Letters to the editor: Stop human trafficking; too many 'friendlies' in press

Ventura County Star
·3 min read
During a 2023 Soroptimist International walk to raise awareness of human trafficking in Ventura, Cathy Trevino, of Oxnard, from left, Gladys Ochango, of Camarillo, and Ashley Pierce, of Ventura, carry signs.

Thanks for event coverage

Re: your Jan. 9 story, “March in Ventura focuses on stopping human trafficking”:

It was a cold dawn in Baltimore, Maryland, when a young lawyer and an amateur poet reached into his pocket for an envelope to pen his thoughts upon the scene he was witnessing. The verses he composed on Sept. 14, 1814, is recited in song prior to every public function in our nation.

That song is our national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It concludes with his final thoughts being “And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave. O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Soroptimists’ International of Oxnard, Ventura, and Camarillo, Oxnard Mayor John Zaragoza, Ventura Peace Officers Association, VC Human Trafficking Task Force and affiliated service organizations thank the Ventura County Star for coverage of its 16th annual Stop Human Trafficking Awareness event. Your coverage and the above people and organizations ensures that Francis Scott Key’s final stanza regarding “the land of the free and home of the brave” will not tolerate labor or human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery.

It is encouraged that if you observe suspicious activity related to this subject that you contact 888-3737-8888, text 233733, or in emergency call 911.

William R. Gohlke, Port Hueneme

Media isn’t serving the public

Re: Dan Walters’ Jan. 11 column, “Newsom disses press yet touts freedom”:

Journalism dies in single-party rule states. Dan Walters correctly pointed out that Gavin Newsom’s media operatives give special access to reporters deemed friendly, while minimizing contact with others who might ask questions that he doesn’t want to answer.

Sadly, the “friendlies” in the California press outnumber the “troublemakers” at a ratio of 10 to 1, by my estimates.

A free media is supposed to function as a watchdog that can investigate and report on government wrongdoing, holding them accountable to their electors.

But in California we have a very unique situation where the vast majority of journalists share the same political views as the party that holds every major elected office and has supermajorities in both the Assembly and the Senate.

Because of this, the “friendlies” either don’t have the will or are afraid to ask the tough questions for fear of losing access and being shunned by their peers or happy to accept the first answer without a tough follow-up question which any good journalist who was trained properly would do.

Those in charge really have no motivation to answer the tough questions because there are zero consequences if they don’t.

Why should they? The few classically trained journalists in California who are brave enough to hold truth to power in our state are written off as “right-wing nuts” and minimized for the hard work they do.

In the heyday of journalism, reporters followed a story wherever it led them, no matter the outcome or consequences.

Now they are content with tossing softballs, hitting their deadlines and collecting their paychecks. Are we being served? For the most part, no. Hats off to the handful of purist rebels who still have a passion for the work.

Alan Garner, Camarillo

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: Stop human trafficking; too many 'friendlies' in press