Letters: Inclusive and fair | Justice reform | Right-wing columns | Ignoring affronts | Bad to worse

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Ethnic studies program
must be inclusive, fair

Re: “Ethnic studies bill opposition delays its implementation” (Page A1, Aug. 28).

AB 2918 is designed to address valid concerns about some aspects of mandated high school ethnic studies courses. It has been delayed to next year’s legislative session to allow more time to work with opponents.

According to Assemblyman Zbur, “We don’t have the same level of review and guardrails (for ethnic studies) that are generally put in place for other kinds of curriculum that we bring into the classroom in the state of California.” He also noted that “There are cases that are popping up around the state where we’re seeing curriculum that is just clearly inappropriate.”

AB 2918 would require schools to submit a detailed explanation if they choose to develop a course differing from the state model curriculum to ensure that the school’s curriculum meets state requirements for students.

There is no “apparent pro-Israel bias” in ensuring that ethnic studies curriculum is fair and inclusive for all students.

Julia Lutch
Davis

Legislature sets back
justice reform effort

Justice reform took a small loss when our California Legislature decided against moving SB 94, a Senate bill that was going to help inmates sentenced to life without parole in California get a chance at parole board hearings.

Once again we who are sentenced to life without parole suffer the injustice of serving a death sentence that doesn’t get recognized as such. Death by prison is a real thing. To give a man no incentive, yet ask him to be a model inmate is an oxymoron. Everyone deserves a second chance at life.

I’ve been in prison for nearly three decades for crimes that occurred when I was 18 years old. Don’t I as a youth offender deserve a second chance? I have completely changed my life. Yet I do not get the same opportunity as other youth offenders, due to my sentence to life without parole.

John Crosthwaite
Corcoran state prison

Thiessen’s right-wing
columns aren’t useful

Re: “Harris unlikely to break curse on sitting VPs” (Page A12, Sept. 1).

It is long past time for the East Bay Times to stop spewing the right-wing bleating of Marc Thiessen. Thiessen, a former partner of convicted criminals Paul Manafort and Roger Stone and former mouthpiece of racist Jessie Helms.

Now, here he is spewing complete falsehoods about inflation while ignoring the thousands of American deaths directly attributable to Donald Trump’s narcissistic (“slow the testing down“) and buffoonish (injecting bleach) handling of the COVID pandemic.

But, with regard to his dire historical warning to VP Kamala Harris, Thiessen would do well to remember the American “history” leading up to the election of our nation’s first Black president. And now we are poised to make new history with the first Black woman president, something causing his former boss Jesse Helms to roll over in his grave.

Steve Reynolds
Danville

Trump supporters used
to ignoring affronts

Re: “Trump, Gold Star families clash with Harris over Arlington Cemetery visit” (Page A4, Sept. 2).

Whether Donald Trump is defiling the most sacred section of Arlington National Cemetery, committing felonies, attempting to overthrow the government or stealing confidential documents, the message is clear: Rules shouldn’t apply to Trump.

Equal justice is just such a basic tenant of the United States, I don’t understand how his supporters can ignore it. When Kamala Harris is elected, I wonder how long it will be before the Supreme Court changes its mind on presidential immunity.

Cliff Gold
Fremont

Harris’ indifference
worsens bad situation

I don’t understand how any veteran can vote for Kamala Harris. President Biden chose to ignore military advice to have a few thousand soldiers remain in Afghanistan to avoid the catastrophic withdrawal debacle that resulted in the loss of 13 U.S. military men and women. (The generals testified to this in a congressional hearing.) This decision rests also with Harris who has pridefully claimed to be “the last person in the room.”

To make matters worse, Harris has not contacted any of the Gold Star families despite pleas to hear from her. A tragedy that should have never happened has now been made worse.

Douglas Abbott
Union City