Monday’s Letters to the Editor

For a shadow CDC

EDITOR: It does seem that we are on our own, leaderless, in this awful time. Lies, deceit, distraction — all prevail today, when what we need to know about our health and safety is, simply, the truth. The voices we depend on for our very lives are being muzzled and no others have taken their place.

I have a suggestion. The Alt National Park Service —

altnps.org — was established early in the years of the current administration when it became clear that the official agency was being hollowed out and redesigned to serve the wishes of an anti-environmental claque.

I’d like to propose a similar body: an alternative to the now hopelessly politicized Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This would include scientists who aren’t subject or harassment or threats if they gather, review and publish credible findings regarding public health issues.

There already are a number of groups of independent experts in the scientific world. They need to be positioned to step forward and outshout the ailing CDC until these current plagues are over. Without real information we will be stuck in this morass forever.

MARY CAIN MINTON

Sonoma

Protests marches

EDITOR: I must have missed something. People protested the ruling in the Breonna Taylor shooting in Kentucky at Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. There have been Black Lives Matter protests in some cities in Sonoma County. After Andy Lopez was killed in Santa Rosa, there were marches from Roseland to the Sheriff’s Office and protests in Old Courthouse Square.

In Santa Rosa on Sept. 15, a young man riding in a vehicle was shot and killed. The shooting is believed to be gang-related. Recently, three homeless men have been shot and killed in Santa Rosa. In the past few years there have been shootings on Moorland Avenue near Andy’s Unity Park — the neighborhood where I grew up.

Where are the protests? Where are the marches? I support the Black Lives Matter movement, but it seems to me that lives only matter when a life is taken by law enforcement. Didn’t the young man’s life matter? Did the lives of the homeless men matter? Don’t the people living in Southwest Santa Rosa deserve to live in safe neighborhoods?

I must have missed the news articles covering these protests.

TEMPLE O. SMITH

Cloverdale

Disgraceful interruptions

EDITOR: Tuesday’s debate was a disgrace. In a debate, each side is given equal time without interruption. Joe Biden definitely didn’t receive equal uninterrupted time to answer the questions posed to him because of President Donald Trump’s continuous outbursts and disruption of debate decorum. His behavior was extremely unprofessional and an embarrassment to the office. Future moderators should be allowed to mute each microphone so that only one participant may speak at a time.

KAREN HUDSON

Rohnert Park

Reforming police

EDITOR: It has been seven years since 13-year-old Andy Lopez was shot by Sonoma County Deputy Eric Gelhaus. His only crime was carrying an air soft gun that resembled an AK-47, something that in most states isn’t even a crime with a real firearm.

Gelhaus jumped out of a moving car and shot the child within four seconds of yelling commands from behind him. Nobody was in danger, and no 911 calls were made. It’s likely the boy never knew it was a cop. Rather than being punished, Gelhaus was later promoted to sergeant, after 25-plus years, by the retiring sheriff, and his retirement pay went up.

When you hear calls for police reform and accountability, this is where we need to focus. Defund is a bad idea. Getting overpolicing and overly aggressive police under control is a good thing.

KEN GOOD

Walla Walla, Washington

Impressive candidate

EDITOR: I’m in my mid-60s and have never actively supported any political candidate. I, like maybe many of you, long ago lost faith in the system. This changed about two weeks ago when I spent about 30 minutes speaking with Eric Christensen, who is running in the newly formed 7th City Council District in Santa Rosa.

We have all been through the meat-grinder — fires, power outages, homelessness, police issues, and on and on. And our current group of representatives is doing a pretty poor job. Much of what they do is one-off, just delaying the inevitable.

I truly believe that Christensen has fresh, sustainable and realistic approaches to many of these issues. As in an absolute fix? Anytime I hear that from a politician, red flags go up. He has what I consider approaches that are feasible, make sense and are worth trying.

And, in my humble opinion, he is pretty sharp and, more important, committed. I won’t be so arrogant and silly to tell you to vote for Christensen All I ask is that you check out his website and learn about him.

GREGG GRUBIN

Santa Rosa

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.