Appreciation for community safety training

Our streets, schools and places of gathering are less safe than in decades past. Same with those who serve our community in times of danger. Active shooter events, random attacks on innocents, ambush killings of law enforcement personnel and attacks on first responders are more frequent. The causes are many, but are not the purpose of this letter.

I want to express my appreciation and thanks to our county’s sheriff, his deputies and staff for taking the lead on hosting and coordinating the recent week-long Active Attackers training. My gratitude also to the chiefs and personnel from other allied law, fire, paramedic and EMS agencies for participating in this activity.

Such trainings serve to better prepare our first responders and law enforcement members to manage events of community violence. This unequivocally leads to fewer injuries, death and other long-term consequences.

I commend our community leaders for wisely choosing to dedicate resources to such a well-structured training. Money well spent, in my opinion. I hope to see it continue.

— Marc Yellin, MD, Aptos

Catherine Rampell might want to look online

From a second-wave feminist perspective, there is much to be concerned about the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. However, I think (columnist) Catherine Rampell is naive regarding its most disturbing facets. It is time to be honest about pornography in our country and no one thinks it’s “And Tango Makes Three” (cute story about gay penguins). Pornography today is not your father’s Playboy magazine.

I would like to see pornography and prostitution erased from our country. There is a direct link between them, and their victims are overwhelmingly young girls and women. Participation in either industry destroys lives. And make no mistake, they are industries with dollar signs on the backs of mostly females, who have run out of options. This is not about choice. This is about desperation.

Outlawing pornography and criminalizing those that produce and distribute it would be a positive for all communities. Who is fighting to keep it going? It’s time society stops treating females as a commodity, as if their worth comes from their body.

Imagine a world free of this subjectification.

— Lisa Smith, Soquel

Moving ahead with multimodal plan, rail trail

I welcome this opportunity to get an update on the county’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and on our progress in reaching the 40% greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. In 32 years (1990 to 2022), we have reduced only 100,000 metric tons, or 12%. Couple this with the fact that transportation comprises 51% of the emission. If we are to meet our goals of reducing 320,000 metric tons, the remaining 28%, in the next five years, we must go full speed ahead on the multimodal plan including the 32-mile rail and trail project.

I look forward to an update on bus ridership and how to increase it further. I applaud how quickly the pedestrian and bike overpass on Chanticleer is being built. I dream that one day people can use that overpass to ride down to the coastal trail. As a Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteer, I am encouraged by Supervisor Manu Koenig’s interest to help get a carbon fee bill passed in California: polluters pay, rebates for people, more jobs, a push for the green economy.

— Unhae Langis, Santa Cruz

Trump ‘almost sacrificed his life’ for country

President Trump has been put through so much only because he loves this country. He has given up so much in his personal life to run for president.

I’m sick of the vitriol some of our leaders have used against him, calling him Hitler.

The evil that has been spawned in this country is frightening.

Our military fought for the freedoms we so far have. Yet there are those that dislike our freedom and the beloved Constitution. The hatred that is alive and well in this country is sad. To try and take the life of this man who gets up each day and thinks only of “Making America Great Again” is pathetic.

He almost sacrificed his life for this country if it wasn’t for divine intervention. He is a warrior and will not give up trying to give all Americans a better life.

— Linda L. Eberhardt, Scotts Valley