Tuesday’s Letters to the Editor

Jan. 6 exported

EDITOR: The scene in Brasilia on Jan. 8 was reminiscent of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by then-outgoing President Donald Trump’s supporters, who also denied the results of their favored candidate’s election. Will Jair Bolsonaro be moving into Mar-a-Lago anytime soon?

GARY SCIFORD

Santa Rosa

Inexcusable lapses

EDITOR: When I worked for the national laboratories, secure handling of classified information was top priority. Documents were kept in secure storage, checked and audited. Violations were severely dealt with. What Joe Biden and Donald Trump have done is inexcusable and Attorney General Merrick Garland’s action to appoint a special prosecutor for each of them is fair and just. They both failed a critical presidential responsibility. The penalties should be commensurate and made public. The investigation should also ensure no other classified documents are unaccounted for. The attorney general’s action in treating both these violations equally is to be commended.

JON YATABE

Bodega Bay

An offramp for Putin

EDITOR: What will it take to stop Vladimir Putin’s inhuman assault on the innocent people of Ukraine? Every day we see proof that Putin has committed war crimes by indiscriminate bombings of defenseless women, children and babies. While sanctions have crippled the Russian economy, they have not stopped the flow of terrifying explosives to be rained down by Russian planes, drones and artillery. The question is: What will it take to stop Putin?

One answer might be for the U.S. and NATO to offer Putin the option to declare that he has thwarted the (fictitious) attack on his country by Ukrainian forces. He could then assert that the now-barren eastern Ukrainian territory is a buffer zone free from conflict.

He and his “victorious” army could peacefully extract themselves by declaring victory and moving back to their legitimate border while rescuing any Russian sympathizers wishing to leave. Nothing else seems to be an option at this time for bringing about peace in Ukraine. This proposal would provide an offramp for Putin while providing him with a face-saving exit from the quagmire in which he is embedded.

WAYNE SEDEN

Gulf Breeze, Florida

Climate action

EDITOR: Experts agree that our extreme weather is a direct result of changing climate. The good news is we don’t have to just sit around and watch while the weather gets more extreme every year. We can tackle climate change now.

Here’s where you come in. Luckily, we live in a democracy, and we can work with our leaders to cut carbon in our atmosphere. In our communities we can promote high-efficiency, all-electric buildings. We can tell officials to streamline the permit process for renewable energy projects so they don’t take years to complete.

At the national level we can put a price on carbon pollution and give the proceeds back to families. And finally, we must protect our forests and agricultural lands so they can keep absorbing carbon.

Let’s get to work. Call or write your local, state and national representative and tell them how you feel.

DAVID WARRENDER

Santa Rosa

Expel Santos

EDITOR: Every day the Rep. George Santos, R-New York, is allowed to remain a member of Congress is a disgusting abuse of power — not only an insult to the district he supposedly represents, but to all of the American people. We shouldn’t have to countenance such a fraud perpetrating himself upon us all, not even for a single day. Congress must act to maintain the integrity of our government on behalf of us all and vote to expel Santos from office immediately.

NATHANIEL SCOBLE

Santa Rosa

Biden’s lone mistake

EDITOR: Joe Biden haters conveniently ignore the fact that he inherited the aftermath of the worst occupancy of the office of the president in history. President Biden has done more for hardworking Americans in the past two years than Donald Trump ever did in his sad life. The only mistake Biden has made that has some relevance is that he did not appoint Hillary Clinton as attorney general. Had he done that, Trump would not be walking the streets today, eliminating the need for a Jan. 6 committee. Trump would be running for office from his federal jail cell.

CAROLE I. HUYGEN

Rohnert Park

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