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Death of republic
is the world’s loss
Re: “After 236 years, our democratic republic is dead” (Page A6, April 25).
Joe Matthews wrote a very moving and truthful obituary about the death of America, our democratic republic.
Everything he referenced about our history and the current transformation of our former democratic republic into a court-sanctioned dictatorial power is so true. I feel very sad that this has happened and sorry, not only for us regular citizens, but also for future generations who will never know the greatness and resilience of our former democratic republic of 236 years, which operated with checks and balances of power.
It is our huge loss as well as the world’s loss, indeed.
Patricia DeMore
Santa Clara
Rise in protest to
keep republic alive
Re: “After 236 years, our democratic republic is dead” (Page A6, April 25).
Joe Mathews has officially surrendered. Mathews and the cowards in our two parties are as much to blame for democracy being at risk as Donald Trump. They fear the dictator and his online army of trolls.
There are millions of ordinary citizens and organizations fighting mightily to stop Trump and save our democracy. We are on the streets protesting, writing letters to Congress, sending postcards to our fellow Americans and suing in federal courts, all to persuade Americans of good will to wake up and fight back.
If you want our constitutional republic to continue to exist, with all its warts yet providing liberty and a beacon of hope, do not give up.
Refuse to go along, attend a protest, join an organization that is fighting back, and ask your representatives to resist the takeover by religious fanatics and billionaire tech bros.
Stop declaring our democracy dead.
Will Beatty
San Jose
State created high-stress
student environment
Re: “Caltrain line in Palo Alto is a ‘gun running through the city’” (Page A6, April 22).
Let’s look back and see what may have caused this problem of high-stress students.
Fifty years ago, a high school student meeting the requirements would almost always be accepted into the University of California public university system. Twenty-five years ago, the California College Board came to the high schools and asked that we prepare more students to be college-ready. At this meeting, one teacher, yours truly, asked, “Will there be room for all of these new students in the California public university system?” The speaker would not answer the question.
The teachers have done their part. What has the UC system done in 25 years? They have added one UC to the existing eight and two CSU campuses to the existing 21. California has not created the needed space for what they asked for, and so created the stress for college admission.
Dennis McKenna
Santa Cruz
Trump must not treat
nation like business
Re: “Key takeaways from Trump’s first 100 days in White House” (Page A3, April 28).
Donald Trump and his advisers are trying to operate the government like a business. You can not operate the government like a business.
A business operates for profit. A government operates to serve the people, all the people, not just the rich and powerful.
Joseph Rizzuto
Los Gatos
Country’s founding
principles worth saving
To Donald Trump, I quote Thomas Paine, in 1776:
“When a people agree to form themselves into a republic … it is understood that they mutually resolve and pledge themselves to each other, rich and poor alike, to support this rule of equal justice among them … (and) they renounce as detestable, the power of exercising, at any future time any species of despotism over each other.”
There are three branches of government in this great United States of America: the executive, the legislative (Congress, the people’s representatives) and the judiciary.
I denounce Trump’s attempts to take from Congress and the judiciary the roles the Constitution specifically gives to them, and not to the executive branch.
And I demand that Trump ensure that every person is given due process and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Virginia Smedberg
Palo Alto
Time to ban abusive
and lawless ICE
As our country pushes back on immigration, I write to you to advocate against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in our community. ICE should be abolished.
ICE has only caused harm and fear in our community. Children should not have to fear their parents being taken away. Schools should not have to reassure parents that their kids will be safe from ICE. ICE is known to use excessive force and abuse its power. They have detained and unlawfully arrested U.S. citizens, women and children. People should not have to live behind bars without food, water and basic necessities just because they were looking for a better life here in the U.S.
Our country advertises itself as the land of the free. This country is not practicing what it is preaching by allowing ICE to detain innocent people and strip them of their human rights and freedoms. Abolish ICE.
Destiny Hunter
San Jose