Letters: Lost touch | Saratoga schools | Yes on Prop. 6 | Electoral College

Mercury News Letters to the Editor for Sept. 17, 2024

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Re: “ ” (Page A9, April 21) and “ ” (Page A6, Aug. 20). Senior Assistant Attorney General Ron Matthias’ excellent opinion articles on District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s quest to remove murderers from death row exposed Rosen’s lack of concern for murder victims’ families and his complete disdain for the law.

The families’ anguished objections to the resentencings meant nothing. Rosen’s comment that he hopes the families “find some measure of peace from knowing ”](a murderer) will die in prison” (“ ,” Page A1, Aug. 11) illustrates his folly.



State Sen. David Cortese recently introduced a bill to allow prisoners serving life without the possibility of parole to apply for release after serving 25 years. Although this bill didn’t pass, who knows what will happen in the future that would give these worst-of-the-worst a chance for freedom? In the same vein, Rosen is sticking by Proposition 47 notwithstanding its many flaws — so much for justice for victims in Santa Clara County.

The DA has lost his way. I am writing to voice my strong support for Melissa Stanis for the Saratoga Union School District Board of Trustees. Melissa is a dedicated advocate for education, with a proven track record of involvement in our community.

Her commitment to student success and her collaborative approach make her an ideal candidate to address the challenges facing our schools. Melissa understands the importance of creating inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive. Her ability to listen, lead and build consensus is exactly what our district needs in a time of change.

I believe Melissa’s vision, integrity and passion for education will make her a valuable addition to the board, and I encourage others to support her in the upcoming election. Re: “ ” (Page A6, Sept. 12).

The editorial recommending a no on Proposition 6 is incredibly disappointing and I’d very much argue misleading. These bills aren’t some bizarre push to allow prisoners to refuse to do any chores but an effort to finally expunge the last vestiges of de jure involuntary servitude and slavery from our system. The reasons are both moral (as we all agree slavery has no place in modern society), justice driven (as forced prison labor has historically been used ) as well as economic (studies by the ACLU have found that forced prison labor ).

So this goes far beyond chores. In addition, this push isn’t new or untested. Six other states have already banned the practice, and forced prison labor isn’t a thing in the EU.

It’s time for California to catch up; vote yes on Proposition 6. For you nonbelievers let me say this about the Electoral College: Without it, a vast and significant number of Americans would have no say in our politics. All would be decided by the hugely liberal highly populated centers in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Related Articles You might respond by saying, “So what, liberalism is fine.” I answer by saying that both perspectives are fine because they tend to balance things out. Protecting that balance is up to the Electoral College.

Sometimes it goes left and sometimes right. For those of you who are worried that Kamala Harris will lose, you should be more worried that she will win. Why? Because her platitudes for the multitudes will melt away and she will try to lead us so far left that you will be sorry.

She may not be Marxist but her record is very far left. I’d hold my nose and vote for Donald Trump..