Letters to the editor | Sunday, March 13, 2022: Can’t kill Ukraine youth spirit
Can’t kill Ukraine youth spirit
Russian President Vladimir Putin has united the political parties within Ukraine, united the E.U. and the entire democratic world. He has turned IT workers and housewives into soldiers, and made an enemy of a neighbor whose people share much in common. Internationally, a volunteer militia, most with no Ukrainian ties, has volunteered to travel to the Ukraine and help them fight for freedom.
It won’t matter if Russia conquers Ukraine militarily — their spirit will never be conquered. The younger people escaping to other countries will never forget. Even should they lose, it might take years or decades for the people of Ukraine to recover their country, but they will.
Younger people in the world have more in common with each other than they have with those of their parents’ generation. The wide use of English and technology has created a more homogeneous, more tolerant, more interconnected “youth world.” The multiple avenues of information available now make it difficult for dictatorships to control news and to create biased perspectives of world events.
Dreams of some sort of expansionist vision from aging dinosaurs like Putin have no appeal to the educated, upward-bound youth of this modern world.
Calvin Yost, Turlock
Get serious about winning
It has been pleasantly surprising to see the support the world and especially the USA is giving to the Ukrainian people, but it is typical of American policy to play at war instead of fighting to win as we have failed to do since the end of WWII. Shame on you President Biden and the rest of our past presidents beginning with President Truman’s failure during Korea. It is time to show our total support for Ukraine, their people and the people of Europe.
The USA is retiring an entire fleet of A-10 Thunder Bolt attack aircraft. Send them and the ammunition needed to the Ukrainian Air Force. Their pilots have already been trained in their use and the Russian attackers are currently ready to meet their destiny.
Our and NATO’s policy must be to finally win at war, not settle for another compromise, and once and for all tell Russia “Not on our watch.”
Larry Dovichi, Modesto
This isn’t Trump’s fault
To all of you who write the “I hate Donald Trump” letters, maybe you should run off a stack of copies and share them because they are all the same. You get a blister on your toe and it’s Donald Trump’s fault. Meanwhile American workers watch this administration go begging to OPEC, Iran and Venezuela for more oil. I don’t falsely claim to be brilliant but I can see that this crisis is stupid. And it is (hurting) the honorable American worker.
Richard Oliver, Modesto
In praise of Pence
These days, it’s hard to say anything nice about Republican leadership, but former Vice President Mike Pence helped save the free world from worldwide communist domination.
If Pence didn’t stand up to Trump’s big lie, Trump could have illegally become president. With Trump being Russian President Putin’s puppy-dog puppet, Trump would have left NATO, leaving Putin free to take over a divided and beleaguered Europe by force. China would then be emboldened to invade Taiwan because the free world lacked a true leader. The United States would crumble under Trump and communism could have taken over the world.
So, thank you Mike Pence for being a man of honor when the world needed one. Now, the free world has a chance to survive the future.
May peace and freedom ever be present in the mind of humanity.
Danny Dean, Manteca
Dirkse deserves re-election
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our sheriff, Jeff Dirkse. Sheriff Dirkse has served each of our Stanislaus communities with a definite hands-on approach. The people he serves, each and every one of us, are very important to him. Sheriff Dirkse has always made sure he is available to each of us, ready to help with any need that we may have. Every community has different needs. Sheriff Dirkse and his department make each community their priority.
I am blessed to live in a community that is served and protected by Sheriff Dirkse and his department. I have had the opportunity to meet several of our Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department employees; without exception and no matter what rank or position, each has been very knowledgeable, very friendly, very caring and extremely well trained. We are in good hands.
Thank you Sheriff Dirkse for your strong leadership. My family and I are honored to vote for you in the upcoming election.
Winnie Mullins, Valley Home
Straight talk on climate change
Have you noticed:
- The frequency and severity of freaky, destructive, and lethal weather events — including wildfires, floods, drought, wind damage and heat waves — are rapidly increasing?
- The rates of animal extinctions, coral reef destruction, sea level rise and glacier melting are accelerating?
- Harmful human health effects such as allergies and asthma are surging?
Are you aware:
- Atmospheric CO2 has increased 47% and the earth has warmed 2 degrees since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution?
- 98% of climatologists agree that human activities are responsible?
- COVID impacts will be dwarfed by those caused by climate change?
Unlike most crises which can be remedied in years, the climate response to fixes will take decades, with widespread suffering increasing with each day wasted. Climate change has been wrongly politicized but there is bipartisan support for carbon tax and dividend legislation. Pass it and improve climate education now.
For civilization to endure, society must act rationally. Our irrational response to climate change will result in food and resource shortages that will culminate with the loss of civility. Humanity must unite now with a proactive effort to phase out fossil fuels and enable our grandchildren to live quality lives.
For information, visit: murov.info/climatemod.htm.
Steven Murov, Hughson
Good call on dance troupe
Kudos to the Gallo Center for booking the New York-based dance company Ailey II. The performance was thrilling, inspirational, magical and memorable. Patrons were invited to a pre-show with Ailey II’s artistic director which was informative and set the stage for the evening.
It is my hope that the Gallo Center continues to bring more dance companies to our beautiful venue.
Kaye Osborn, Modesto
Honoring Lizard Land legend
I am writing in memory of my son-in-law, Barry Sinervo, an evolutionary biology professor at UC Santa Cruz who died March 15, 2021.
For 30 years he drove from Santa Cruz to a remote tract of land near Los Banos to study lizards. His groundbreaking research at Lizard Land led to his findings on the impact of climate change and to a series of influential publications. He became the leader of an international team of biologists who studied lizard populations. These scientists found a pattern of population extinctions connected to climate change.
Donn Campion owns the property next to Lizard Land and Barry studied on his Agua Fria Ranch, too. Campion said Barry identified many endangered species on his land as well as all the properties around Lizard Land. “It was my privilege to have known him. He had a zest for life, his family and his work. His enthusiasm was infectious.”
Barry continued his work to inform the public about the urgency of the growing climate catastrophe till the end. He died at age 60 after a six-year struggle with a rare form of cancer.
V.J. Vogelzang, Modesto