Independence Day

Usually when the newspaper prints an old editorial, it works, like at Thanksgiving. Maybe someone should have read the one for Independence Day before printing it because it no longer applies. The op-ed below it, written by Rafael Perez, better suits the United States this Fourth of July.

The rights stated in the Declaration of Independence no longer exist. Today, when Trump signs his disastrous bill, our country will no longer enjoy the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Perez mentions this country was founded on the ideals of constrained rule and the respect of human rights.

No longer.

He mentions a tipping point. With Trump’s signature on that bill, we will have reached it. Cutting billions of dollars to the people of this country with the greatest needs and transferring it to the handful of billionaires seals our fate. They will have all the wealth and power to rule, if not the world, the United States.

— Susan Mueller, Granada Hills

Climate change

Re “How the ‘big’ bill will reshape energy landscape” (July 6):

Sure it will reduce the amount of wind and solar installations, but that is a short-term effect. The long term is weirder weather resulting in more flooding, more frequent and larger forest and urban fires, more extremes in temperature with higher being the norm and loss of biodiversity. People indicate they are fine with higher temperatures but they do not realize that there’s only one feedback to stop or reduce the rise in temperature. That feedback is man himself. We have the power and knowledge to minimize climate change. The only question is, do we have the will? Only time will tell and time is running out, but it is not too late to take positive action. I pray that we do it for our sake and the planet’s sake.

— Larry Kramer, San Juan Capistrano

Zohran Mamdani

In Larry Wilson’s July 6 column, he alluded to the prospect of an AOC/Mamdani presidential ticket.

Unless the U.S. Constitution is changed, that will never happen: Zohran Mamdani was born in Uganda and didn’t become a U.S. citizen until 2018. As I’m sure Mr. Wilson knows, naturalized citizens aren’t eligible to become president.

— Dan Cunha, Anaheim