Letters to the editor | Wednesday, July 1, 2020: Modesto Police response reimagined
Police need not solve all problems
America has woken up, seemingly overnight, to the reality of structural racism faced by Black people.
All over the country local government officials are heeding this call and doing their part to limit, change, or end these structures. Why then is our city council planning to pass the current budget with police receiving $69.5 million — 50% of our funding? Why not listen to the turning tide and redirect some of that funding to a different set of first responders: mental health providers, social workers, victim advocates, and drug counselors.
Why not start imagining a better world, today?
Erica Kenney, Modesto
Enthusiasm for new Turlock library
What is all that hammering and pounding in Turlock? The walls of the 52-year-old, antiquated 10,000 square-foot Turlock Public Library are being torn down to make way for the 17,000 square-foot newly remodeled and expanded library to be ready this spring. Mark your calendars!
The new library will offer an expanded teen section, an attached courtyard with vegetation, more computers and computer space, rooms to reserve for studying, meeting rooms, and a Friends of the Turlock Public Library Bookstore. Children and parents will embrace and enjoy the large children’s center which will have its own bathroom. Furniture, tables, lighting will be tasteful, modern, and will probably encourage longer visits to the library.
This is your library. Stay informed, stay connected. We urge you to follow the remodeling and expansion progress on the Turlock Library’s website, or visit Friends of the Turlock Library on Facebook.
A library is one of the benchmarks of a truly free democratic society. Turlock is fortunate to be home for this glorious, gleaming gem.
Brooks Judd, Turlock
He reflects on you, Mr. Mayor
I read a letter asking why Mayor Brandvold wouldn’t withdraw support to Howze. I have extended family with whom I differ strongly on many political issues and I love them in spite of the differences. I can understand a personal loyalty to someone you feel close to. But we are talking about leadership in this city representing many ethnic groups.
lf others in leadership accept the obvious lies about some mysterious person posting racist comments on Howze’s personal social media accounts and he only discovered it right before he runs for office and deletes them, then the obvious answer is that Brandvold and others support and believe in these racist beliefs.
Brandvold, you need to resign and allow someone who won’t cover for these horrendous ideas lead.
Susan Diamond, Modesto
Can he stoop any lower?
It is difficult to identify the lowest point in Donald Trump’s presidency because there have been so many of them. However, his use of the Holy Bible and a church as props for a re-election campaign photo op is, I believe, the lowest point so far.
When I was a little boy going to Catholic school, the nuns would caution us about “false piety,” pretending to be holy when we were not. In his photo op President Trump looked like someone guilty of something, hoping the Holy Book would make him look saintly.
If he had read the Bible before using it to demonstrate his religiosity he might have read Matthew 6:5, “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.”
To clear a safe path from the White House to the church photo op site, peaceful U.S. citizens were shoved, gassed, and shot at, actions that disobeyed the biblical command to love your neighbor. So in one act President Trump debased a religious symbol and violated our Constitution regarding the separation of church and state.
Michael A. Clarke, Salida