Fresno elected leaders poor example: Letters to the editor, Nov. 20, 2020

Leaders need to set better example

Jerry Dyer, Fresno mayor-elect, Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau, Darrius Assemi, a local real estate developer, current Fresno Mayor Lee Brand, Fresno City Council Member Mike Karbassi and Serrop Torossian, a public relations manager from Kaiser Permanente here in Fresno, all attended a post-election dinner party together. Almost all of them soon tested positive with COVID-19. Coincidence? Probably not!

Where's the example of our leadership to limit public exposure to one another? Since when does politicking and elbow rubbing take precedence? They didn't set a good example for their constituents. Especially Serrop Torossian from Kaiser Permanente. Did he get COVID also and not report it because of the negative publicity it would create for a large health provider?

I wish they'd apologize to the public and their constituents and say they needed to set a better example. All of them!

Trump and things beyond his reach

Well, not sure if this is the end or not (maybe the end for Trump) but I know for a fact this might be the end of the “great” Donald Trump. If it’s not the end, I wish him luck because of the things he was trying to do. I honestly think he is just trying too hard to stop things out of his reach.

When it comes down to it he seems to make everything more difficult for (his) people even though most of the people from four years ago seemed to vote him in but now he was voted off… well, why’s that?

I believe that it was possibly him and his choices because most of his choices were off. I think building a wall to keep immigrants out was a bit mean, uncalled for, and kinda stupid.

I’m not one to care about presidents, but Trump was one of the most I didn’t like. I understand others like him but, personally, I don’t care about presidents nowadays.

Native Americans and Fresno High

Does the Fresno High School mascot need to be retired? Is it racist or pay homage to Native Americans? The debate could go on forever with different interpretations. How do you decide?

Here is the answer: Identify who the petition is directed at, ask them, and honor their decision. If I am not a member of the population, I do not get to decide what is offensive. I can’t know the nuances and impact. What the symbol means to me is irrelevant. It is condescending to think that I know better than the population it affects.

It is that simple. If the Native American population says the Fresno High School mascot needs to be changed, it needs to be changed.

GOP has lost this reader’s vote

The Republicans have failed us. There is nothing “Grand” in the GOP anymore; there hasn’t been for quite awhile. They have morphed into an anti-democratic party that seeks power by any means, including undermining the rule of law, gerrymandering, and voter suppression. They are supporting an authoritarian-leaning pesident’s attempt to stay in power. The president has lost the election, both the Electoral College and the popular vote (by 5 million votes!), and still the Republicans are supporting his attempts to thwart our most fundamental constitutional right — the right to have our votes count in a free and fair election and to have our choices honored.

There was a time when voting for the best candidate, regardless of party, meant something. That’s no longer true. The Republican party has shown us that they and their candidates can no longer be trusted. I will never vote for a Republican again… Ever.

This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Fresno elected leaders poor example: Letters to the editor, Nov. 20, 2020."