Government deserves better than it has

I often wonder if politicians lose their souls after being elected to office.

I’m talking about U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, who finds humor in political assassinations and posts snarky jokes.

Our government deserves better.

— Ralph Nichols

San Jose

Column dismisses seriousness of moment

Re: “Trump-Newsom clash over protests feeds their interests” (Page A6, June 11).

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper recalled in his memoir that Donald Trump asked if they could do something about the protesters — why couldn’t they just shoot them in the legs or something? Many of his first-term cabinet members recalled chilling incidents like this, where the president demonstrated a complete lack of empathy for his fellow man.

When running for election this time, he vowed, “I am your retribution.”

In the first day of this term, he issued clemency to the violent Jan. 6 protesters, who beat police officers bloody.

He has moved to make the Justice Department and military loyal to him alone.

Against this backdrop, Dan Walters of CalMatters, in his June 11 column, chose to characterize the recent sparring between Trump and Gavin Newsom over the instant militarization of the L.A. protests as a vaudeville act.

Many of us think that he’s missing the seriousness of the moment.

— Jim Von De Bur

San Jose

Trump’s actions expose lie of a Christian nation

Regardless of whether you support President Trump’s continued actions, we all must now acknowledge that the argument over whether we are a Christian nation has been answered.

If we now ask, “What would Jesus do?,” I think he’d stand beside our Founding Fathers, shocked at what we have become.

Shame on the American voters.

— David Wilkins

San Jose

Rabbis offer alternative narrative on Zionism

Are anti-Zionism and criticism of Israeli policies really acts of antisemitism? According to several rabbis, it’s not the case.

Rabbis Dovid Feldman, Yaakov Shapiro and Elhanan Beck offer an alternative view.

For good measure, try scholar Richard Forer, an ex-AIPAC member who changed his outlook completely.

It explains why we see pictures of ultra-Orthodox men being beaten for not wanting to join the Israeli army and seeing them carrying Palestinian flags at demonstrations.

They see modern Israel as a nationalist creation that is hijacking a noble religious tradition in order to justify their behavior toward the inhabitants whom they see as in their way.

These folks offer a needed narrative that definitely goes against the general consensus we are usually presented with. They offer valuable advice to enable us to exist together going forward. It’s a small planet, and an alternative one isn’t readily available.

— Mike Caggiano

San Mateo

Apple’s AI reticence should be a model

Re: “Apple unveils software redesign as hurdles rise” (Page C7, June 10).

That Apple hasn’t released major AI features shows that Apple is aware of the problems with AI.

AI’s core engine is data science-based “predict the next word” software, which means AI can’t reason or think, and that it works best in more closely controlled domains.

The rest of the world should follow Apple’s lead.

— Karen Brenchley

Santa Rosa