Tesla protest

I was at the protest in March in front of the Tesla dealership in Seaside. The Progressive Left and their allies were out in full force, chanting their usual chorus of, “Hey hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go.” A much smaller crowd of MAGA, Libertarians and Conservatives had their “USA” chant too. Yes the protest was peaceful but most of the anti-Trump signs were redundant. Many were laced with the “F bomb” or the ubiquitous accusation of ”Nazi, Rapist and Felon.” What I found interesting is none of the signs showed much knowledge of what is actually going on. Nothing about the tariff wars, the banning of DEI and transgender males in women’s sports, the drop of the Dow Jones, the national debt crisis. Most of the signs on the left side of the street showed mostly pure fear. An emotional reaction to change, instability, an abrupt turn about in the status quo. Well, I agree, there is something to be fearful about, because these changes, in my opinion, are going to happen. Buckle up, my friends, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

— Carol Marquart, Pacific Grove

Abortion

Most of the public discussion on the issue of abortion has been motivated by religious belief, rather than science. Hardly anyone refers to scientific evidence about when a fetus becomes a living human being. Most of the information exchanged on that issue comes from religious sources. Catholics believe life begins at conception; Protestants, sometime between then and birth, Jews, at birth, with the first breath. So, without question, abortion is a religious issue, and so, equally without question, it is not an issue to be resolved by government.

The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits Congress from intervening with the free practice of religion, and the Supremacy Clause in Article VI extends that prohibition to the states.

That means the Supreme Court did not go far enough in its decision overturning Roe v. Wade. That decision was based on the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution: All powers not delegated to the United States in the Constitution; nor prohibited by it to the states, shall be relegated to the states respectively, or to the people. The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the power to regulate religion in the United States — Congress shall make no laws interfering with the free practice of religion — and the Supremacy Clause in Article VI extends that prohibition to the states. What else could that mean but that the Supreme Court must go further now to extend the prohibition it applied to the United States to the individual states, as well.

The Tenth Amendment is commonly known as the states’ rights amendment, but It is also a people’s rights amendment. Abortion is neither a national nor a state’s right; it is people’s right, as it should be. Aren’t we a government by the people? If not, then, what does “our democracy” mean?

— Ron Weitzman, Carmel

Rodeo

It is truly appalling that there is an actual Hall of Fame to laud those who participate in the suffering of animals. Rodeos are nothing short of sanctioned animal abuse and cruelty. What’s next? A Hall of Fame for those that organize dog fighting?

Every year thousands of animals suffer extremely painful injuries while being forced to participate in rodeos. And every year hundreds of animals die due to their injuries.

It is shameful that humans find the suffering of animals entertaining. And it is shameful that this newspaper only covers one side of the story.

It would show courage and exhibit fair journalism if this newspaper published an article exposing the truth about what a truly barbaric spectacle rodeos are.

— Wendy Ledner, Salinas

DOGE

The Trump-Musk administration is actively dismantling the central pillars of our country: government, education, business, law, and the media. Musk at DOGE is firing thousands of federal workers. There is a plan to eliminate FEMA. The Department of Health and Human Services has cancelled more than $12 billion in federal grants. That money supported mental health services, addiction treatment and programs to track infectious diseases.

Senator Angus King, an Independent from Maine, has said that “what’s going on is the destruction of the agency from the inside out, and it’s accelerating … What they’re doing now is unconscionable. All the cuts being made are hurting the American people. We must actively oppose them.

— An McDowell, Monterey