Letters for August 24, 2017

The human watering hole

Re “Fountain of truth,” by Michael Mott (News, August 10):

Our back patio overlooks a leaking above-ground water-main valve (maybe 50 feet away), and with a little wiggle room that allows for enough water that street people can fill jugs and even bathe right on the sidewalk. The valve is between several camps in Discovery Park and businesses they frequent for whatever. It attracts a considerable number of these people 7/24/365, and from my perch is strikingly like watching herds searching for water in the dry Serengeti on some nature program.

It almost feels like I’m looking back through time at humans moving and hunting as we once did. In fact, the scene is such a study of humanity that I am seriously considering setting up a live cam. We think that such a live feed would put a real “face” on these faceless people.

Seeing these people as people and as they are is the most basic step of all in addressing this very real problem. Oh, and for God’s sake, they are not to be feared. I talk with them, sometimes just a polite greeting (almost always reciprocated with equal respect). There but for the grace of God go we. If only for that reason, this must be addressed.

Mark Williams

South Natomas

via newsreview.com

End intolerance of nazis

Re “Fight nazis with non-violence,” by Eric Johnson (Editor’s Note, August 17):

Charlottesville played out the same scenario as the election, in that a group of self-righteous Americans would not tolerate the view and beliefs of another group of Americans. Moreover, they thought they were doing “the right thing” when in fact they were denying the constitutional rights of others to freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly.

Like the election, there was an imbalance in reporting the news over all the Fake News stations. The media never shows or discusses both sides because they lack the balls to get at the truth. Donald Trump was the first person I’ve heard on the news to admonish both sides of the riotous protesters in order to show fairness. The keyword is intolerance. The media fosters intolerance because of the shadow government it serves.

There will never be a meaningful debate until good manners and respect for each other’s inalienable rights are respected. We need to stop shouting over each other [and] race-baiting. Maybe then we can make America great again. Otherwise, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Madeleine Coren

Sacramento

via USPS

Yeah. Right.

Re “Fight nazis with non-violence,” by Eric Johnson (Editor’s Note, August 17):

Lol. Good luck with that.

Dustin Jackson

via Facebook

Arm homeless with reporter’s notebooks

Re “New editor is deluded,” (Letters, August 17):

I was very pleased to see Faygo’s outstanding, well-informed letter published in SN&R this week. While I am not in the mix on homeless matters to the extent of Mr. Clark, I do know enough about issues relating to homelessness such to say that I believe Faygo to be fully correct in what he writes about Mayor Steinberg.

If you have ever read some of the Sherlock Holmes stories that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, you would be aware of the Baker Street Irregulars—boys that Holmes and Watson utilized to get vital information to aid in solving puzzles at the center of mysterious events.

In order to craft better articles, I am hopeful that SN&R will utilize Faygo and other thoughtful and serious homeless people as resources for its articles such that SN&R pieces are as accurate and excellent as they can be.

Tom Armstrong

Sacramento

via sactoletters@newsreview.com