School districts should decide curricula
Regarding “Lift the bilingual restrictions” (Editorial, Sept. 16): If The Chronicle truly wants to advocate for what is in the “best interests” of California’s children, it needs to go further than calling for the passage of Proposition 58. Indeed, the time is long past due for millionaire businessmen and federal bureaucrats to stop trying to dictate what teachers teach and how they teach it.
Control of standards, testing, and curricula are best left to local school districts and the true experts, our educators. Julian Grant, Pacifica
Respect nations
Regarding “U.S. bombers fly in show of force to North” (Sept. 14): The attempt of the United States government to force North Korea to obey its wishes is provoking the opposite result. The North Korean government is becoming increasingly hostile to the U.S. and its efforts to punish and destabilize this small country. It should be obvious that the U.S. is not truly seeking peace in the Korean Peninsula.
It is seeking military and economic control and dominance. For the sake of world peace and the absolute need to avoid a nuclear war, I urge all thinking people in this country to insist on a just foreign policy toward North Korea.
This means that the U.S. must be willing to destroy its own nuclear weapons before it demands the same from North Korea, Iran or any other country. Rama Kumar, Fairfax
TPP implications
Van Jones’ excellent article “How TPP threatens our Earth” (Open Forum, Sept. 15) has broad implications for public health. Tobacco companies look forward to this “free trade” deal’s opportunity to hamstring efforts to regulate tobacco and secondhand smoke. Carol Denney, Berkeley
Oversize ego
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, weighing 267 pounds, would not be (as his personal physician claims) the “healthiest” individual ever to occupy the White House. He is obese, and more prone to hypertension, heart disease and other illnesses than people of normal weight.
However, voters should expect Trump to put a positive spin on this number. Perhaps he’ll point to a former President and Supreme Court Chief Justice, William Howard Taft, as someone who was able to serve a full term despite tipping the scales at well over 300 pounds. As for me, I think at least half of Trump’s excess weight is due to one thing — his oversized ego. Nancy Yuen, Daly City
Replenish water
There has been a lack of recognition that the state of California has a unique geographic/meteorological advantage that can aid it in the inexpensive geoengineered conversion of Pacific Ocean water into unlimited fresh water.
The Chinese have expanded existing islands in the China Sea for militaristic purposes; California can do the same in its battle with Mother Nature. Whether from an offshore island (or onshore), drawingup sea water in large hoses and spraying the mist over any grid of glowing hot material would create large plumes of rising steam clouds, devoid of salt. It would also create a slurry pool of concentrated salt water that can be reduced, dried and barged off for industrial and commercial sale.
Meanwhile, constant, dependable easterly Pacific breezes will naturally transport your clouds of (desalinated) water vapor to your Sierra and San Bernardino mountain ranges where the clouds are divested of water into rain and snow. Bill Crews, Louisville, KY
Gun owner rights
Regarding “Close these gaps in gun laws” (Editorial, Sept. 13): Contrary to your hoplophobic, anti-Second Amendment, anti-gun, anti-ammunition, and anti-law-abiding gun owner editorial, Proposition 63 should be defeated by the voters of California in November. Gov. Jerry Brown has already signed a bill beginning instantaneous background checks on purchasers of ammunition at the point of sale. This weeds out persons who shouldn’t have it.
The most iniquitous section of Prop. 63 would require each person wishing to purchase ammunition to first obtain and pay for a permit from the state Department of Justice, before going through the instantaneous electronic background check. Law-abiding citizens should not have to get a permit from the state to exercise their right to keep and bear arms.
The permit requirement is unfair and punishes law-abiding citizens for the actions of criminals. It would create another enormous, expensive, useless state bureaucracy. Instead of passing more laws, laws presently on the books should be enforced to deal with the criminals and lawabiding citizens who are gun owners should be left alone. David Russell, Berkeley
Third-party debate
Political parties are not mentioned in the Constitution. And there is certainly nothing in the Constitution that says that we should only allow two major parties to control the government. Why, for example, do we limit presidential debates, for all practical purposes, to the Democratic and Republican candidates?
Why do we assume that all wisdom resides in the two moribund major parties, when it’s hard to find any wisdom in either one? Lower the threshold for debate participation and let Jill Stein and Gary Johnson bring in new ideas!
Tom Reitter, Inverness
Justice for all
Scott Ostler’s “Once hero, Kaepernick now hometown pariah” (Sept. 2), marks a sharp contrast between how many of us see Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand and Ostler’s.
In my hometown of Oakland, many of us are deeply appreciative of the stunning courage that Kaepernick has to confront racism and the terrible epidemic of police violence towards people of color. It is the type of courage displayed by Muhammad Ali when he resisted being drafted and talked about racism at home being the problem. Sitting down for one’s rights has been a powerful tool in the struggle for equality. May it continue and light the fire for justice for all. Then we can stand and celebrate!
Jerry Geffner, Oakland
Green Party votes
Regarding Robert Reich’s “After Trump — what then?” (Insight, Sept. 4): This was an excellent evaluation of the national climate, especially when Reich focused on the economic anxieties Trump exploited and that globalization and technological displacement will continue to impact society.
The real problem is to reverse the effects it is having on the country. His suggestions are “a first class education for all the nation’s young, wage subsidies that bring all workers up to a livable income, a massive ‘green’ jobs program and a universal basic income.”
Recently, the media has shown interviews with Jill Stein, the candidate for the Green Party. It seems that her position meets his suggestions. It is also apparent that the two-party system is not representing the people as it should. It seems that, if given the media exposure, Jill Stein could well garner more votes than either one of the present major party candidates. She would certainly get my vote.
Michael LeVesque, San Francisco