No ‘witch hunt’ with all of these charges

When Fox News, Newsmax, Truth Social and the former president use the smoke screen phrase “witch-hunt,” the following critically important issues are what they want to deflect their viewers’ attentions away from:

Based on extensive criminal investigations by both State and Federal prosecutors, applications for warrants from judges, and the issuing of those warrants (based on sufficient factual information to establish probable cause that a crime was committed, and that the person named in the warrant committed it), former President Donald Trump has been issued four separate arrest warrants for his possible involvement in the commission of a grand total of 83 felonies.

For the record, felonies are serious crimes that carry potential sentences ranging anywhere from more than one year in prison or (up to) the death penalty (not here). Examples of felonies include murder, rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, grand theft auto, perjury, burglary and high-level forgery, theft and/or fraud.

Here are some of the most egregious of Donald Trump’s felony charges: Falsifying business records in the first degree, Unlawful retention of national defense information, Conspiracy to obstruct justice, Conspiracy to defraud the United States., Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, Conspiracy against (citizen’s) rights, Solicitation of violation of oath by public officer, Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer and Conspiracy to commit filing false documents.

In summary then: four arrest warrants. 83 felony charges. “Witch-hunt?” No, just your run of the mill conservative news outlets’ tactic of “bait and switch.”

— Mark S. Gailey, Chico

Downside of negotiating prescription drug prices

Let’s say the government decides to save you money when you buy a house. They will now require 90% of the house purchases to go through them. If they decide your proposed sale price is too high, they can nix the deal, even though buyer and seller have agreed.

Now let’s say this is a new house, and the builders have decided to take the risk. They project they can make a profit and stay in business. They may be forced to take a lesser price on this one, but they darn sure won’t build another one.

That’s what “negotiating” prescription drug prices will do. It’s not a negotiation when one side is a monopoly, and negotiating means that, at some price, the monopoly simply refuses to buy. That’s what happens in Canada.

But don’t worry. There’s usually an older, cheaper, less effective drug that is now the government’s drug of choice.

— Bob Gustafson, Oroville

A doctor who always put his patients first

Evan Tuchinsky’s article came as no surprise. And, much of what he offered echoes my experience and feelings.

I had seen Dr. Bishop shortly before his departure to Scotland. He explained the diagnosis, the plan of treatment and took a turn at expressing hope. Lani (my wife) was with me and we were scared. His letter of immediate retirement came as no surprise, just pain.

Over the years I had a long standing and friendly relationship with Dr. Bishop who became my physician soon after his arrival in Chico. I was in good hands.

Things to remember. Quickly we began sharing stories about Ireland, England and Scotland. Roy was a raconteur par excellence. In these exchanges I was often along for the ride. I even learned something about dressage.

Art and art history took a regular place in our conversations. Knowing my profession, he shared with me that his grandfather (of the same name) in 1937 had written “Paintings of the Royal Collection.” Sadly, that volume was lost in the Paradise fire.

He took time with patients. Visits to his office were anything but “in the door and out” assembly line in manner. He listened carefully and gave clearly articulated advice and directions. Time didn’t matter. You were the center of his focus.

— James McManus, Chico

Appeasement ‘always’ works in these matters

I couldn’t agree more with the various writers who contend that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is all the West’s fault particularly the US’s. Look how WWII could have been avoided if Germany’s territorial disputes with Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland were settled diplomatically say with a meeting. There would have been peace in their time. If the US hadn’t illegally supplied Britain under lend lease Germany would never have declared war on us. ‘Cause we all know aggression can be appeased.

— Jim Morgan, Chico

Unprecedented actions that are entirely warranted

A couple of things that should go without saying, but apparently need to be said anyway:

— Joe Biden did not indict Donald Trump. Grand juries comprised of impartial private citizens heard sworn testimony, almost exclusively from Republican witnesses, and determined that there was sufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing that prosecution was warranted.

— Trump’s indictments regarding January 6th have nothing to do with his First Amendment right to free speech. As the federal indictment specifically notes, it was not illegal for Trump (or any other American) to say whatever he wanted about the election, even if it was false. What was illegal was acting on those false claims to engage in criminal conduct, and persuade others to do so, such as signing fake slates of electors, trying to convince election officials to “find” more votes, or pressuring the Vice President to reject legitimate electors, or to delay certification of Biden’s victory.

Trump appointees and loyalists, including his Vice President, Attorney General, cybersecurity chief, personal lawyer, campaign manager, and family all told him that he lost the election. Fox News even said so. Disbelieving all of those trusted sources literally makes Trump delusional, as in “holding false beliefs despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary,” but apparently that’s his defense.

Yes, indicting a former president and the leading contender for the GOP nomination is unprecedented and fraught with political risk. (“Witch hunt!” “Election interference!”) But ignoring Trump’s criminal acts, just because he’s a candidate, would be far more perilous for our democracy.

— Scott Paulo, Chico

Maybe OpenAI deserves praise instead of fear

Author and expert Mo Gawdat thinks Artificial Intelligence will end us before Climate Change does. https://tinyurl.com/MoAIx3

I am just a layman, but I suspect OpenAI is the only tool that might save us. Hasn’t solving problems been OAI’s sole development intent all along? Naysayers seem afraid any AI will do better at exterminating us than we are. Imagine our epitaphs impartially composed, measured and placed on a scale weighted by the innocent — preserved forever, available in any language, comprehensible to crickets and space aliens alike.

More than extinction, perhaps our personal culpability becoming exposed frightens us more than extinction. To gauge and solve the problems we have created we have to have something more fearless and smarter, less cruel, less greedy, less biased with wider vision than humans. Most any civil algorithm does that already. The human monkey has long been fascinated with the magical orb that can reveal secrets, true or not, about past, present and future. We sit transfixed, cosmonauts in cuffs and jumpsuits, trapped, in our guilty oppenheimer moments, tapping, swiping, and feeding a planetary crystal AI ball, like it or not.

If we do not use OpenAI, someone else will. Rather than be a naysayer, why not adventure into that mechanical conversation toward what comes next? I doubt there has ever been a choice. Besides, I figure best brokered odds are a toss up with OpenAI, against zip with human control. That is my free choice and conclusion — if I still have one. Yours?

— Richard Roth, Chico

Reader says no more downtown after kiosks

There has been much discussion in the E-R including articles, letters and editorials regarding the downtown kiosks. Too bad there wasn’t discussion before surprising us by their installation in the first place. Perhaps we wouldn’t have them.

So here’s my 2 cents. I now actively try to avoid going downtown. I don’t know how to use the kiosks and I don’t want to learn. In the past, usually just one or two quarters would do the job and I didn’t have to walk down to a machine to use them, or remember my license number. And not the least of my objections is to have to insert one of my credit cards into a machine/system that has a memory of it.

So to some of my favorite restaurants and stores, I miss you and I apologize. I know the current situation equates to a Covid-lyte lockdown. Can’t we just have the old meters back?

— James B. Wood, Chico

Switching the numbers not as much fun

Am I the only person who thinks that it was more fun being in my twenties in the seventies than being in my seventies in the twenties?

— Jon Wren, Chico