Tom Gogola used great fortitude in maintaining objectivity in describing the tight-rope straddled by Republican Fred Schein in a substantial article “Log Cabin Fervor” (May 29, 2019) Schein admits, “it is lonely being a Gay Republican.” Curiosity held my attention as I try to understand the seeming contradiction. Schein touched on Republican support for small business and boasts of Young Republicans; college students at Berkeley, Davis and Sonoma State, saying: “they can shoot.”
I read with a nondiscrimination effort the difference between Democrats and Republicans while I process the current strangeness of our country. I appreciate that we should all be treated equal and Schein’s effort is heartfelt, but I cannot cross the party chasm.
Novato
Stop the Burning
Woody Hastings said it so well in his Open Mic (“Pass on New Gas Stations,” May 29, 2019): approving “any new fossil energy-based facilities or infrastructure in Sonoma County” should be an exception, because of commitments the county has made to respond to the climate crisis. It’s time to be done burning fossil fuel.
I’m hopeful we’re nearing a tipping point. In Congress, HR 763, with 41 co-sponsors and counting, will put a fee on carbon. Just like with cigarettes, we need to charge more for what we don’t want people to buy. The bill pays the fees back as dividends to American households to help us jump-start our own energy-wise investments. We need to stop burning carbon every which way!
Petaluma
Try a Little
Tenderness
I read in the SF Chronicle the Trump Administration plans to allow medical staff in the nation to deny treatment to lesbians, gays, bisexual or transgender patients because of religious or moral beliefs held by the health care workers; thus allowing doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, emergency medical technicians, even receptionists to deny care. I thought of my late wonderful lesbian cousin, Denise, who lived in a rural county whose only hospital was religious based, and I wonder if they would have helped her with her ovarian cancer.
So, I turned immediately to Stevie Wonder vinyl and his 1976 ‘Songs in the Key of Life’, put on side one, cut one and listened:
“Love’s in need of love today
Don’t delay
Send yours in right away
Hate’s goin’ round
Breaking many hearts
Stop it please
Before it’s gone too far”
That’s only the first few bars in this remarkable song and album. One wonders how cruel Trump and his staff are willing to go
San Rafael
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