Modesto’s senior center is “outdated,” “depressing.” Elderly residents deserve better | Opinion

New senior center needed

“These 3 common scams target older adults in Modesto. Here’s how to avoid and report them,” (modbee.com, May 16)

I have lived in Modesto since 1979 and have always been confused as to why our city’s senior citizens center is located directly across the street from a cemetery. Now, as a senior citizen myself, I have only visited the center once. I found it to be outdated and depressing. There is absolutely nothing comforting to a senior to have their community and activities center across from a cemetery.

As the city reviews their future building plans, I hope a new senior center is included — one with color, lighting, decor and ambience both in and outdoors. We need a center that reflects the beauty and wonder of lives still magically living. There will be time enough for cemeteries and death, but not today.

Seniors in this community deserve better.

Linda Varni

Modesto

Camping sites needed

“Show some leadership, Modesto City Council. Give safe camping a try,” (modbee.com, Aug. 29)

Picture yourself as someone who’s unhoused, afraid to sleep for fear of being robbed, beaten or worse. Could you sleep under these conditions? The safe camping sites being proposed would have security, toilets, showers and drinking water. The purpose would be to help get homeless individuals off the streets and into a place where they can access services to seek longer-term housing solutions.

The Modesto Citizens Alliance Group and its volunteers have worked toward this goal for a long time. The problem now is that the city and county have to be convinced. Attend city council and county meetings and voice your opinion.

Diane M. Kroeze

Modesto

Opinion

Personal decisions

“Florida abortion rights at stake as state Supreme Court takes up challenge to GOP-led restrictions,” modbee.com, Sept. 8)

From abortion and gender care bans to debates surrounding the access of birth control, many Republican state legislatures are inserting themselves between doctors and their patients. I won’t accept the government as durable power of attorney over my healthcare.

Anita Bruce

Modesto

IQ test

“McConnell tries to reassure colleagues about his health, vows to serve out term as Senate GOP leader,” (modbee.com, Sept. 7)

While many people, including some politicians, question the mental capacity of elected officials like President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, how about questioning the IQs of Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Lauren Boebert and Tommy Tuberville?

Alan Seliger

Turlock

Voting rights

“Legal fights over voting districts could play role in control of Congress for 2024,” (modbee.com, Sept. 6)

Imagine if the Widget Corporation required its employees to vote for Mr. Widget’s favorite presidential candidate. That would steal the voting rights of those employees and diminish our democracy. Essentially, the Republican National Committee’s loyalty pledge is doing just that: harvesting citizens’ right to vote. If that doesn’t violate the Constitution, it certainly violates its intent.

Over the years, the right to vote has matured from land-owning white guys only to include all Americans, a process marked by bitter protests, including a civil war. Yet today, a movement aims to pare back voting rights through political gerrymandering and by implementing restrictions on drop boxes and the vote-by-mail process — policies excused by a lie concerning wide-spread voter fraud in the 2020 election. It’s a lie that is, itself, voter fraud. A party line vote defeated the Voters’ Rights Bill, the 2022 attempt by Congress to codify voter rights.

While Democrats stand for democracy, Republicans believe that democracy forces them to depend on voters, thus limiting their power. Voting only goes one way: you can vote your voting rights away, but if you do, you won’t be able to vote them back again. Take a loyalty pledge now — while you can still vote.

J. Jason Gale

Riverbank

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid

“Modesto readers say Donald Trump is a liar and criminal,” (modbee.com, Aug. 6)

If I drank the MAGA Kool-Aid, I might say that the Democrat Party had gone too far. For six years, they have been whining that Donald Trump should be held accountable for his crimes against democracy. They have illegally impeached him — twice — and fraudulently indicted him four times in their hopes to convict and jail him.

Loyal Americans know that Trump’s sacred birthright entitles him to an exemption from all our nation’s laws. Unfortunately, these self-evident, sacred truths are not honored by a myopic Georgia judge and an anti-Trump, left wing, woke grand jury that falsely believes that our nation’s laws should apply to everyone, and that Trump should stand trial.

Trump supporters counter this heretic blasphemy by reiterating that Donald J. Trump is our nation’s most beloved, truthful, honest, decent and honorable man of the common people. He has been ordained by God to forever rule supreme over our beloved MAGA country. Trump supporters are warning Georgia officials that William Tecumseh Sherman has been resurrected, briefed and is standing by, awaiting orders if Trump is found guilty.

Brooks Judd

Turlock