Bee readers: Violent rhetoric does nothing to solve our country’s divide | Opinion

No to political violence

“Leaders in Fresno make plea for civility in wake of Charlie Kirk killing” (fresnobee.com, Sept. 11)

Political disagreement is not only normal, it is expected and necessary in a democracy. The constitution lays out the ways we can deal with the conflict of ideas. The process highlights dialogue and elections.

While the Declaration of Independence asserts a right to revolution against tyrannical government such as colonial Britian in 1776 , the Constitution establishes a system of law, not revolution, for addressing grievances. There is no example in the Constitution supporting violence as a means to a political end. This mistaken belief seems to be at the core of recent political violence and threats of violence.

We must turn our back on anyone who blames only one side for violence and encourages the other side to “show strength” and to “fight like hell”. That creates a climate where a distressed individuals on both the right and left, are succumbing to the urge to pick up a gun and shoot someone they see as evil.

It’s time to support the Constitution and join hands to keep the ship of state stable and cruising toward our joint future. There is no place for violence in America to achieve political ends.

Richard Caputo, Clovis

Treat Trump better

Every is now calling for an end to hateful political speech after the horrible killing of Charlie Kirk. I think The Bee is guilty of spreading hatred from the way you treat our President Donald Trump. Like him or hate him he is our elected President. Everything you write about him is negative and you are brainwashing some of the weak-minded people. You are as much as fault as anybody when it comes to spreading hate.

William David Paul, Clovis

First Amendment rights

I’m a little confused. When I hear right-wing MAGA propagandist say things that are pretty much hate-filled rants against people who are different and or live the way the propaganda spreaders don’t like, or a socialist democrats propagandist say things everyone disagrees with or they attack hate with hate, it’s OK because it’s their First Amendment right!

Here’s what confuses me. After one of these propagandists get murdered or attacked, which is wrong but hate breeds hate. If another person says something that is kinda sick and or just wrong about the killing of the propagandist, they get fired. What happened to First Amendment rights. Oh wait, never mind, it’s OK if you’re a propagandist spreader of hate.

Welcome to the new America, land of the free because of the brave, my ass.

Dana Bobbitt, Fresno

Bullet train off the rails

“CA high-speed rail plan puts country’s first bullet train on correct track” (fresnobee.com, Aug. 22)

The Fresno Bee Editorial Board claims the high-speed rail project is on the right track. I disagree. The project was scheduled to be done back in 2022 but yet, we’re still years behind. We’re billions of dollars over the original budget and now we’re in talks to reduce the length of the speed rail from Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The fact is, our state has already spent over $11 billion on the project and we only have unfinished tracks and no trains yet. With new stats coming out, the project is now projected to cost at least $100 billion. This is unjust and cruel for the taxpayers in California, we could use that kind of money to fix highways, and better our transit systems for the people that commute everyday.

The Central Valley segment under construction does not solve California’s transportation problems. A partial line between Merced and Bakersfield does not match the promises that were sold to voters. High-speed rail drains resources from projects that would make a real difference now. California should end this project before more money is wasted.

Arturo Perez, Fresno

Vaccines save lives

“California offers vaccine recommendations, defying White House” (fresnobee.com, Sept.

Growing up in the 1950’s, I experienced typical childhood diseases. My siblings and I passed measles to each other, chickenpox, mumps, and flu. But our worst fear was polio. During an outbreak, public swimming pools closed due to fears of contagion as the virus could transmit through contaminated water. Because of this fear, I did not learn to swim until my sophomore year of high school.

In seventh-grade year (1956-57), my fear of polio ended. Every student at Hamilton Junior High marched through the nurse’s office for the Jonas Salk vaccine. Five years later, Albert Sabin put the vaccine in a sugar cube. Parents no longer feared the disease.

Now we have COVID. Yet some refuse the vaccine though common side effects are minimal: Fever, fatigue, chills, arm soreness, body aches – all of which disappear in a day or two. Too many have already died from COVID. It’s a gamble I refuse to take.

In modern day America the quality of life has long relied on medical breakthroughs, eliminating the destruction of disease. How long we live is not a guarantee, but we do have some influence on the quality of our lives up to our last breath. Get vaccinated.

Pauline Sahakian, Fresno