Letters to the editor | Sunday, April 17, 2022: Closed minds closed Turlock play

Musical closed by closed minds

After reading about the play at Turlock High School being canceled, I was suddenly thrown back to my acting career at Turlock High (best actress award, 1964).

I cannot imagine — after all the hard work, time and sacrifices made by the students, and after only one performance — it got canceled because of the content of the play. Why would anyone do that? These are mostly kids who just want to do what they are passionate about — acting. Why wasn’t the play previewed by adults, and then given the OK or not? All the hard work, just to be closed by closed minds.

Linda Woodward Colter, Modesto

Real life v. entertainment

I agree with canceling a high school play where teenagers are shown having sex and taking drugs. Oh, wait, they just talked about it? That’s different, isn’t it?

Steve Ringhoff, Modesto

Going too far (right)

Republican politicians and party, stop interjecting your sometimes ignorant ideology, conspiracy theories, QAnon quackery and blatantly bigoted actions into law, into our lives and communities. You cannot pray away the despicable, backward, indignant, righteous, unlawful behavior and lies. Accountability, science, facts and history must and will rule the day. Your god doesn’t lie, man does.

You indignant righteous Christians are the problem. You and many Republican politicians have corrupted God’s word when you lie and make laws making it hard or impossible for many disabled, Black, brown and working people to vote. White privilege, hateful, unkind or righteous unchristian thinking should be a thing of the past, especially in churches. Church and state must be separate once and for all. Stop shoving your religion down our throats in public schools and onto our kids. We will not allow the religious right to impede our personal business and rights.

You indignant righteous people caused the drama for the hardworking students in Turlock High School’s play. Respect the students’ and administration’s right to do good.

Kathi Wright, Turlock

Choose life

President Biden recently railed against the Florida law prohibiting public schools from instructing third grade or younger children on sexual orientation or gender identity as “attacking the most vulnerable,” while nearby a box was found with 110 aborted preborn babies plus five babies with evidence of partial or post-birth abortion. While it’s trendy to deride our president’s declining mental cognition, here he and his followers are unambiguous that the former is unjust while the latter is justified.

This weekend over 2 billion people celebrate the passion, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. For nearly 2,000 years, the faithful have believed that Jesus is the son of the living God who died for the sins of mankind to reconcile us to his father. One of Jesus’ most serious warnings was to those who harm children: “It would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

If given a voice, I believe these preborn babies would say “Don’t weep for us, but pray for those who do these things and those who believe it’s OK. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Choose life.

Ross W. Lee, Modesto

Not just a hippie thing

Last week’s IPCC report sparked a global scientists’ rebellion. The silence from news stations is disheartening. They reminded us that there is still time but if we don’t act now, the effects of global warming will be irreversible in three years. It’s 2022, it’s Earth Month, and for years we’ve had children’s movies like FernGully and WALL-E pleading with the globe to stop being gross trash monsters and make a change.

We the people don’t have another planet. This is devastating. Make calls, send emails, make cardboard signs and stand in the street because this deserves more attention than a slap at the Oscars. I think as a community we have definitely done better. It’s our time to speak up louder than ever for our Mother Earth. This isn’t a hippie thing either. This affects everyone .

These big corporations that undeniably make the biggest environmental impact won’t budge and it’s time they do. I know that I’m scared straight. I just wonder how could they not be?

Samantha Stiles, Riverbank

Why some are jailed

Can you hear the cry? People need to be given hope and reassurance of the future.

We have gone through COVID for two years. People got sick and died. We were isolated, had shots, lost jobs, and have the worst inflation ever. I am but one person, just a voice, but someone who hears and cares. The gun violence that has erupted is a cry for help. I have written to our president for help with gas.

People are desperate. People are at a loss and acting out in frustration. It does not take much for things to go wrong. People have become temperamental and fly off the handle about anything. One wonders why anyone would go out and rob stores, but maybe they think that if they are caught, they won’t have to worry about gas prices, groceries, paying rent or how to buy a pair of shoes if they are incarcerated.

Anna Bennett, Delhi

Support for Magsig

I support Nathan Magsig for U.S. Congress. I worked alongside Nathan to provide critical affordable housing to Fresno County residents in his role on the Clovis City Council, and as executive director of the nonprofit CURE.

As a board member of the nonprofit Family Self-Sufficiency Program, I witnessed Nathan’s dedication, innovation and diligence guiding CURE to provide housing resources to families in need who did not qualify for existing programs. His commitment to serve residents who otherwise might “fall through the cracks” while building high-quality housing and demonstrating financial responsibility strikes an important symmetry between service and accountability that embodies the balanced leadership I desire for our Valley.

Nathan has represented my hometown and county with an exceptional degree of integrity and care. I deeply appreciate his role in protecting and promoting our Valley’s critical ag industry while also stewarding the growth of our cities to serve healthy social and economic aims.

I trust Nathan to interpret and represent the needs of our region. His trustworthiness and commitment are precisely the qualities that I value most in my representatives. I am grateful for his service and support his candidacy for our 5th Congressional District.

Amber Herzog Lyman, Clovis

This story was originally published April 17, 2022 at 4:00 AM.