Congress alone has power to declare war

Re: “U.S. bombs Iran nuke sites” (Page A1, June 22). The U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 says, “The Congress shall have Power … to declare War.” The Congress, not the president. Let’s have an open debate on the floor of Congress about the necessity or wisdom of starting a war with Iran and not leave such a consequential decision to the backrooms of the White House or the murky recesses of the mind of our president.

— Martin Delson, San Jose

Trump, Kennedy play politics with our health

What Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are doing places everyone at great risk.

Purging all 17 experts from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is not what anyone would do. It weakens our policies, our methodology and our ability to respond to outbreaks of disease. These are political decisions based on fear and false conclusions not backed by science. The reason given by RFK Jr. was to restore public trust and eliminate conflicts of interest; but specific evidence was not provided and what was provided was based on old reports going back 16 years.

Why are we placing ourselves, our loved ones and children in danger? This must stop.

— Mark Grzan, Morgan Hill

Juneteenth needs follow through to stay relevant

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when freedom finally reached the last enslaved Americans. Its designation as a federal holiday was meant to recognize progress for everyone; however, without ongoing commitment, it risks becoming an empty symbol.

American history shows a recurring pattern: brief moments of racial advancement followed by retreat and resistance. Today, programs designed to address inequality are being rolled back, civil rights protections steadily weakened and honest engagement with the community’s history increasingly avoided.

Juneteenth was never just a celebration. It was also a warning. It reminds us that freedom delayed is freedom denied and that progress, once made, can be reversed. If we truly want to honor the meaning of Juneteenth, it will take more than a day off. It will require vigilance, continued education and the courage to demand lasting justice and true equality for all.

— Andrew Ratermann, Santa Clara

As Trump deports brown people, whites welcome

Re: “Leaders vow to fight for deportee” (Page A1, June 19).

A working family man without a criminal record, Miguel López, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lived in Livermore, was deported recently, hours before a judge ruled that he should remain in this country.

Donald Trump’s ICE agents seem to be targeting Latino undocumented immigrants often without criminal pasts, contrary to Trump saying he was going to target only migrants with criminal histories. And in May, the Trump administration authorized 59 White immigrants from South Africa to enter this country within only a few months of applying, a process that takes one to two years for other immigrants. MAGA should be MAWA, as in Make America White Again.

— Susan Price, San Jose

San Jose puts driver safety up for sale

Re: “San Jose OKs pact for more digital billboard locations” (Page A1, June 19).

One can receive a traffic citation for distracted driving, Section 23123 of the California DMV code, which I believe we can all agree is dangerous.

So, what has San Jose just approved? Large, bright electronic billboards to remove a driver’s eyes from the road and momentarily disorient the driver. Why is this a good idea? Dollars into the city’s coffers?

— George Badger

— Soquel

Trump’s voters ignored basics of civics class

I would venture to say that most high school students have a solid understanding and can explain the importance of our most fundamental and democratic principles: the three branches of government, separation of powers, and checks and balances, all masterfully designed in our Constitution by the Founding Fathers to prevent the rise of a monarchy and the concentration of power in one branch.

Sadly, 74 million “adults” either forgot this valuable civics lesson or simply have fallen asleep. As Donald Trump goes recklessly unchecked and continues to defy Congress, threatens the judiciary, intimidates his critics and chips away at our Constitution, the American people must come to a reckoning and ask this very simple and important question: Do we want a dictator in the White House or do we want a president?

The alarm has been ringing — this is not a drill.

— Diego Certa

— Campbell