Letters to the Editor 12.15.22

See Something, Say Something

Thank you for the public reminder to act when we see something wrong and to also let people know their action can cause a swift, positive response (“An unfortunate tale of hateful graffiti – and tips for what to do about it,” posted Dec. 6). Super important, exponential impact. Nathan James | Monterey

Although I have not reported graffiti before, I have reached out to the city of Salinas regarding broken sprinklers at a library.

Your article set in stone the age-old saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” By Dayton posting about the graffiti on social media and then tagging officials, things got moving fast.

Thanks for the article; it was the push I needed to get my squeaky wheel rolling! This time, I’m posting it and tagging officials. Vanessa Yee | Salinas

Truth Teller

You make an important point about the importance of an independent, factual press (“Project Censored looks back at the year in under-reported stories,” posted Dec. 11). I think that having one of those, along with the individual right to speak freely – criticize – is essential to the continuance of what passes for freedom in the U.S. Certainly, both of those exist here, although not purely. As a result, despite its gnawing flaws, the U.S. is the best place in the world to live, so far as I can see.

To keep it such, each of us personally, and each of us as an entity – say, as a newspaper – must be prepared to hear and tolerate ideas and positions, even lies, with which we vehemently disagree. For example, I hate everything Trump says, and the way he says it, but am grateful to live in a place where he can say it. I can decide for myself about his veracity, and he should not be stifled, ugly as he is.

As to the media, it appears that there is no neutral, fact-based media; maybe they lean toward and distribute as truth that which their sponsors allow them. That applies to Fox and as well to MSNBC.

Ironically, you make it sound as if the Weekly were an exception to this, immune to the pressures of its advertisers. And it may well be so immune.

However, there are other influences besides advertisers, and my recent experiences with the Weekly show me that you are subject to influences and prejudices like all the other media. It would be better, in my opinion, if you could regulate yourself better, and truly become a trustworthy, neutral source.

Where is Walter Cronkite when you need him? Don Gruber | Del Rey Oaks

Land Use

David Schmalz, thank you for reporting on this meeting and making the Monterey County Weekly the only source for in-depth, local coverage for Monterey County (“LAFCO conditionally approves Soledad annexation 6-1, against staff’s recommendation,” posted Dec. 6). James Tarhalla | via social media

Light Up

Let the children from the future have damn lights and be able to practice! (“Stadium lights at Carmel High get school board approval, despite neighbor opposition,” Dec. 1-7.) Yulie Narez | via social media

LOL, because football is obviously the most important part of high school. Katelyn Surprenant | via social media

How does an affluent city like Carmel not have lights for the high school? Kathy O’Brien Gompertz | via social media

War and Peace

The Weekly did no favors to Andrea Mazzarino by excerpting her piece about terrorism, though the article fares not much better in its original form in The Nation (“The terrorism we fought abroad has come home, with domestic perpetrators stoking violence,” Dec. 1-7). Something, she argues (“it”), has “caused us to turn on one another in confusing ways,” but she doesn’t deliver convincing evidence for her tendentious claim that fighting Islamic terrorism abroad has incited “right-wing” domestic terrorism. She both criticizes the bloat of the DHS and wishes intelligence agencies were more proactive regarding information she alleges they had ahead of time about January 6. It’s not clear if she’s uncomfortable with massive, unaccountable government agencies spying on Americans, or if it’s an acceptable cost so long as it rids America of those she considers “bigots and extremists.”

What Mazzarino seems to be counting on is that the average reader will agree “right-wing” = bad, and ignore that the War on Terror, the domestic spying program, assassination of political enemies by drone strike, militarization of the police, and the subsequent collapse of faith in American institutions are ongoing, wholeheartedly bipartisan projects. Standing up to “bigotry and extremism” is the facile, neoliberal equivalent of the ever-present conservative project of rooting out “waste, fraud and abuse” in government: each descriptor applies only to the other side.

We don’t merely need a gentler, kinder military industrial/intelligence complex, but rather a collective movement for peace, privacy and freedom. Reid Norris | Carmel Valley

Pit Master

Wow, that’s quite an honor! (“A local catering business took first place for barbecue ribs at the World Food Championships,” Dec. 8-14.) Definitely going to need to check them out. Congratulations to them!! Heather O’Donnell | via social media

Congratulations. Albert Leal Lopez | Salinas

Way to represent California and the Central Coast!! Valentina Rosendeau | via social media

This Texas native is gonna make a visit! There’s a lot of mediocre barbecue so I’m excited to find great rinds for the occasional meat splurge. Cynthia Lence Tanabe | Marina

Sharing the Love

Merry Christmas! (“Local toy drives aim to bring holiday cheer to children all throughout Monterey County,” Dec. 8-14.) Liv Vlad | via social media