Unimaginable America: Letters to the editor, Nov. 6, 2020

America as she cannot imagine

I stand watching things unfold in America that I never could’ve imagined.

People willing to sacrifice our freedoms of speech and religion so long as it silences any who oppose them, forgetting that these freedoms are the very core of the democracy we once held dear.

People no longer having equal protections under the Bill of Rights because those who scream the loudest about injustices are given precedence to those they abuse.

Churches and business being targeted by hate groups, not because they’ve done anything wrong, but because they did not agree with them.

People in high positions promoting themselves by intentionally plotting to bring false charges against their opposition with no regard for their duty to Americans.

Black lives matter? Yes! So do the lives of people that were ruined by rioting and the lives of good police officers who protect us.

1619 Project? What about the hundreds of thousands of white people who died to give freedom to slaves? We can look backward or celebrate how far we’ve come.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, that all men would stand together in love and unity. He gave his life for that dream. Was it in vain?

Thanks for all retired teachers do

This week of Nov. 1-7 is California’s 22nd Retired Teachers Week. What do retired teachers mean to the Fresno area? A lot! After years, sometimes decades, in the classroom giving to their students, retired teachers continue to give back to local communities through their pocketbooks and their passion for volunteering.

According to figures from the California Retired Teachers Association, retired teachers statewide donated nearly 2 million hours of volunteer service in the past year, valued at $60.9 million. In addition to their donated time, retired teachers are responsible for many economic benefits that California receives. Expenditures stemming from recipients of state and local pensions supported 443,966 jobs and $15.7 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues. In fact, each dollar paid out in pension benefits supported $6.53 in total economic activity in California.

Retired teachers will continue to give back — both economically and through our volunteer hours. We cared about our students and our communities while we worked as educators, and that caring didn’t stop with our retirement.

So as the bumper sticker states, if you can read this letter, thank a (possibly retired) teacher. And while you’re doing that, join us in making our community a better place.

Newspapers are critical to civic life

In a democracy, it is essential that we have newspapers that report happenings in our cities and communities. Almost the only thing TV news reports is picked up on a police scanner. Every evening we see a reporter telling us about car accidents or various crimes with police car lights flashing in the dark background. As important as that may be, we need so much more.

The Bee has experienced reporters who keep up with policy decisions that make a difference in your lives. Unfortunately, there are fewer than in the past, but they are still vital to our knowledge of what’s happening in Fresno and the greater Valley.

This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Unimaginable America: Letters to the editor, Nov. 6, 2020."