Who will win the 2024 presidential election? Modesto Bee readers weigh in | Opinion
No universal solution
“After Homelessness Ruling, Cities Weigh Whether to Clear Encampments,” (modbee.com, July 13)
The vagrancy issue is extraordinarily complex and asymmetric. There is no universal solution.
Cities need to have every available tool to do what’s best for their community. A ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stripped cities of the law enforcement tool, making it harder — not easier — to find solutions. The Supreme Court reversed that decision.
UC Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky labeled that reversal “wrong-headed.” But the big picture here is that the Supreme Court’s decision gave favor to the rights of 99% of the residents of Grants Pass, Oregon over the 1% of the unhoused. That doesn’t sound wrong-headed to me. It sounds like the greater good was served.
The Supreme Court reinstated the option to use law enforcement. I am confident that cities will use it in a constructive manner that serves the greater good.
Tim Ragsdale
Modesto
Country first
“Donald Trump Shooting Silences Republican Dissent,” (modbee.com, July 17)
The attempt on Donald Trump’s life shows that there is a need for all of us to unite and stand together as one nation.
I hope that Trump stops making racist, extremist rhetoric, and stops attacking President Joe Biden if he wants to be president. Let’s pray for our country and for former President Trump because our country comes first — not violence or extremism.
John Huerta
Merced
Worry about the future
“Donald Trump Shooting Silences Republican Dissent,” (modbee.com, July 17)
For a quick minute here, forget if you are a Democrat or Republican and think as an American. Forget if you like or don’t like Donald Trump or Joe Biden.
All this rhetoric about Biden’s mental capacity and whether he can win an election is consuming the conversation. Democrats are worried if he can beat Trump. It’s painfully obvious there are cognitive problems for Biden. Let’s say he wins the election (which, at this point, is all the Democrats seem to be worried about), is he capable of running this country for another four years?
No one seems to be worried about what happens if he wins. Anyone who thinks they are not voting for a President Kamala Harris ticket is fooling themselves.
And, if he’s not capable of running, how is he capable of running this country now?
Worry about the future of the country.
Marty Garber
Modesto
Blame game
“California leaders react after Trump rally shooting,” (fresnobee.com, July 13)
Some say Donald Trump pumping his fist after he was grazed let the audience know he was OK. Others saw the gestures, the extreme facial anger and the repeating of what appeared to be the word “fight” three times as not just encouraging support for his candidacy, but exploiting the moment to build resentment and perhaps even retaliatory violence.
One politician offered, “First they tried to keep him off the ballot, then they tried to jail him, and now this.” Blame for the event was already being deflected away from the unidentified dead shooter onto the political opposition, the black-hearted demon Democrats of the left. Another politician said, “Joe Biden sent the orders.”
Newt Gingrich took the failed assassination attempt as an indicator of God’s partisan view of the election. He said, “It was providential” that Trump turned his head at the right moment. Perhaps it was just very lucky.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Woods Cross, Utah