Waiting for a solution
EDITOR: In all the discussion about guns and gun violence, the one thing I never hear is a solution to the problem. Keep in mind any solution has to be a viable one. We can’t say repeal the Second Amendment and confiscate all the guns; that will never happen. A federal bill was enacted this year, but that took almost 30 years. State and local laws can be passed, but they can and have been overturned by the courts. In such a divided America, not much gets done, not even really important stuff.
MICHAEL MORRISSEY
Santa Rosa
Resilient survivors
EDITOR: I salute the courage of Mike Tarvid and others abused by Catholic clergy as they seek justice from the Santa Rosa Diocese (“Lost faith,” Dec. 18). Sexual abuse is made exponentially worse by cultures that compel victims to blame and censor themselves. The sexual abuse I experienced five decades ago did not occur within a church that offered sanctuary for abusers and alienation for the abused, but the aftermath Tarvid describes resonates with me. Feelings of guilt, shame, anger and isolation are unprocessed, repressed and embodied, emerging as maladaptive emotions and behaviors in following years and decades. Like others, I wonder how my life might have been different absent the unacknowledged abuse, and I grieve for my 7-year-old self.
But I wish, too, that your recent articles had celebrated more the strength of survivors. Survivors are resilient. They rebuild their lives despite often-crippling anxieties. And in the case of Tarvid and other litigants, they preserve brighter futures for others by holding to account systems that failed them. Whether coming forward as additional litigants or through other means, I hope all the abused find peace. Yes, there is guilt and shame here. But the guilt and shame belong solely to the abusers.
MARK MORLEY
Santa Rosa
Utility profits
EDITOR: The president of the California Public Utilities Commission justified a reduction in solar subsidies saying “we are using ratepayer funds” for the subsidies. I don’t see any mention of reducing rates for those who do not have rooftop solar. It looks to me like PG&E, as usual, is simply trying to increase its profits. PG&E compensated its CEO to the tune of $51.2 million in 2021 for keeping profits high. Utility companies, which have a monopoly, should be nonprofit.
ROBERT PLANTZ
Santa Rosa
The arms race
EDITOR: James R. Ogleby asserts the AR-15 was never a weapon of war or used by the military in combat (“The wrong name,” Letters, Dec. 20). That assertion is at least as misleading as calling the AR-15 an assault rifle. The AR-15 was developed by ArmaLite to replace the military’s underperforming M-14. A modified version, the M-16, became standard issue for American troops in Vietnam. Colt produced a semi-automatic version for sale to the public. That rifle was the Colt AR-15.
Oglesby also says over 100 million civilians have been killed by their own governments and an armed populace is the necessary counterweight. Alarmingly, a quarter of US citizens believe in armed insurrection against our government justifiable. Why? Because one party cynically decided to declare any election it lost illegitimate.
Because the Second Amendment’s prefatory militia clause was abandoned by the Supreme Court in Heller, an arms race against our own government is the logical next step for folks who believe that’s who we need protection from. Why quibble over semantics? To effectively fight our government, we would need the full military arsenal.
It’s not the government I’m afraid of, it’s political zealots who think the Second Amendment is their avenue for addressing grievances.
CYNTHIA AXELL
Annandale, Virginia
Trump’s taxes
EDITOR: I disagree with Nicholas Goldberg’s opinion that Donald Trump’s taxes should not be released to the public (“Congress shouldn’t release Trump’s taxes,” Saturday). The former president lied when he promised to release his tax returns when he ran for office in 2016. He never did and fought (and lost) up to the Supreme Court when Congress tried to obtain them later. The public deserves full transparency on this issue.
Goldberg is afraid that it would be adding to the politicization of governmental processes and breaking established norms. I think governing is essentially a political act, and Trump himself has broken all kinds of established norms.
Should we fear Republican retaliation? The Republican Party has been shameless covering for Trump’s actions and the incoming majority in the House has already made clear that it will be on the attack.
ERIC SCLAEPPI
Healdsburg
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