Sister Roma preaches acceptance, unlike the Catholic Church which vilifies homosexuality | Opinion

Discrimination

“Republicans protest as California lawmakers celebrating Pride Month honor a drag nun,” (sacbee.com, June 6)

Sister Roma, an invited guest on the Assembly floor in honor of Pride Month, was denigrated for being who she is. Republicans, per the article, purportedly objected to her invitation because of her group’s “public denigration of the Catholic faith.”

What was the public denigration? Calling herself Sister Roma? Being opposed to violence and being a major fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ community? Being a supporter of all mankind, unlike this church which still vilifies homosexuality?

Adjacent to Sister Roma’s picture was a Catholic bishop committing calumny by making false charges accusing her and “the drag nuns’‘ for “mocking Christianity and Catholicism.” Bias against the LGBTQ+ population appears to be the main focus of these praying Catholics. Am I not allowed to denigrate the prayerful who pray in public for discriminatory purposes?

Karla LaZier

Sacramento

Opinion

Opportunity for all

“Mayor Steinberg, Sacramento leaders discuss migrants’ experiences and prepare for more,” (sacbee.com, June 7)

I feel as though the secrecy of this whole operation has done nothing but harm these migrants’ future. It will ultimately be a detriment to the politicians who thought they could cover it up.

I wonder whether an open dialogue between states could have allowed California to willingly take the migrants into sanctuary, or whether the request would have just been denied, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stated willingness to provide for them. I am also curious as to why Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis got involved, as these migrants were in a center outside of Texas.

Ultimately, I believe DeSantis’ involvement shows an unnecessary fear of migrants within America, as he may have viewed their potential future move to Florida as a threat. This is a concerning characteristic for a future president as the American Dream depicts the land of opportunity for all.

Rayna Goodman

Sacramento

Accountability

“Sacramento’s first-world shame: What can we do to help our homeless neighbors on the streets?” (sacbee.com, June 3)

According to a June 2 Wall Street Journal report, California has spent $17 billion trying to fix the homelessness problem. Between 2014 and 2022, our homelessness population has increased by 50%, and there seems to be no solution in sight. So where did the $17 billion go?

Sacramento has a habit of assessing a problem, stating they are spending billions of dollars to fix it and then walking away, claiming they solved the problem.

If something doesn’t change we are all going to feel the consequences.

Tom Zemanek

Cathedral City

Flawed bill

“CA Assembly votes to pass Journalism Preservation Act,” (sacbee.com, June 2)

This article painted a simplistic picture that suggests journalism advocates support the Journalism Preservation Act while big tech companies like Meta oppose it.

As an organizer who has connected with local publishers statewide, I know firsthand that the dynamic isn’t so straightforward. In fact, a growing coalition of local journalists is staunchly opposed to Assembly Bill 886, a flawed bill that would worsen the landscape for local news in California and underwrite the harmful spread of online disinformation.

As written, the legislation favors big corporate publishers and junk-news mills that generate the most online views. Instead of rewarding high-quality journalism that California communities need and deserve, AB 886 would result in more sensationalist clickbait and more profits for outlets that do little to hold the powerful accountable.

Californians need policies that will bolster local news. AB 886 isn’t the answer.

Florin Najera-Uresti

Oakland

Deserve better

“Feinstein must remain in the Senate to help President Biden,” (sacbee.com, June 1)

Due to Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s progressive mental and physical deterioration at age 89, she is totally incapable of carrying out her Senatorial duties. How can she be expected to help President Biden when she relies heavily upon her staff and can’t even help herself?

In the meantime, Feinstein may as well be the poster child to illustrate the necessity of term limits as well as cognitive testing for our elected officials over the age of 75. We the people deserve the best and the brightest. And Feinstein’s constituents deserve better.

JoAnn Lee Frank

Clearwater, Fla.

Safety tip

“How get help if you don’t have cell service on a CA hike,” (sacbee.com, May 31)

There are lots of good safety ideas in this article, but it left out the most important safety tip of all: Let someone you trust know where you are going, and when you expect to return.

Bill Child

Fair Oaks