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Say no to tyrannyof the masses
Re: “Yes on 50 outraises opponents by 2-to-1” (Page A1, Sept. 27).
Proposition 50 abrogates our constitutional spirit of protecting the minority against the tyranny of the majority. Californians should roundly reject it.
California has 52 House representatives, but only nine are Republican despite the fact that nearly 40% of our state electorate voted for Donald Trump, meaning we already have a biased skew against Republicans; proportionately, California should have about 20 Republican representatives. Proposition 50 would foist a further biased, nonrepresentative redistricting, probably resulting in 50 Democratic and 2 Republican representatives.
Gov. Newsom cries that Texas is redistricting, so we must counter a potential increase in Republican representatives. So, we should further deprive California citizens of their proportional representation because another state is attempting to redistrict their state’s representative allocation proportional to their own electorate’s voting?
Championing “representative Democracy” and “will of the people” is only empty hypocrisy by anyone promoting Proposition 50, an un-American violation of our constitutional principles.
Jack KnutsonFremont
Yes vote is the onlychoice on Prop. 50
Democrats generally despise gerrymandering, but we have no choice in California. Vote yes on Proposition 50.
The need to redistrict in California is only in response to the extreme gerrymandering in Texas demanded by Donald Trump and passed by the Texas Legislature. Other red states are expected to follow.
California’s Proposition 50 redistricting passage will be entirely up to California voters, and will sunset after the 2028 election…again, unlike red states.
Trump needs to win the House in the midterms to continue his unchecked assault on anyone or anything he has a grudge against: Democratic-led cities, the media, free speech, universities, climate, health care research, vaccines and government services.
Vote yes on Proposition 50.
Barry BrynjulsonPleasanton
Extraordinary timesrequire Prop. 50
Re: “Yes on 50 outraises opponents by 2-to-1” (Page A1, Sept. 27).
Kudos to Gov. Newsom for recognizing that extraordinary times require extraordinary measures by promoting Proposition 50.
I was a big proponent of the bipartisan Proposition 11 back in 2008, which implemented a nonpartisan method of determining congressional district boundaries. However, if Democrats now sit idly by while Donald Trump and Red state governors divvy up their states in such a way as to retain a majority in Congress, then our cherished democracy may evaporate before our eyes.
In the past, Democrats have rightly been accused of “bringing a knife to a gun fight,” but if our forebears had the courage to fight and die to defend our freedom in faraway places like Midway and Omaha Beach, then surely it’s not too much to ask of our fellow Californians to do whatever they can to hold onto our precious democracy.
Arthur StrausWalnut Creek
Troubled times forcekids to be resilient
Re: “Oakland high school put on lockdown on report of student bringing gun onto campus” (Sept. 26).
Friday, I received a message from my daughter’s school, Skyline. It read that due to a situation, OPD had been called and that the campus was on lockdown. I messaged my daughter. She responded, “Some kid brought a gun on campus. Can we go get Pho for dinner tonight!?” Knowing that she was ok, I did not reply.
When my daughter got home, I asked her about the two-hour lockdown. She told me that in the first hour, the teacher ran class normally. In the second hour, the teacher was supposed to go to a celebration, but it was cancelled. Instead, they shared the celebratory donuts and coffee with the students as they all waited it out.
Our kids constantly have to deal with distractions like these. They stay focused, demonstrating resilience, tenacity and grit. My daughter was more upset that I had left her Pho request “unread.”
Jonathan KaelOakland
Big Tech shouldn’tdecide who succeeds
I run a small business here in California, and every day I see how stacked the deck is against people like me. It’s not just the size of Big Tech — it’s the way they rig the system to help themselves, their friends and the viewpoints they agree with.
If you’re trying to advertise, reach new customers or even show up in search results, the game is tilted. They push their own brands, promote voices they like and quietly bury the rest. Local shops and honest work don’t stand a chance when a few companies control what people see.
California can’t keep looking the other way. We need real antitrust reform so small businesses can compete fairly, build something of our own and keep opportunity alive for people who work hard — no matter what they believe or where they come from.
Paul LafolletteBrentwood