Eliminate ritual

A Pacific Grove city councilmember proposed a land acknowledgement ritual be held at each City Council meeting. The original intent of this ritual, performed by Native Americans, was to honor “Mother Earth” however it appears that cultural appropriation has hijacked it for moral exhibitionism.

Local tribe members are offended by a bi-weekly public affirmation that they were victims of a land grab more than a century ago. Pacific Grove residents are concerned that meetings are long enough without adding a formality that will consume time needed for addressing pressing issues.

To demonstrate her sincerity, the councilmember could use her personal time and resources for pursuing a land trust in Butterfly Town to local tribes for an “off reservation casino,” just compensation for stolen land rather than a bi-weekly reminder of victimization. Quality of life and community of tribal members are enriched by casino income.

A land ritual on the casino premises could acknowledge earlier inhabitants, the Clovis, and recently discovered ancient North Siberians and East Asians; and the woolly mammoth.

But for now, PG residents will expect all councilmembers devote city time, resources and treasure to city business and pressing issues and leave their personal preferences at the door.

— Maggie Delay, Pacific Grove

Power outages

I lived on the Monterey Peninsula for 50 years and expatriated from there for God’s Country (aka Modoc County) several years ago and bought a huge spread of remote forested land where our closest human neighbors are 2 miles away. Not only do we not have to smog our cars because we have the cleanest air in all of California, but we have the most affordable real estate in all of California. We also enjoy unlimited free water and there is not one single traffic signal in our entire county.

We also enjoy the cheapest electricity in California by way of Surprise Valley Electrification Co-op (SVEC), and we are all members of the co-op and we receive annual dividends. SVEC proactively maintains its power lines so at the very worst times when we are having wind-driven blizzards our power is never out for more than an hour. Compare that with PG&E.

— Jeff Middlebrook, Modoc County

Happy holy holidays

Holidays for any reason are happy days, and when it comes to the time marking the end of one year and the beginning of another, it becomes a season of super merriment and excitement. October to December is a time of worldwide celebration of religious festivals. Holidays during this period are observed to honor and reverentially remember the significance of these occasions.

The essence of this time can be summed up in three Ps: Peace, Pleasure and Prosperity. These values for human connections and harmonious living, are resonated through prayers and personal wishes. They reflect the universal hope for a better and more connected world.

Religious festivals and holidays, despite their different names and rituals, go beyond mere observances. They nurture the spirit of oneness among us, fostering a sense of unity and shared humanity. The celebration of these holy days is a reminder of the bonds that unite us all, irrespective of our diverse traditions and beliefs.

— Brij Mansi, Monterey

PG’s DEI task force

The process of becoming a more just and inclusive nation justifies the use of the trite expression: It’s a journey, not a destination.

A recent opinion letter criticized a calendar created by Pacific Grove’s DEI task force and perhaps even the existence of the group. The author has a point that the calendar would be more inclusive if it listed traditionally mainstream celebrations, perhaps Easter, Hanukkah, and Ramadan, though I am concerned that mainstream acceptance of the latter two might be eroding as I read about the rise of Christian Nationalism and the anti-woke movement.

On our journey to a just society, I am grateful that my small community has made the effort to form a DEI task force. I appreciate that they have taken steps to shine light on our need to include and accept segments of society that have been marginalized for too long. Kudos to Pacific Grove and the DEI task force for putting something out there for us to reflect on and discuss.

— Tama Olver, Pacific Grove