Modesto-born soccer superstar to be inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame | Opinion

Proud of Modesto soccer superstar

“Modesto native Tisha Venturini-Hoch is an investor in new NWSL team in Los Angeles,” (modbee.com, July, 2020)

Tisha Venturini-Hoch, a Modesto native, is being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on May 4, 2024 in Frisco, Texas. The Bee has not mentioned anything about this honor.

Tisha is a pioneer of Modesto soccer. Without a doubt, she is the best soccer player to come out of Modesto. She was an NCAA Champion throughout her time playing soccer at the University of North Carolina. She is an Olympic gold medalist and a world champion in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The bigger the game the better she was. Modesto should be proud of her. I know I am!

Steve Pedego

Modesto

McClintock’s Trump ties

“Trump keeps smearing E. Jean Carroll. Republicans who know better still stick by him | Opinion,” (modbee.com, Jan. 18)

America’s democracy is being threatened by Donald Trump, who has expressed hateful sentiment to distort our democratic institutions. Congressman Tom McClintock has aided and abetted Trump’s attempt to pervert our democratic process by signing the Texas amicus brief, voting against impeachment or conviction of Trump for inciting an insurrection, voting against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 attack and voting against holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress.

McClintock has a concurrent conflict of interest between his support for Trump and maintaining the integrity of American democracy. I have three questions that are critical to answer before November 2024: Trump is charged with 91 felony charges and indicted four times, will you still vote for him for president? Do you acknowledge that Trump incited the January 6 insurrection?Trump has said that, if re-elected, he will be resentful and attack his opponents while president. If you’re still in Congress, how will you respond?

Naramsen Goriel

Modesto

Opinion

Trump’s sociopathy

“Trump keeps smearing E. Jean Carroll. Republicans who know better still stick by him | Opinion,” (modbee.com, Jan. 18)

The blasphemous, irrational, sociopathic response of egomaniac Donald Trump to a deadly Iowa school shooting? “Get over it.”

Trump’s stance has an evil ring to it — as do most senseless debris he utters. How feeble-minded and mired in antiquated demonic ideology are those who support the “get over it” candidate? What does this say about the health of our nation?

This isn’t his first distasteful response to death and destruction; he spouted the same callous stance at the beginning of the pandemic, saying “we need to live with it.” I have to wonder how many hundreds of lives would have been saved by a compassionate president willfully leading the attack on this virus. The ultimate bully, Trump fashions his demented leadership on harm to others.

Timothy Buchanan

Modesto

Strategy is key

“Kansas recognizes No Labels as political party,” (modbee.com, Jan. 18)

This article discusses voters’ frustrations with the choice between Biden and Trump, and suggests the No Labels party is the best solution. May I remind the writer that Ralph Nader — with 3% of the vote in 2000 — likely cost Al Gore the election. Henry Ross Perot, in 1992, likely tilted the election toward Clinton. If you think third parties have a chance, consider that Perot received 19% of the popular vote, a remarkable achievement, yet received zero electoral votes. This is because the U.S. has a winner-take-all system — as opposed to many European countries that have a parliamentary system of government.

In our system, I am persuaded that a vote for a third party candidate would hurt Biden more than Trump. This is because Trump voters are solidly behind him, whereas Biden voters are more likely to be siphoned off.

Trump represents an unprecedented threat to our democracy, and the primary focus needs to be to defeat him in the upcoming election. There are times we, as citizens, need to be strategic when casting our votes. This is one of those elections.

Kent Mitchell

Riverbank

Where is our humanity?

“Modesto commits $3M for tiny homes for homeless. What are the city’s next steps?,” (modbee.com, Nov. 9, 2023)

According to a 2023 Stanislaus County report, Modesto has 1,642 homeless individuals. Existing shelters are at capacity every night, and we don’t have enough room to provide everyone with temporary housing. In the meantime, the city rejects a cheaper option to provide immediate housing to get homeless people off the streets in the form of temporary shelters with tents, security and basic necessities. Instead, we are getting a future promise that tiny houses will be ordered and set up maybe six months to a year in the future.

Currently, unhoused individuals in Modesto who do not have shelter remain exposed to the elements, with no food or medical security, stuck in limbo. Where is our humanity as we wait and watch the homeless suffer?

Diane Kroeze

Modesto