Raise the flag, Gaza war: Letters from the PD

Raise your flag

EDITOR: Do you fly the American flag in your home? The flag represents our shared values ​​of freedom and democracy, regardless of political beliefs. The flag belongs to no party. It represents all who believe in the promise of America. Lately, it feels like words like “freedom” and “patriot” and the display of the flag are claimed by one party. But these values ​​and symbols are for everyone. Let's reclaim the flag. I encourage everyone to proudly display an American flag to show that it represents all of us.

BARBARA CIESLEWICZ

Petaluma

Preserving history

EDITOR: Regarding changing public memorials to historical figures (statues, place names, etc.), I keep hearing the argument “Stop erasing history” (“Keep the name Kelseyville,” Letters, Aug. 24). I ask myself, “What history might be erased by a name change?” In the case of Kelseyville, I suspect the aspect of history that people fear will be erased is the memory of living in a town called Kelseyville. To preserve that history, all we have to do is say nostalgically, “Remember when that great town was named after that awful man? Yeah, me too.”

ACTIVE – 221222 – CALLE DEL MARIO – 2018 – CALLE DEL

Sevastopol

The helpless blink

EDITOR: Poor Antony Blinken. The Secretary of State is like a bewildered puppet in a U.S.-Israeli horror circus of endless death and destruction, twisting and turning in vain. I actually feel sorry for the guy as he embarks on yet another futile trip to Tel Aviv to try to broker some kind of negotiated settlement between Israel and Hamas. Have you seen his face lately? He knows he can't win, and, more importantly, Benjamin Netanyahu knows that. Netanyahu knows all too well that Congress – not the White House – will support Israel's actions at any cost.

And as for a real, final peace deal that could work for the region, forget it. Former Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi once said that when it came to negotiating a peace deal between Israel and an adversary, the US would figure out what was acceptable to Israel and then try to sell it to the other party.

So here's a word of advice for the hapless Blinken: It might be a good time to start working on his memoirs. (Idea: You could bring your guitar to the book signing and play a few riffs of “Ain't No Sunshine,” “Bad Day,” or “My Heart Will Go On.”)

STEVE BAKER

Santa Rosa

Third-party effect

EDITOR: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dropping out of the race and endorsing Donald Trump reinforces the notion that supporting third-party candidates only helps Trump. Did he always plan to do this? Maybe not, but his choice of a tech billionaire as his running mate suggests he planned to use his family name to draw Democratic voters off their ticket and help Trump. These billionaires care more about their tax cuts than the good of the country.

The Democrats' electoral losses, starting with Al Gore, can be attributed to third-party candidates. It might be an oversimplification, but Ralph Nader cost Gore the election, Jill Stein won just enough in key states to cost Hillary Clinton the election.

If you're not a Trump supporter, you should know that a vote for anyone except Kamala Harris is a vote for Trump. Do we want Trump running this country? It's not just Trump; Republicans have never been good for the country. Tax cuts for the rich and corporations started with Ronald Reagan and never stopped. Trump and Mitch McConnell created the Supreme Court as it is now and tried to set us back a century.

Yes, there is enthusiasm on the Democratic side, and Trump seems to be caught up in hate and lies, but it's a close call. If you care about the country, vote for Harris and Tim Walz.

HANS VAN BOLDRIK

Santa Rosa

Raising children

EDITOR: Let me get this straight. The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, if enacted by the election of Donald Trump, proposes a tax increase on single parents, the majority of whom (and that's an understatement) are women. Its goal is to incentivize staying in marriages and prevent family separation.

Most single mothers are lucky to get a court-ordered monthly check for rent and food. But that check doesn't help them wake up the kids, feed them breakfast, take them to school or daycare, organize after-school programs or summer camps, or find someone to cover for them when they're sick and have to leave work. And it certainly doesn't help them cover for a night off.

So Republicans think marriage can magically be saved by hurting caring fathers? They've pushed the crazy button. How about a law requiring fathers to share the day-to-day work of parenting equally?

Research shows that children come from broken homes, not live in them. Together, let's find better ways to support those who do the hard work of raising children.

SHERALYNN FREITAS

Santa Rosa

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