am ultra-liberal, it’s that much of this country is ultra-conservative even if it is not in their best interests.