Saturday’s Letters to the Editor

Learn from history

EDITOR: Politically correct people are changing the name of my school, Sir Francis Drake High School in Marin County. Drake was an intrepid explorer but also transported slaves. I guess the names of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson should be dropped from history books, statues, monuments, high schools and colleges and never be mentioned again. Both owned slaves. It does not matter that events happened in context with their historical times.

Someone will be offended by any name that you call anything. Since no one is perfect, we should not name anything after anyone. Perhaps it would be better not to name anything at all any longer. Or just give everything a number, like freeway turnoffs. It will be confusing without names, but at least no one will be offended.

Let’s not change historical names. Let’s learn from them.

CAROLE WOODWORTH CHAPMAN

Healdsburg

Food, water and voting

EDITOR: People will be prohibited from taking food and water to voters waiting in line, which has become common in past Georgia elections, in which voters have waited extremely long hours to cast ballots in the past. Genius! I thought about it, and I just figured out why this is part of the new law: After standing in line for hours on end to vote, if anyone brings them food and water it may help to keep the voters’ minds sharp for voting. Those legislators in Georgia clearly need food and water themselves.

TOBY COWAN

Sebastopol

Outdoor pot grows

EDITOR: Sonoma County wants to be a mecca for outdoor cannabis cultivation, boasting that people prefer Sonoma County weed because of soil and climate. Yet they bring in external soil, discard spent soil and shield plants from our natural climate in hoop houses or greenhouses. The proposed ordinance will attract big players from out of state. Do we want 20-plus acre mega grows like in Santa Barbara and Humboldt counties outcompeting our local growers?

No other Bay Area county allows outdoor cannabis cultivation for good reasons. Odor can drift thousands of feet impacting wineries and requiring neighbors to remain indoors with windows closed. Continuous commercial activity with many workers destroys neighborhoods, and fields of white plastic hoop houses mar hillsides. This is in addition to huge negative environmental impacts of extensive water and electrical usage and increased traffic and people in fire-prone areas.

Our county can do much better in revising its cannabis ordinance to streamline for local growers and protect residents, environment and visual impacts by conducting a proper environmental impact report to determine suitable areas and conditions for responsibly growing cannabis. Yet our planning commissioners want to accept this new ordinance acknowledging that environmental review is lacking.

DEBORAH EPPSTEIN

The Sea Ranch

Disappointed by Biden

EDITOR: I looked forward to Joe Biden’s press conference but was extremely disappointed. Just like the runup to the election, the press threw Biden softballs. I don’t recall a single serious challenge. He never called on any media that might have been hostile — Fox News for example. Furthermore, he blamed Donald Trump for everything, such as the crisis at the border, which was clearly not a crisis until he changed policy.

Biden claims that Republicans, not Republican politicians, are solidly behind him. He said that the polls showed “overwhelming bipartisan support,” but the Quinnipiac and New York Times/Survey Monkey polls do not agree. His claims are just like those claims made by Trump — i.e., no basis in fact.

I don’t believe that Biden will be any more successful in garnering bipartisan support for his programs than Trump was. I fear that it will be business as usual in Washington.

MICHAEL BURWEN

Petaluma

David Ward’s death

EDITOR: Your report regarding the David Ward settlement left out some critical facts (“County settles suit over death,” March 27). Ward reported his car stolen by an armed person, so the officers did not know if the driver was armed that night. While deputies tried to remove Ward from the car, he bit Deputy Charlie Blount’s arm, which may account for his head being banged against the door. Also, the reporter forgot to disclose that the coroner’s report found methamphetamines in his system. Ward’s refusal to follow instructions to exit the vehicle and his lifestyle were the primary reason the stop turned out the way it did.

DAVID KORTE

Calistoga

A transformational plan

EDITOR: President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal is spectacular — the smartest thing to come out of Washington in 60 years (“Biden details massive plan to rebuild,” Thursday). Adaptation of the infrastructure to withstand the inevitable climate changes is just one of the forward-thinking approaches. This will make America great again. It will give the little guy jobs and increase research with the white-collar guys as well. Biden may not be a slick talker, but he is smart. Tax the rich is just a slogan, but the corporations will pay more tax and still make more profits with the economy this will produce.

ROGER DELGADO

Sebastopol

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