Saturday’s Letters to the Editor

Stopping sideshows

EDITOR: I think we should all thank the local police agencies that successfully prevented a series of sideshows in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park last weekend (“Police thwart large sideshow attempt,” Monday). Sideshows have become a constant problem in Oakland and other cities. It looks as though our police were ready and able to head them off here. Bravo!

ROBERT ADLER

Santa Rosa

Destroying reputation

EDITOR: I was sad to see that The Press Democrat chose to devote half a page to a story about a priest whose life of devoted service is reduced to one alleged allegation of abuse (“1 accused remains at Oakmont pulpit,” Sunday). The priest in the story is our pastor at Star of the Valley, Monsignor James Pulskamp. Bishop Robert F. Vasa and the review board said it was not deemed at this point a credible accusation. My question is why The Press Democrat deemed it credible enough to run a story that attempts to destroy the reputation of a good man.

MARCELLA FOX

Santa Rosa

Gingrich’s legacy

EDITOR: In this time of brotherhood and good will toward all, I’ve been wondering how our country became so polarized. Why has dialogue become so vitriolic and intolerant of opposing viewpoints?

For this we can thank Newt Gingrich, who reigned as speaker of the House during the Bill Clinton years. He was and still is a Machiavellian right-wing strategist, and his obstructionism has had a toxic effect on both parties. Disdain for one another was the byproduct.

The idea was simple. Block everything the opposition tries to do. Make them look bad, make them appear fiscally irresponsible, label them socialists, atheists, soft on communism, anti-military, do nothings.

As Gingrich demonized the Democrats, he reminded his constituents that the only thing that matters is retaining power. Portray the GOP as the party that cherishes God, country, family and the sanctity of individual (though not necessarily) human) rights.

Gingrich’s politics engendered an animosity that spread from Congress to the general populace. His policies set the stage for a president who was intolerant of the majority of Americans — that is, anyone who didn’t vote for him.

Thank Gingrich for the unresolvable rancor, divisiveness and spiteful partisanship that has done nothing to help us move forward or remind us of our better selves.

MICHAEL O’LOONEY

Santa Rosa

The church’s response

EDITOR: Thank you for the in-depth coverage of the Santa Rosa Diocese controversy. I find it infuriating that the focus of the church in dealing with these issues is entirely financial. The church has been strategically and financially planning for the lawsuits in the same way that child molesting priests were moved from parish to parish, their deeds shielded from the public, allowing countless children to be put into danger to protect the institution as the most important thing.

What measures and policies has the church implemented to protect children currently? Why aren’t we hearing Bishop Robert F. Vasa make public apologies, acknowledging responsibility for the sickening way the church handled the widespread abuse of power? Where is the reconciliation?

I was one of the lucky ones; the priest who relentlessly pursued me in high school was quite unattractive, making it easier to resist him.

MARY ABBOTT

Sebastopol

A diversity of news

EDITOR: Jaqueline Schael decries the news about cannabis — a significant industry in Sonoma County — being printed on the front page (“Too much cannabis,” Letters, Dec. 17). Then she drops the bomb: such news doesn’t belong there because she “can’t imagine that a large percentage of (The Press Democrat’s) readership considers pot relevant to their daily lives.”

I’m glad that she’s not an editor at the paper, or I’d never read stories about the rich, complex and sometimes difficult tapestry of life in Sonoma County. Wine, for example, doesn’t impact my life much, but I understand it better knowing about the movement to open the industry to more African Americans (“Black vintners mark group’s founding,” May 14). I don’t work on a ranch, but my impression of our county is enriched by the story of Daylin Llanes and her love of animals and handmade machinery (“Reining in the giants,” Dec. 17).

Ditto for other stories that “don’t seem relevant” to my life. Your paper serves several important missions, including expanding our understanding of the world around us rather than becoming an echo chamber for our own limited worldviews.

PAUL JOLLY

Santa Rosa

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