Letters to the Editor for July 17, 2018

Ban fireworks? What next?

How interesting to read Marek Warszawski’s opinion in the July 12th issue of the Fresno Bee. He proposes to ban all fireworks on July 4th, and that the majority of respondents agreed with him. He cites very convincing reasons to ban fireworks.

In the spirit of his proposal, I propose we ban the following: Halloween; after all, all that candy promotes teeth decay and child obesity. Thanksgiving; it promotes unhealthy eating, overindulgence and obesity. Christmas; this holiday has proven to be a major source of stress, and let’s face it, it is overly commercialized and has wandered far afield from the meaning of the holiday. Easter;I can’t help but think of the deplorable condition all those egg laying hens are kept in. Plus, there’s a lot of candy involved, so it’s not been very healthy anyway, plus it has become very commercialized. Valentine’s Day; whoa, this is a biggie! Imagine the hurt feelings of all those people who are alone and have no Valentines! In consideration of there alienation, we should just ban the day entirely.

I like July 4th. I like fireworks. Maybe we can counterbalance the pollution by simply all of us not driving for one day.

Hanson not afraid of liberals

A few words for Victor Davis Hanson. I have listened to many long radio interviews with him the last five-plus years and read his column as long as it has appeared in The Bee. His books are reported to be very well done, too. He is a soft spoken, intelligent man who is not afraid of what liberals say of him, or of being non-politically correct. Both are good things. He knows many people and has sources of news that most people do not have because of who he knows, can talk to plus events and happenings he sees for himself. That includes writers of books about global warming.

Of course extreme liberals do not appreciate what he says – no surprise there – even though he can explain in detail why he espouses a certain point. Many times he doesn’t have space, even in a column, though. As in the Keystone pipeline. Without trying to read his mind, I would not be surprised if he doesn’t care how long it takes to build it, since it will come in handy whenever. Or he has talked to other experts and believes it will take significantly less time than liberals say.

Fire ‘year’ cause for concern

The west is in the throes of an intense fire season. I work among fire folk, and the consensus is there – it’s early for this. At this time of year, we’re still saying, “Later in the season, when the fuels dry out.” There’s good reason for concern about what’s next.

However, superlatives have become the new normal in fire. The term “fire year” is replacing “fire season,” as we expect to fight fire through December these days. The old-timers will tell you that wildfire has absolutely become a different animal in the 21st century. This year is normal in its abnormality.

Not all fire is destructive; some is ecologically essential. However, the reality is that we can’t stop some of these fires from doing serious damage – we must wait for a winter that has itself become unreliable. Meanwhile, sometimes firefighters die out there. My heart breaks for Braden Varney’s wife and kids in Mariposa.

Until we make meaningful progress in the fight against climate change, such as passing carbon pricing legislation, we can expect these frightening trends to continue. Californians are united by our vulnerability to fire. We must face climate change shoulder to shoulder as well.

Fresno needs to get real about homeless

“Every time you hand out a dollar you are killing someone!” This is according to the “Saving Shaw” documentary meant to enlighten the Fresno citizenry about the difference between aggressive panhandlers and the homeless. Panhandlers are entrepreneurial “homeowners” who are doing business on medians, corners and parking lots without a license or a business address. According to Rescue Mission management testimony, these “panhandlers” (who have homes with beds) aren’t interested in the 20 empty beds at the Rescue Mission.

I’m confused. Aren’t the panhandlers the problem? What do the empty beds at the Rescue Mission have to do with panhandlers? Conflating issues of homelessness with those of panhandling is disingenuous and damages the collective well-being of Fresno. The conclusion is that “we” (murderers) who give to the panhandlers are the biggest problem. Perhaps it’s time to start issuing stiff fines to the those who hand money/food to the panhandlers. Maybe the time has come to focus on getting long overdue low-barrier, 24/7, 365 days a year, come-as-you-are shelter up and running for our homeless who are literally dying on park benches and freeway embankments. Let’s have an honest conversation about bringing relief to our homeless souls.

This story was originally published July 16, 2018 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Letters to the Editor for July 17, 2018."