Letters for August 31, 2017

Police learn to be polite

Re “Copology” by Raheem F. Hosseini (News, August 24):

Mr. Hosseini, good job covering of Sac PD in the Zityrua Abraham article. A couple of things: Ms. Tournour said that “… it is not something cops learn until they hit the streets.” Wasn’t this officer a supervisor? I believe he was, so he should have had years on the street and years of bedside manners. You probably have asked this of Ms. Tournour; if not, next time you chat with her, please ask her.

Pete Clark

Sacramento

via sactoletters@newsreview.com

Our Trumpian tradition

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

I’ve seen it and heard it all before. What’s more, this kind of thing was a constant reoccurring societal [virus] throughout the 20th century and before as this nation struggled with the earth-shattering task of implementing the high ideals and unique idea of restraining government and empowering individuals.

Most recently, our Obama was Jimmy Carter, followed by the war mongering, terrifying, racist, movie-actor, not-ready-for-prime-time mental case Ronald Reagan aka Trump 1.0 and inevitable nuclear destruction, because he was nuts.

For that, I had a front row seat, first as a student in the streets (they would have called us #Antifa then) and later as a journalist, finally on the streets again as an activist journalist. Prior to that, we had our race riots and endless war.

That was all just from 1967 to 1984. Flip back 40 years earlier and the KKK owned the South, 80 years before that and the Irish were the Northern n---ers and white people fought to free the African slaves in the South.

Been there, done that, no big deal. I’m bored, wake me when it’s over.

Mark Williams

Sacramento

via sactoletters@newsreview.com

Local rap then as now

Re “Sacramento’s bad rap” by Raheem F. Hosseini (Feature, March 2, 2015):

Wow! I’m so impressed by this article. I’m going to have to spend the rest of the day listening to all of the rappers mentioned. I never knew. Great job SN&R!

Tracy McLaughlib

Sacramento

via sactoletters@newsreview.com

Truth and megaphones

Re “Kill that noise” by Anthony Siino (Beats, Aug 24):

Trying to block free speech is a new low even for this group. Unless you’re a developer, it’s almost impossible to be heard. Beyond disgusting, they have no shame. They are soooo entitled.

Judith Chunco

via Facebook

An eye for an eye

With Hurricane Harvey bearing down in Houston, Texas Senator Ted Cruz wants Congress to pass an aid bill to support the people of Texas. But when Hurricane Sandy destroyed the Northeast, the senators from Texas voted no on aid for them.

The way I see it, it is wrong that Texas comes hat-in-hand asking for aid after voting to deny aid to others who are suffering from a hurricane disaster. And if I was a senator from the Northeast, I would tell Texas that they should get down on their hands and knees and beg forgiveness before I’d give them a dime of aid. Yes—it is wrong to deny Americans in Texas aid during a disaster. But it is also wrong for Texas to vote against aid for Americans in New York and New Jersey, and Texas should have to at least confess their sins and ask the rest of America for absolution.

Marc Perkel

Gilroy