Good on Gov. Gavin Newsom for starting a meaningful discussion on serious gun control | Opinion

Newsom’s bold step

“Newsom proposes US amendment to restrict guns,” (sacbee.com, June 8)

I believe that this is a bold and brave step for a governor to take, even if it is extremely unlikely for the constitutional convention to play out as he hopes, and even if the majority of the U.S. doesn’t agree that these are “common sense” safety measures. It’s pivotal that Gov. Newsom has brought gun control back into the national conversation.

It is difficult to fathom how some gun owners are so passionate about having firearms that they’re unwilling to compromise in order to prevent innocent people from harm. Establishing any sort of protections against the tragic events we’ve all witnessed in the past decades, directly tied to a lack of government regulation on guns, would simply display human decency.

Louisa McNatt

Sacramento

Important dialogue

“Newsom proposes US amendment to restrict guns,” (sacbee.com, June 8)

Thank you, Gov. Newsom, for formally opening the dialogue with America about curtailing guns and gun violence. The Second Amendment includes a simple phrase about arms and militia, yet the results are a staggering 40,000 gun deaths in our country every year.

Our younger generations seem ready to trade in the Second Amendment for gun control measures that allow some gun ownership but not unfettered proliferation of guns.

Gerald Lance Johannsen

Carlsbad

Opinion

Nature vs. disaster

“Regional flood planning should come to the CA Tulare Basin,” (sacbee.com, June 8)

The Tulare Basin encompasses the watersheds of the Kings, Tule, Kaweah and Kern rivers, from Tulare Lake to Mt. Whitney. Flood control aligns with the respective watersheds, so the San Joaquin River Basin flood control is separate from Tulare Basin flood control.

When a lake bed fills in a big snow year, it’s nature, not a disaster. It is a disaster when people build permanent structures in a lake bed and cause subsidence by over-pumping groundwater.

Corcoran lies on the shores of Tulare Lake. Private farm levees prevent the lake from filling to capacity and subsidence causes Corcoran to be in danger of flooding.

The simple solution for big Sierra snow years is that lake bed farmers allow the lake to fill to capacity. Stopping subsidence would also help. After all, they can only farm the lake bed because of taxpayer funded dams, diversions and water projects.

Gisela Wittenborn

Fair Oaks

Rehabilitation

“Manson follower Leslie Van Houten should not be paroled,” (sacbee.com, June 13)

Perhaps a different view of Ms. Van Houten’s life should be considered.

She has spent more than two-thirds of her life behind bars, and during this time has taken advantage of academic improvements and demonstrated social improvement. She is, notably, imprisoned under the direction of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Is her continued incarceration warranted? But then again, is her release into contemporary society fair? Where would she live? How would she provide for herself? Can she interact in a world completely different from the one from which she was removed?

I have no suggestion of what should be done, but I do believe that the offered choice is both unfair and unjust.

Bob Losik

Fair Oaks

Not so golden

“Grass Valley residents oppose plan to reopen old gold mine,” (sacbee.com, June 8)

Residents of Grass Valley are right to be concerned about the proposal for a private investor/developer to reopen the shuttered Idaho-Maryland Gold Mine. Despite assurances of the investors, the environmental impact is not going to be negligible.

As one resident already experienced, the noise will be present 24/7. Local wildlife will experience the noise more intensely. Amassing large amounts of granite at the site will involve a substantial amount of truck traffic, and the discharge water runs downstream into tributaries of the Sacramento River — our drinking water. Water is scarce up there, why dole out a precious resource to allow a private company with dubious leadership to ruin our quality of life?

Theresa Ann Lown

Sacramento

Dangerous infrastructure

“Why there are so many hit and run crashes in Sacramento CA,” (sacbee.com, June 15)

I am grateful for The Bee’s focus on the chief cause of vehicular accidents experienced by Sacramento’s residents: our poorly designed arterial roadways. These legacy streets, primarily found along commercial corridors, were engineered with a singular objective: enabling swift vehicle movement. Sadly, pedestrian and cyclist safety was seldom considered.

These design flaws inevitably lead to predictable collisions and tragic fatalities. When someone is struck on these roads, it isn’t an “accident.” It’s the expected consequence of inherently dangerous infrastructure.

To improve safety, we must prioritize design changes that encourage slower, responsible driving. It is imperative that we offer more protection to vulnerable road users.

Isaac Gonzalez

Sacramento