Post Election Letters:
We May Miss Sessions
Sessions’ perjury during Senate confirmation is particularly relevant now in compelling Mr. Magoo’s sworn testimony in all investigations, whether in the House Special Counsel, or US Courts. Sessions’ sharing his knowledge of meetings prior to the President’s 2016 election may offer no redemption, though he can plea bargain before returning to his home state that proposes fetal personhood, more fitting for his sensibilities than the Trump Tower minefield of mischief he leaves behind. Call on our Representatives to subpoena Sessions.
Richard Havenick
San Pedro
The Caravan
Is it just me, or does anybody else notice the abrupt disappearance of “The Caravan”, that group of migrants coming north through Mexico and headed for the US? Two weeks ago it was receiving 24/7 coverage and the President warned us not to take it lightly. Last week he changed its name to an “Invasion” and ordered U.S. troops to the Mexican border to ensure our safety. Come Wednesday morning, shizam! Gone! Where’d it go? Not a single mention of it in his press conference. Ditto for the media. In fact, nobody seems to even remember it. Tell me, this wasn’t an American ruse was it?
Steve Varalyay
Torrance
What the Dem House Should Do Next
- Let Mueller investigation proceed, do NOT waste time on more investigations or impeachment.
- Pass a House bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 and restore Trump-repealed rules protecting overtime pay. Working class Americans voted for Dems on these issues, the Repub Senate must pass it, or lose more supporters.
- Pass a “GI Bill” for workers displaced by the global economy and automation. The U.S. has a million jobs with no trained citizens to fill them. Take care of our own. Here’s a thought: change the tax break for corporations to a deduction for money spent training workers. They get a break, U.S. workers get education and training.
- Fix the Affordable Care Act’s weaknesses and repair the Trump damage to it. Again, working folk have seen health benefits cut and costs rise 20 percent or more. I know my family has, and we expect the Dems to fix this.
- Restore the Voting Rights Act, stop Repub voter suppression. Illegal voting is near non-existent, voter suppression is widespread and real.
- Pass a real Infrastructure bill, simple and without pork, which puts hard hats to work. Again, let the Repubs vote it down if they dare.
- Hold employers, not immigrants, responsible and fine them for hiring undocumented workers. Repubs talk big about their wall, but corporations big and small continue to lure workers. Then pass a sensible path for the “Dreamers.”
John Mattson
San Pedro
Now, Accountability
I was looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you about Tuesday’s historic elections, but with the chaotic news coming out of the White House, I need to talk to you about the immediate threat to our democracy:
President Trump has forced Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, and has appointed as Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker. This has enormous implications for Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. We have to act right away.
Matthew Whitaker has previously been publicly critical of the Special Counsel, despite his appropriate and successful investigation which has obtained numerous guilty pleas and convictions. He has called it a witch hunt, said Mueller should have never been appointed and suggested ways in which he could be privately neutered. There’s little doubt why Trump would want him in the job — so that he can interfere and obstruct Mueller’s investigation.
We need to act to ensure Trump does not succeed in undermining the Special Counsel’s investigation, and fast. We need to demand that Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation be protected. Matthew Whitaker must not be allowed to oversee the Russia probe. Will you add your name to protect Mueller before it’s too late?
Winning the House will make a huge difference in our ability to hold Trump accountable, but this abuse of power shows that we still have a fight ahead of us. As we celebrate our victory, we have no time to waste in protecting our democracy and the rule of law. Let’s get to work.
Adam Schiff
28th Congressional District
Defend the Free Press
On Wednesday at a post-election press conference, the president of the United States once again attacked the press.
Trump repeatedly insulted and shouted down reporters trying to ask him questions, accusing them of creating “fake news” and being “the enemy of the people.” Trump characterized questions about White nationalism from PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor as “racist.” He urged staff to yank microphones away from CNN reporter Jim Acosta, whom he called a “rude, terrible person,” and ordered American Urban Radio Network correspondent April Ryan to “sit down.”1
Hours later, the White House revoked Acosta’s press pass. Administration officials falsely accused the reporter of manhandling an intern and shared a doctored video of the incident on social media that was produced by the far-right conspiracy site InfoWars.2
While Trump screams at journalists about being “fake news,” his White House is literally pushing out fake news. The attack on Jim Acosta designed to discredit a journalist who has been critical of the administration– and to distract from Trump’s crimes and misdeeds.
We must end these attacks on press freedom and support journalists as they do the essential work of holding the Trump administration accountable.
Let us be clear: These attacks are nothing new for this administration. Trump has been demeaning journalists since the early days of his presidential campaign. And as he rose to power, his attacks became increasingly alarming and dangerous. His lies about so-called fake news and public enemies have resulted in journalists receiving death threats, getting assaulted, and being sent pipe bombs.3 Delegitimizing the press is on page one of the authoritarian playbook. By discrediting the press in the eyes of his supporters, Trump is doing all he can to call into question any coverage — past, present and future — that challenges his abuse of power.
Stand with journalists and against Trump.
What we’re witnessing inside the White House press room are the kinds of things you expect to see in a dictatorship, not a democracy. All of us– journalists and non-journalists alike– must stand up against Trump’s assault on the press.
Craig, Heather, Candace
Student Letters
Editor’s note: In the past few weeks, Random Lengths News received a slew of Letters to the Editor from the students of San Pedro High School English teacher Michael Kurdyla. Students commented on stories from the past few months. Reading through the letters, the students did an admirable job following their teacher’s instruction to read and critique stories that piqued their interest. The end result was more than 10,000 words from high school students engaging the most topical issues discussed today. In the interest of space, we will be select a few of the letters for print while posting the remainder online.
RE: LAMI Top Sail’s Jim Gladson
When I was a 7th grader at Dana Middle School. My classmates and I were lucky enough to get the opportunity to go on a Top Sail field trip hosted by LAMI. When I first heard about LAMI, topsail, and what they were doing with students and all these different field trips I was pretty interested and wanted to go on one of these field trips. Then when I finally heard that we were going on one I was excited to say the least.
But when the day finally came for the field trip the hype quickly receded. I realized that even though we got to go on a boat the learning activities that the people made us do were not fun like a field trip should be and they were just basic school work, but on a boat. I thought that the field trip should have consisted more student bonding activities then school work in a difficult area to focus. With all that work we had no time to truly look around and see what the port is like from the inside and not the outside for a change.
I think ever since Jim Gladson has passed away these experiences and field trips have lost the magical touch that he used to put into them. These field trips have quickly turned to education and busy work. They are stripping students of being able to have fun on a boat with all of their closest friends.I think a way they could attract more kids and schools into doing this would be by teaching through actually talking to them and not making them do worksheets.
Either way after being able to go on this field trip I am very thankful and I still learned a lot, but I just wish I could’ve learned all of this material through fun and not busy work and stress.
Finley Kircher
San Pedro