California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond's voice broke as he recounted the last moments of George Floyd's life as he lay dying on a Minneapolis street. 

"I am haunted by the sound of his voice, begging to breathe, begging for life, and we must address that trauma head on," Thurmond said during an address Monday on Facebook. "We must have hard conversations." 

Floyd, an African American man, was asphyxiated by a white police officer who pinned him to the ground with his knee for more than seven minutes, according to an independent autopsy released Monday. 

Thurmond and other California Department of Education officials plan to meet with leaders in education, government and law enforcement to talk about racial bias and how education can teach empathy and tolerance and build racial justice. The department will offer online resources on racism and implicit bias on its website in the future. In the meantime, the email account createracialjustice@gmail.com has been set up so people can offer suggestions about what the department can do to promote racial justice.  

"I have to admit it has been difficult for me to find my voice, to try to get my mind around such senseless acts that have occurred," Thurmond said. "It has been difficult for me to make sense of how a man can beg and plead for his life and still have his life snuffed out. It has been hard for me as a black man, who every day thinks about the impacts of race. I've struggled to know how and what to say about what has happened in the aftermath and killing of George Floyd." 

Thurmond understands adversity. He left the Bay Area at age 6 and was raised by a relative in Philadelphia after his mother died of cancer. He returned to the Bay Area in the late 1990s and worked for two decades with marginalized youth as a social worker and in nonprofit management, while moving up the political ladder from school board member to state Assemblyman. 

While serving in the Assembly, Thurmond taught civics and life skills and offered one-on-one counseling through a nonprofit three times a week at Camp Sweeney, Alameda County's youth detention center.  

Thurmond was elected superintendent of public instruction in 2018. Since he has been in office he has made it a priority to get more black and brown teachers into the classroom and to close the achievement gap - the disparity in academic achievement between white and Asian students and their lower-performing black and Hispanic peers. 

The office of superintendent of public instruction offers its occupants limited power to make policy but a big megaphone to influence opinion. On Monday, Thurmond - the state's second African American superintendent of public instruction - pulled out that megaphone. 

"I believe we need more than talk and platitudes in this country," he said. "I believe that we have to have action and that action has to be focused on dealing with race and racism and implicit bias. We have to be courageous and honest about the racism that exists in this country that could lead to such a senseless death at a time when we as a nation haven't even healed from the deaths of Ahmaud (Arbery) and Breonna (Taylor), that we would be faced with a horrific killing of a man who begged for his life, who pleaded for his life." 

It's time to address racism and implicit bias in education and its impact on black and brown students, Thurmond said. These students are often given an unequal and inadequate education, and are more likely to be suspended and pushed out of school and into the criminal justice system, he said. Monday, he talked about how difficult it has been for him to watch the television images of Floyd's death and to explain it to his children. 

"It has been difficult for me as a parent raising children to know what to say, how to answer their questions when they ask me 'Dad, why did this happen?' I know I have to confront my own vulnerability when they ask can this happen to them. That I might not be able to keep them safe. All I can do is talk to them about how they might carry themselves if ever confronted. About actions that they might take that might make a difference in their well-being." 

Thurmond said the conversation about race will begin with his staff at the California Department of Education, including discussions about the emotional trauma the killing has caused. The department will also provide more training about implicit bias, he said. 

"I think for too long we have talked about race but have not really talked about race," Thurmond said. "We must not let this moment go unnoticed."

Students in the Bay Area are adding their voices to nationwide protests demanding an end to police brutality.

Thousands of Bay Area youth and adults gathered in Oakland on Monday to march in support of the family of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died last week after a police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck, which has since sparked outrage and protests across the country. 

"In the year 2020 as a black woman, I have been shown that this remains a land of no promise," one student told the crowd before the march began. "As Americans, our national leaders refuse to give us the things that any person should have: equality and justice. Our demands of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have yet to be given to us." 

The mass gathering was one of many replayed across the country as protests marked the seventh day of public outrage over Floyd's death. Monday's march brought together nearly 15,000 supporters, according to Oakland police Chief Susan Manheimer. 

With a kickoff at Oakland Technical High School, the march started with several impassioned speeches and live spoken poetry performances by Oakland students and continued down Broadway to City Hall.  

Participants of all ages wore masks and a shared microphone was disinfected between student speakers. While 6-foot social distancing guidelines were difficult to follow for the large crowd, some adults handed out free masks, snacks, bottled water and hand sanitizer down Broadway.  

"Being a black girl in America, I want to see a change. If this is what we have to do to make change, I'm going to show up," participant Sakeenah, a junior at Oakland School of the Arts who asked not to use her last name, told EdSource. To teachers, she added, "show up for your students."  

Several police cars and motorcycles rode behind the march and blocked off the mostly peaceful demonstration area. 

But the situation escalated as the sun went down. On Monday afternoon Alameda County announced a curfew of 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. and hundreds of protestors remained in downtown Oakland after the official scheduled close of the march at 6 p.m. Police fired tear gas at the crowd on Broadway 10 minutes before the curfew start and began mass arrests shortly after. 

"This is really important, and people aren't listening. There is only so much you can do on social media," said Krystal Situ, who this spring graduated from the Bentley School, a private K-12 school in Contra Costa County. 

For some students, the march was the first time they had seen their classmates in person after schools across California closed in March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

In the days leading up to the march, Oakland's top schools chief expressed support for students but advised against students gathering in public due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

"I write today to join in the national call for justice as well to express my support of our students and families. I am outraged by George Floyd's death at the hands of the police," Oakland Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell wrote in a letter to the community on May 30. "This outrage is only heightened by the recent murder of Ahmad Arbery for simply jogging in a white neighborhood, and a string of other cases in which African American men had the police called on them to scapegoat their accusers' own misconduct and criminal acts. 

"We understand the desire to be involved in planned marches and actions. While we do not want students out due to Covid-19 safety precautions, if you participate, please be vigilant in wearing a mask, maintaining 6 feet apart, being aware of your surroundings and not use violence under any circumstances. There is too much violence in our world, and peace needs to be our path forward," Johnson-Trammell said. 

Oakland Tech has historically earned a reputation for its youth-led activism. The school's class of 1981, dubbed "The Apollos," spent their four high school years pushing to establish the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in California. The decision was later followed by several other states and declared a national holiday in 1986.  

Students, teachers and other community members from across the Bay Area showed up in support of the march on Monday. But before the march some teachers were already looking to bring current events surrounding the death of George Floyd and protests to the virtual classroom and open up difficult conversations in their community.  

At Berkeley High, teachers have created a racial justice toolkit for parents and students as well as a summary of recent events to quickly bring others up to speed.  

Alice Bynam, a ninth-grade teacher at Berkeley High, attended the youth-led march on Monday after also participating in protests on Friday and a car caravan on Sunday.  

"I'm going today as a teacher, thinking of my students, and also I'm going as an adult to make sure youth are safe," said Bynam, who teaches ethnic studies, gender studies and health. "I think it's important for anyone to go and participate in these actions to share their support and commitment and stand up and be counted."  

Bynam and other teachers at Berkeley High are organizing a voluntary virtual conversation with students in order to help students know they are understood and supported. Having these conversations via distance learning can also be challenging, she added, since there can be fewer opportunities to discuss what's happening on the news and how to analyze sources and information.  

"I don't see my experience on the ground is mirrored in the news coverage, but if I hadn't been there in person it would be hard to know that," said Bynam, adding that she was pleased to see many of the protesters wearing masks and adhering to social-distancing guidelines in the protests she has participated in.

Our emails inboxes are full of causes with petitions, surveys and requests for donations. Which are legitimate? They are needy, and many of us are desperate to act effectively in these critical times. With the internet, it is so easy for them to reach out to many and seek money.

Which are scams? It’s hard to know. But imagine that you are a crook, need money and wish to milk the internet. Here is all you need to do to raise dollars: (and we are not even talking about hackers or GoFundMe.) 

1. Create an idea, we’ll call it Lovers of Toads. 

2. Claim Lovers of Toads supports a great cause. Write a mission statement of how important toads are for preventing corruption, protecting our environment, promoting our health, addressing inequality, or saving the Post Office. 

3. Organize a focus group to figure out how to make the toad message appealing. 

• See the how the poor toad is having trouble catching flies for dinner, all because of climate change.
• Toads improve our health by swimming in ponds; this will lower our cholesterol.
• Funds protecting toads are in danger. We need to have more oversight to prevent corruption.

4. Design an attractive Lovers of Toads web page including these appealing stories and a donation button. 

5. Design an email appeal. In the email, ask people to do something; it increases donations. Ask for an opinion, a petition signature or answers to a survey: 

O Toads are important to the environment. O Toads are not important to the environment. 

O We should fund toad protection. O We should not fund toad protection. 

O It is my right to stroke a toad. O My right to stroke a toad is in danger. 

6. Always include a donation button that is easy to use. That will give Lovers of Toads your credit card number and other personal information. 

You can save these poor toads by donating to Lovers of Toads. DONATE 

7. Buy lots of email addresses and send them out in areas where people are likely to care about toads 

The only important item in the email is the donation button. Note that you never see the results of surveys, may not know to whom petitions are to be delivered or if they are ever actually delivered. 

Choose to donate carefully to be effective. Find out about the organization. If you recognize it, make sure that it is the organization it claims it is. Sometimes all you need to do is look at the email address of the sender. For example, it might ask for money for a famous cause like the United Way, but the sender’s email address will say Somebody@Whatever.com 

To be sure to know where your donation goes: 

• Check out a charity or cause with your state consumer protection office or the Better Business Bureau or political party before you give.
• Verify the name. Fakes often choose names that are close to well-established organizations.
• Don’t assume that you can get a tax deduction for this donation. Use the IRS’s database of 501(c)3 organizations to find out if it has this status.
• Don’t send cash or wire money. Pay with a check or credit card that you can track.

It’s very important now to give to candidates directly and causes and organizations that we know. 

But be wary.
Use your delete and spam buttons; unsubscribe to cut down on the email flood. 

 

 

 

It’s time for Joe Biden to fish or cut bait.

Thanks to the coronavirus invasion and more, he’s conceded to be The Candidate by almost all of his recent competitors.

Biden’s most valuable competitor has not conceded and won’t. That would be the father of the COVID catastrophe, the person anyone would love to run against at this point in his career, regardless of what he did in 2016.

There’s a timely bumper sticker ready for Joe’s campaign against this jerk: “Joe Biden Is Nobody’s Fool’. 

Never have the choices been clearer, even for those devotees of various members of the pantheon of Democratic Party luminaries who started off the debate season with high hopes. Even if you think, for example, that Bernie Sanders is still The Best, he is not, contrary to the cliché, The Enemy of The Good. 

Wisely, Bernie has now allied himself with Biden, the good-enough popular choice who won all those early primaries. Though Bernie’s fans hoped he’d pick up enough delegates in later races to win at the end, it couldn’t happen, mostly due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. 

The old W.C. Fields joke comes to mind: first prize is a week in Philadelphia, second prize is two weeks in Philadelphia. For poor Joe Biden, first prize is one term as POTUS (that ugly acronym), second prize is two terms as president. 

It’s going to be mighty rough coping with both a major pandemic and a major depression. Joe needs all the help he can get. 

I doubt that he’s hoping to run for a second term, which is why it’s high time for him to get a presumptive running mate on board—and she’d better be one tough cookie. 

Yes, I know that the Left Flank has been looking forward to a classic platform battle, the kind where Democrats enthusiastically bludgeon one another with planks that will be forgotten a year into the term if their guy wins. As an unwilling witness to (how many?) platform brawls, I’ve learned to watch what they do, not what they say in the platform. 

Case in point: The only Democratic National Convention I went to in person was in 1964 in Atlantic City. That’s the one the Mississippi Freedom Democrats went to, trying to be seated as delegates in place of those chosen by the hard core segregationists who at that time controlled the regular Democratic Party in Mississippi. 

I wasn’t an official delegate—I just dropped in for a day to support the Freedom Democrats. In those days there wasn’t much in the way of security, so I just snuck into the hall and wandered around the floor talking to delegates, trying to persuade them to do the right thing. 

The high point of my visit was encountering Dr. Martin Luther King in a diner at lunchtime and shaking his hand. I was seriously pregnant at the time, and I’ve always thought this incident conferred a special blessing on my daughter. Otherwise my lobbying didn't make much difference. 

After a lot of behind-the-scenes byplay, the new contenders lost out to the old segregationists, on both credentials and platform committees, with Lyndon Johnson actively working to keep the Southern old guard in his party. But nevertheless, in 1965 President Johnson was key in persuading Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. 

And now White supremacists in the South have a new home with the Republicans. 

Watch what they do, not what they say. 

So where does Biden find the ideal running mate? 

In the first place, not at the convention this year. If there even is a convention. In the current pandemonium, no Democrats should be cramming into a convention center. Better to leave that foolish behavior to the other team—Darwin’s Law and all that. 

But in the absence of a physical convention, and even of campaign rallies, the top candidates will have the job of cheer-leading, not only for their own election but to bring along enough down-ballot congressional allies to be able to govern. 

The op-ed pages these days are full of speculation about who Biden needs on his ticket. 

Political scientist Rachel Bitecofer (her bio describes her as an “election forecaster”) suggests that the winning choice should not be Biden’s double, and that choosing a woman (to which he’s committed) is not enough to bring in extra votes. Those who fantasize about motivating an uncommitted moderate majority are promoting Senator Amy Klobuchar, but she appears to be ideologically aligned with Biden. In Bitecofer’s schema, Klobuchar is a “ticket complementor”, when what the ticket needs is a “ticket balancer”. Even worse, the police killing of an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis has drawn attention to Klobuchar's record as a prosecutor there, when she did not prosecute officers involved in similar incidents, including the main person accused in this week's case. 

Bitecofer is enthusiastic about Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams, who are what used to be called “two-fers” or even “three-fers”. That is to say, they’re different from Biden in three key ways: female, progressive and Black, all in one neat package. She thinks that one of them would energize progressive and African-American voters to show up at the polls who might otherwise stay home. She suggests other women of color who might also qualify. 

I’m no academic pollster, but in my unscientific inquiry among members of my private focus group the Bitecofer analysis seems too simple. Most of my friends fit into one, two or all three of those categories, and yet they aren’t relying on any of these identities as their basis for voting (or not). If they vote at all, they'll vote against Trump, but some might be tempted to cast vanity votes for the likes of Jill Stein as a way of expressing themselves. 

But what’s motivating their election decision this year, for almost all of them, is common and garden fear. Between the pandemic and the coming depression, everyone’s scared as hell. 

More than one, and not just the youth faction, worry that Joe Biden might not last for the duration. It’s not that he’s not competent now, though he’s in his late seventies. Nancy Pelosi is 80, and she’s still the major force to be reckoned with in the federal government. But stuff happens after you reach a certain age. 

If, god forbid, the VP would need to take over, which of the current crop of front-runners could complete the job of straightening out the country? 

In my consulting group of probable voters (who range in age from 18 to 92) there’s surprising agreement. They all seem to feel most secure with Elizabeth Warren. 

She has two of the three desirable identities, and additionally has the most experience doing all the things that a president should be able to do. 

She’s been a legislator, an administrator, and, perhaps most important, a teacher. And also, she’s smart, energetic and tough. 

How about the rest of the mentioned candidates? Harris is another ex-prosecutor, with baggage similar to Klobuchar's. The Bernie bunch doesn’t think she is progressive enough--or, probably, that any of the others is either. But a percentage of his supporters, probably a sizable one, think that Warren is in the ideological ballpark, if not quite doctrinaire enough to please the hard core. 

And Biden needs help right now from a vigorous assertive campaigner. Here I’ll draw on personal experience, having met both Harris and Warren in small groups in Berkeley. Harris is attractive, but Warren is magnetic. She takes over a room in minutes, just as she took over the debate stage. 

I suspect Abrams might be able to do the same. Many in my consulting group look forward to endorsing Abrams for president in the future, but they think that she lacks national experience at the moment, which she would need if she became president any time in the next four years. A cabinet post would give her the experience she needs for a future presidency. 

What will it take to energize the apathetic young? I’m not sure. Sanders was supposed to be able to do that, but they didn’t show up for him in the primaries. Why should a vice-presidential candidate make any difference? 

I’m also not sure how many actual votes this group represents—I suspect not as many as it appears. I once captained a precinct near a university, and many of the apparently non-voting registered student voters turned out to have moved out of town and registered elsewhere. Many supposedly non-voting young people are probably in the same category. 

But it’s time to get moving. The Democrats should not postpone the announcement of a vice-presidential candidate until after a hypothetical convention, now re-scheduled for August but subject to further postponement or cancellation. 

The skeleton of Warren’s presidential campaign is still around, sending out fundraising letters for congressional candidates from time to time. If Biden were to announce that he’d chosen her for Vice President, she could hit the ground running in a heartbeat, complete with staff. She’s already said that she’d accept if offered. 

Let’s do it. 

 

 

 

 

Hi friends, neighbors and family,

A friend and I are doing a #blacklivesmatter #endwhitesilence ‘honk and wave’ at the corner of Ashby and College in Berkeley at 4pm today. Join us if you feel safe to do so. Bring signs, water and masks for a safe, socially distanced protest. Spread the word if it helps. We’ll do it for an hour or so.

Maybe all those other things you want to happen in the world like tackling climate change and social change cannot happen without changing the system that keeps our problems in place.

Hope to see you later!

THE JOY OF WORKING FROM HOME

Dear Editor,

Covid-19 is forcing people to work from home that normally wouldn't. When we get past this crisis, I want to encourage people to continue to work from home if possible. There are several advantages, as we have begun to notice.

For example, working from home helps the planet because you don’t have to drive to an office. And that means less commuting. Less cars on the road will cut down on pollution.

Since you’re not commuting, you can sleep in and you get to spend more time with your family. You can also get chores done and spend more time doing things that you want to do.

On the other hand, some people might say that they can’t work from home because they have a job that doesn’t let them work at home. For example, people who work at a grocery store or at a zoo. But even if they can’t work from home, they can still use BART instead of driving, which causes less pollution. We can also take car pools or a bus. You can even bike if it’s close enough.

Overall I think that we should work at home and not drive as much because then we can make the world healthier.

Sincerely,

Thurston Dearborn Kotomori,





WHY YOU SHOULD SOCIAL DISTANCE

Dear Editor,

As of May 23, 2020 there have almost been 100,000 deaths of coronavirus in the United States. Social distancing could have reduced this number. California was the first to try to flatten the curve through social distancing thanks to Governor Newsom. Everyone should take social distancing seriously to save lives.

The virus spreads quickly without social distancing. A care center outbreak led to more than 1,000 cases across Washington state. If we don’t social distance, all the hospitals will run out of space for treating sick people.

You can help save lives by staying 6 feet apart from others if you have to go out of your house. Otherwise, stay home to protect your family and community. Another example is wear a face mask if you are sick so you don’t get the virus and spread it and can’t stay six feet away from strangers.

Without social distancing, the virus could get much worse. Movie theaters and other places could close for 12 months or more if you don’t follow the rules of social distancing. People have already lost their jobs and money to buy food and other important stuff. There is a chance that if we have social distancing, less people will get infected so we will be able to go back to work sooner and less people will lose their jobs.

Please take social distancing seriously to save as many lives in this world as possible!

Sincerely,

Jai G. 

 

 

LITTERING IS A CRIME! 

Citizens of Berkeley, listen to me! We have a problem, we need to clean up the trash. Littering is a crime. We all share this environment and people who litter affect everyone. I am focusing right now on plastic and its various deadly forms. 

This fact might make you cry. One in three Leatherback Sea Turtles have been found with plastic in their stomachs. They think plastic bags are jellyfish and eat them. Most choke and die while others become deformed. 

Plastic rings are the second deadly form. Birds come down to catch fish, instead they get tangled in plastic rings and often die. Their necks get tangled and it cuts off the blood circulation and their ability to breathe. 

If we don’t work as a team our world will become a garbage patch just like the one in the Pacific Ocean that contains 3.5 million tons of trash. Animals will perish, plants will disappear. Which means no oxygen, no pollinators and most importantly no hope. 

The time is NOW to clean up trash. Stop buying plastic bags and reuse what you currently have. Pick up the next candy wrapper you see! Thank you for your time. 

Sincerely, 

Matiz Girard Maxon 

 

 

THE CLEANING CLUB 

Dear Editor, 

I am writing to you about litter and why we should clean it up. The first reason is you can get confused about what is nature and what isn't. Say it's a chicken bone but you think it's a stick and you accidently touch it. Then if the person that littered it was sick, when you touch the bone, you’ll get their germs from the chicken. Later if chew your nails, for instance, you could get sick. That's why we shouldn't litter and why it is so gross. 

Another reason littering is a bad choice is that it can fly away and end up in storm drains and the ocean. Litter that finds its way into the sea can harm fish, sharks, whales, crabs, dolphins, and many more creatures. Litter can also harm animals in forests, ponds, lakes and cities. So next time you see litter, don't think twice about picking it up. After all you could be saving the life of an animal, or a species. 

The last reason is, litter doesn't belong in Berkeley and we all deserve to live in a clean and safe community. I propose the following solution. We can make a club called the city of Berkeley’s Cleaning Club. This cleaning club could be for kids and there could be one for grown ups too. Members could pick up the trash and clean everything. We can ask tax payers to fund this club and it can provide more trash cans and trash pickup for Berkeley. I hope this persuaded you to think more about littering and the actual harm it can cause to everyone. Now in this time of coronavirus, it is especially important to clean up our community! 

Sincerely, 

Selen G. 

 

 

 

 

STOPPING GLOBAL WARMING 

Dear Editor, 

We urgently need to stop global warming! We can help do this in two easy steps: driving less and considering being vegetarian. This will benefit humans. My first solution is to drive less. If everyone does that, it will improve the ozone layer. There would be less gas emissions, and consequently less global warming. We would all get more exercise and become healthier. We would be happier because we could spend time with our family and friends on these walks or bike rides. Additionally, it is proven that exercise improves mental health. 

I know you might be thinking, but what about coronavirus when you're on a walk? but when you go on a walk you can do six feet of distance. 

Yet another way to stop global warming is to consider being vegetarian. Cows are mass produced and they have gasses that come out of their bodies that aggravates global warming. Also it would reduce the plastic packaging of meat. Plastic is made from petroleum products which contribute to global warming. In addition, cows create landfill. In the Atlantic Magazine August 11, 2012 it was stated, “About 60 percent bones, tendons, blood, and plasma -becomes abbattor waste and, as such, has to be either recycled or disposed of.” 

In conclusion, these are the two ways to pollute less to stop global warming. Drive less, and consider being vegetarian. Thank you for your consideration and time. 

Sincerely, 

Charlie Vix 

 

 

A LIVING WAGE 

Dear Editor, 

Since you studied Finance at University of California Berkeley you would be interested to read this article. I think if we could have a living wage, it would be better for people in the USA. Some people have more money than others, so the living wage would help a lot to the not rich people. 

Everything is expensive in the Bay Area: rent, food, health care, companion pets and toys. If you break your arm, and don't have enough money to buy health care, that is bad. Also, companion pets are very expensive. Could you imagine someone looking at the gloomy sky and not having a cute friend to play or cuddle with? That is very sad. 

Tragically, toys are also expensive in the Bay Area. High quality toys are more expensive than cheap toys, but most kids want high quality toys so they last longer and work better. 

The food is really expensive to buy as well, especially at restaurants. Sometimes people have a tiring day and they don't want to cook. They try to go out to eat but it is too expensive, so they don't go out and have an unhappy day. 

What if somebody doesn't have money to buy food, health care, pets and toys which are very expensive in the Bay Area? A living wage would help people buy things they need. 

That's why we should have a living wage. 

Sincerely, 

Sophia Humnicky 

 

 

STOPPING DEFORESTATION 

 

Dear Congresswoman Barbara Lee, 

I would like to bring a very serious issue affecting California to your attention. It is very important that we stop deforestation in California. Deforestation is when people cut down or permanently demolish all the trees in forests. There are severalreasons why cutting down trees is very bad for our environment. 

One reason is that people need oxygen to live and breathe. Cutting down trees reduces the amount of oxygen in our world little by little. Also, trees filter out dangerous carbon dioxide. So with fewer trees, there would be more carbon dioxide in the air. 

Another reason is that deforestation causes animals to lose their homes. Most animals, such as monkeys, snakes, birds, and bats can live in trees. It is very important that animals can have their habitat because if they don’t they will come to cities and spread diseases and dangerous viruses to other animals and humans. 

In California, there are several places where deforestation occurs: the coastal redwoods and the Sierra Nevadas. Tree poachers cut off parts of redwood trees. This causes tree infections and can also increase the chances of wildfires. Many trees have been destroyed in fires in the Sierra Nevada region, which results in habitat loss for many innocent animals. 

Congresswoman. Lee, I hope you can help fix some of these problems in our great state. Thank you very much. It would really improve the environment. 

Sincerely, 

Eli Kaldis 

 

 

CHANGING THE WORLD: NO PLASTIC 

Dear Editor, 

I think that we live in a beautiful world but if we keep making and using plastic, it won’t stay that way forever! The theme of this piece is to think about how plastic affects the world and animals. 

Did you know that every day tons of plastic goes into the ocean? This is bad for all marine life! You can read more about this here! For example, if sea turtles get a rubber band stuck on their shell when they are babies they can grow up deformed, compressed by the band, and never get the band off by themselves. So if you ever see a turtle with a rubber band on their shell, please take it off them! One more fact is that Turtles can mistake thin plastic bags for jellyfish and die! R.I.P. TURTLES WHO ATE PLASTIC BAGS! Other things made of plastic, like water bottles, end up in the ocean and sharks like to eat those and it makes them sick. 

Maybe we need to stop selling plastic bottles just like plastic bags? Maybe we could give reusable bags and metal water bottles away to everyone. Some people might want plastic so they can have fun toys like Legos, remote control cars and other things, but you can have fun with things not made of plastic. 

I think that we should stop making plastic so the world can be a much better place! And remember to never throw plastic in the ocean! 

Sincerely, 

Sebastian King 

 

 

LITTERING KILLS 

Dear Editor, 

I want the planet to be healthy just like how you eat healthy foods to get strong. Unfortunately, people don’t understand how littering is bad for the environment. For example, when they can’t find a garbage can, they litter. I’d like to help them think about caring for the environment. 

What people don’t realize is that when they litter, it can end up in the ocean and animals can get hurt or sick from trash. Once I was bbat the beach with my family and I saw a dead seal with a scar with a piece of rusty metal, like from a metal can, sticking up out of the cut. Littering can kill animals. 

When animals die, their families miss them. Not only is that sad, but these animals don’t get to be in the world. They will also miss out on all the cool things they would otherwise get to do. Animals have a right to live a happy and healthy life too! 

I know that your readers are dealing with COVID but when they have a free moment, I’m asking them to consider a few easy ways to help: 

 

 

1. Put up more trash cans so people don't just throw trash on the ground.
2. Put more signs up that explain how littering harms animals and the planet.
3. Publish more stories about saving animals and the planet on the internet or in newspapers (and sell them at a cheaper price) so that everyone can learn about it.

Thank you for spending time reading this article. 

 

 

Sincerely, 

Addison Newbold 

 

 

 

GLOBAL WARMING 

Dear Editor, 

I just realized something: global warming is still not resolved! If we don't act soon to stop global warming, who knows what will happen? Here are some reasons and solutions for this problem: 

First of all, greenhouse gases are gases like CO2 that absorb heat in the atmosphere near the earth's surface and prevent them from escaping. This causes global warming. There are two major contributors to CO2 that cause global warming. 

One of the major contributors are cars, which have what’s called polluting oil that gives off CO2 causing global warming. Cars are bad for the environment due to poor fuel. A solution is starting to use electric cars more often and making them cost less money. 

A second contributor is smoke stacks. Smoke stacks often cause air pollution by emitting noxious gases that include carbon dioxide: our enemy. “Taller stacks reduce the impact of pollutants on the local area by spreading the released pollutants over larger areas” says a trusted website. Go to this or this for some solutions! If we use renewable energy, switch fuel, etc. we can reduce greenhouse gases! 

Please try and use some of my solutions to stop this crisis! Here is one other website you should read about just to be sure! Show you care by putting this letter or this subject in your newspaper. 

Sincerely, 

Lila Schmitz 

 

 

BIKE LANES 

Dear Editor, 

I think Berkeley’s bike lanes should be painted a bright color, like Oakland’s, to make cyclists safer. One reason is that cars don’t seem to see the bike lanes very well. Drivers go into the bike lanes a lot and nearly hit cyclists. For example, one morning my dad and I were riding our bikes to school and were at the intersection of 9th and University. When the light turned red there was a car that drove into the bike lane and around the corner. We did not get hit but there was another cyclist who almost did. 

Another reason is that sometimes people on bicycles can’t see the bike lanes because the paint is old and worn off. The lanes get crowded and so cyclists move into the busy street. A couple of weeks ago, there was a line of bikes that was six feet apart so the bike lane seemed as crowded and busy as the streets. The biker at the front of the line suddenly went into what he thought was the side of the bike lane, but was actually the street. Because of that, everyone else followed him. If the lanes were painted a bright color, people would not accidentally go out of the bike lane where they might get hit. 

For these reasons, I believe the bike lanes should be painted a bright color like in Oakland. 

Sincerely, 

Lucas.S.H. 

 

 

SAVING OUR OCEANS 

Dear Editor, 

Isn't the ocean fascinating with all of the species of creatures living in it? I feel passionate about these sea creatures and the water they live in, which is why I want to help stop the pollution of our ocean. I'm hoping that you can help me keep our ocean clean. 

One way trash gets in the ocean is by littering. People who throw trash on the ground or near rivers that lead into the ocean all contribute to the pollution. Sometimes people at the beach will leave trash behind. If we want to continue to enjoy our beautiful oceans, we have to respect our environment by not littering. 

There is also a large island of trash floating in our ocean. Ocean trash is made of mostly plastic that can take up to 1,000 years to fully break down. These plastics in the ocean pose a big threat to humans and wildlife. 

One way that plastic is harmful for wildlife is that plastic washes up on the shore and seagulls eat the plastic and get sick or can die. Other wildlife like whales, sea turtles, and fish might mistake plastic for food. Plastic can get stuck in animals’ throats and stomachs causing things like choking hazards or not being able to eat. So in order to keep our ocean clean and the animals that live in it healthy, we all need to play our part. 

I know a lot of people might like to use plastic products, but if we keep using so much plastic then the ocean, the environment, and all living beings on this planet, will suffer. The good thing is we can all play our part by using less plastic products, picking up garbage from beaches, and using reusable water bottles, containers and shopping bags. We can also help by spreading the word and educating others. 

Sincerely. 

Sophia Schevon 

 

 

THE PLASTIC PROBLEM 

Dear Editor, 

You probably know that plastic ends up in the oceans, beaches and other places. But this problem is worse than it seems. Many disasters will happen to our world if we don't stop this dilemma soon. 

Animals are eating plastic and being harmed by it, they also get hurt by it in other ways too! Oceans and land get polluted by it. What if I told you it's harming you too? Animals eat plastic and some people eat animals meaning that people end up eating plastic. Also, don't you love swimming at the beach? However, if this plastic problem is keeps increasing, when you try to get up from a dive you will be covered in plastic because of the amount of plastic on the surface of water. 

How is it harming the world? Plastic ends up in oceans, on beaches, and on land. In addition to that, animals mistake it for food. For example a sea turtle may mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish because of the shape the plastic bag makes when floating in water. Now that I have explained to you what plastic does to our world, we will move on to the part of stopping this dilemma. 

The first solution is that we could use compostable items such as straws, forks, spoons and much more. For example, Peet's coffee usually uses compostable straws instead of plastic ones. On the other hand, Starbucks rarely uses compostable utensils. Also, if you don't use silverware and use plastic utensils, maybe you could try to use compostable utensils as a better option. 

The second solution is that you could use reusable items. For example instead of plastic water bottles you could use a non plastic water bottle and refill it. Non plastic reusable bags are a better choice than plastic bags too. Reusing items is more efficient for the environment. For example, let's say you bought some jam in a plastic jar. You finish the jar of jam and are about to throw it away but it's a sturdy jar you could take off the label and store stuff inside it. You can also reuse plastic items to make art. 

In my opinion this solution is the easiest. There is a browser called Ocean Hero. Here's how it works. Ocean Hero is a search engine and recovers one ocean-bound plastic bottle for every 5 searches you do on it. It uses the money it gets from being a search engine to save our oceans from plastic. Plus, it’s much more fun than a regular search engine because in the right corner there is a little box that has a plastic bottle with a x on it and tells you how many plastic things you've stopped from going into the ocean. Also you can change it to ocean mode where the background of the search engine is a ocean.https://oceanhero.today/ That's the link for you. 

Here is a list of a few easy things you can do to help! 

1. Get used to not using disposable plastic. 

2. Do not use plastic bottled water 

3. Reuse your plastic waste 

4. Keep reusable shopping bags with you when out shopping, and use less single-use plastic bags 

5. Reuse your “disposable” bags 

6. Carry your water bottle everywhere 

7. Use jars for leftovers and storage if sturdy 

8. Buy in bulk when you can (Do not use the plastic bags they offer. Bring your own jar or non plastic bag from home and fill it.) 

9. You can refill your plastic water instead of throwing it away. 

Just keep in mind that there are many more ways that you can help with this problem; for example going to the beach and picking up plastic. Hopefully after reading this paper you can help this global crisis stop. Maybe now you’ll think twice about using plastic. 

Sincerely, 

Maryam Sabri 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another brutal murder by a white police officer captured in graphic footage the last moments of George Floyd’s life.
Floyd pleaded with the police officer, who pinned him to the ground with his leg against his neck.

“I can't breathe, don’t kill me” Three other police officers looked on refusing to intervene. The video went viral prompting hundreds of protesters to demand justice. The killing is reminiscent of so many black men killed by racist white cops most prominently, Eric Garner who was choked to death by a white police officer gasping for breath pleading “I can’t breathe 11 times before dying.

The crowd who witnessed Floyd’s killing was seething with anger, some carrying signs reading “I can’t breathe” and “jail killer KKKops” and chanting “prosecute the police”.

A group of riders from the Vital Kings, a black motorcyclist club based in St Paul, accompanied the protesters amplifying the sounds and demanding justice.

Onlookers dismissed the police narrative that Floyd was resisting arrest. The Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, stated unequivocally “that the video showed that for five minutes we watched (in horror) as a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of a black man.”

The facts are unmistakable; Floyd was handcuffed and offered no threat to the arresting office. The officer who choked Floyd must be held fully accountable and the three other officers who failed to intervene must be charged as accomplices in his brutal murder.

This is the time to rethink our priorities and get ready to vote in the general election to vote for the candidate who will care for the wellbeing and safety of all American citizens, irrespective of their social status, skin color or cultural background.

It is very disturbing to note that there are many people who don't have basic human rights. They are living on the sidewalk or streets. Even under pandemic and other related health threats, their right to live with dignity, and have food clothing and shelter is ignored.

I also think that each one of us must have access to basic human rights—to have food, clothing and shelter. Under today's health crisis, we have come to know that people who don't have money, health insurance or ability to fight COVID-19 are dying unnoticed.

I am shocked to learn that during this life threatening disease, without any vaccine or medicine, our President has ordered the public to go back to work. We all know that this disease is new to the researchers and there is no tested and safe vaccine to be injected into people to build the immunity to fight this disease. People are dying across the nation. But I hear that due to lockdown and shelter in place, our economy is hurting.

Is money more important than human life? Let us find out from those who have lost their family members due to this disease.

People who have to go to work without any protective gear will not be able to protect themselves or curb the surge of spreading this disease. It is not wise to ignore the guidance from the medical research team. 

I wonder why we don’t weigh scientific facts to save our citizens. Our Government and its members get all that they need to protect and keep themselves safe but the general public does not have the capabilities to do that. How many more deaths should it take to have our leaders change their way of thinking, to bring our economy back and make America rich again? I hope we all will keep this in mind to elect our leader in forthcoming election in November. 

It is very important to have leaders who will think for others first before self. 

I hope we all will use our wisdom to vote for a kind and thoughtful person to save our people and value lives.

The "Berkeley Safe Open Air Dining" proposed for the June 2, 2020 Action Calendar is an outrage.

I've been a Berkeley citizen for almost fifty years, and have watched in horror as the council's priorities skewed more and more in favor of those with money and property squarely against the people inevitably displaced by those same priorities -- especially as they relate to the use of public spaces.

Nothing illustrates this better than having the same business lobbies that worked to try to outlaw panhandling and sitting on the sidewalk, and succeeded in outlawing having more than three square feet of belongings decide, in the middle of a health crisis predominantly affecting the poor, to offer special rights to monetize public spaces for profit only to businesses the lobby represents.

Even former Mayor Shirley Dean argued that these property-based business lobbies should be self-funded over time, rather than inordinately and eternally fed by the fees on public property such as public schools, universities, and even our community post office. This is particularly outrageous now, when the public needs what little is left of its income and needs its parks and sidewalks more than ever for basic human needs. 

These businesses have every right to organize for their own benefit -- at their own expense. But it is hypocritical in the extreme to allow this group to take advantage of the public spaces and parks near their businesses, the same public spaces police often drag poor people to jail for being in at all. We have made no progress in improving our police oversight, and the groups of street monitors and cleaning crews hired and organized by the business lobbies -- but paid for by the public -- have no independent oversight at all. 

Our city ordinances are now fully littered with laws aimed squarely at the poor and their belongings. But if the local sock puppet for a business lobby lifts a finger for even more the council burns rubber re-jiggering ordinances in favor of anything they want. In this case, the monopolization and monetization of public space at the time we need public spaces most; during a pandemic when the need to physically distance oneself from others on crowded public sidewalks makes simply taking a walk on a sidewalk or through a park is an anxiety-ridden minefield. 

Public space already has a purpose. The businesses and their lobbies should respect that purpose, and also applicable law. The Berkeley Public Parks and Open Space Preservation Ordinance (Ordinance No. 5785-N.S.) known as "Measure L" plainly states: 

" Section 1. VOTER AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURE. 

That no public parks (hereinafter defined) or public open space (hereinafter defined) owned or controlled or leased by the City of Berkeley or agency thereof, shall be used for any other purpose than public parks and open space, without The Berkeley City Council first having submitted such use to the citizens for approval by a majority of registered Berkeley voters voting at the next general election." 

In other words, the "Berkeley Safe Open Air Dining" requires a city-wide public vote to legally cannibalize our scarce public spaces and distort their purpose toward monetization. I look forward to the City Manager's report reminding the Berkeley City Council of this 1986 city-wide mandate created by those who foresaw so well that moneyed interests would one day eye our parks, wide sidewalks, and open spaces with greedy, self-interested eyes.

A familiar children's tale is "The Pied Piper of Hamelin." It's the story of grim revenge: a man is hired to do a job, does it, isn't paid, and responds by abducting 130 children. Now Donald Trump is enacting a similar narrative: leading thousands of Americans to their deaths from COVID-19.

Based on a 13th-century German legend, The Pied Piper has four parts: The town of Hamelin hired the Pied Piper to get rid of its rats; the Piper took care of the problem; the town refused to pay him what they promised; and the Piper responded by luring away most of the Hamelin children.

The Pied Piper of Mar-a-Lago also has four segments:

1.Contract: Hamelin had a rat problem and hired the Pied Piper to deal with it. In 2016, those who voted for Donald Trump hired him to fix a problem: the economy of the United States was not working for the ninety-nine percent and the government needed to be shaken up. Hamelin hired an outsider to exterminate its rats; Trump's base hired a Washington outsider to "drain the swamp" and "make America great again."

2. Action: The Pied Piper fixed Hamelin's rat problem -- legend says by playing his flute and leading the rats away from the city. It's not clear that Trump fixed the problem that his base hired him for, but he did shake up Washington and, for the first three years of the Trump Administration, the stock market went up 52 percent (by-the-way: during the comparable three years of the Obama administration, the market went up 78 percent). 

3. Breach of Contract: The Pied Piper fixed Hamelin's rat problem but his contract was not honored; instead of the promised sum of 1000 guilders, the Hamelin city fathers offered 50. 

Donald Trump wasn't looking to be paid in money -- although he's made a lot of money by capitalizing on his position. Trump seeks public favor; he wants to be acknowledged as the greatest President in U.S. history. Many times, he's claimed this accolade; for example in 2018 at the United Nations, he boasted, "I don't believe there has been any administration in the history of this country that has done more in two years." (https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/25/politics/donald-trump-un-speech-laugh/index.html) While his base appears to accept this boast, it's rejected by others -- at the United Nations speech, Trump was laughed at. 

Not all Americans view Trump favorably. On December 18, 2019, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives. (On February 5, 2020, he was acquitted by the Senate.) 

4. Revenge: After his contract with Hamelin was broken, the Pied Piper responded by abducting most of the town's children -- legend says 130. 

Trump has not been acknowledged as the greatest President in U.S. History. In fact, he was impeached, and, more recently, has been lambasted for his incompetent response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Trump retains support of his base, he is a controversial figure -- as of this writing, Trump is disapproved of by 53.6 percent of voters and approved of by 42.6 percent. (https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/ ) 

The Pied Piper of Hamelin took his revenge with a horrific act: abducting the town's children. Donald Trump is taking his revenge by advocating policies that, so far, have resulted in the deaths of 103,000 Americans. 

Analysis: There are three interpretations of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Some observers treat this tale as an allegory: the event occurred during a period when Bubonic Plague ravaged central Europe -- a plague many believe was transmitted via fleas on rats; from this perspective, observers contend the Pied Piper represents death and the tale serves as a reminder the plague caused the deaths of of many children. Other observers view the tale as transactional: the town elders didn't pay the Pied Piper so he took their kids and either held them for ransom or sold them to others. Finally, some see this as pathological: the Pied Piper was cheated and responded by killing 130 children. 

Donald Trump is contributing to the deaths of many Americans by his overall lack of leadership and his egregious behavior: not wearing a mask, not observing the protocols of social distancing, and, in general, not taking the pandemic seriously. No one interprets this behavior as allegorical but there are observers that see Trumps response as transactional or pathological. 

Transactional: Trump botched the US pandemic response and this has diminished his chance of reelection. Rather than admit he made a mistake, Trump has chosen to ignore or minimize the pandemic; he has bet everything on the US economy recovering -- regardless of the human cost. 

Pathological: Trump is vindictive. No doubt he found the impeachment process humiliating. Donald has to be aware that a majority of Americans believe he abused his power: "52 percent ... say they believe Trump abused the power of his office by asking a foreign government to investigate a political opponent to influence the upcoming election, compared with 41 percent who disagree." (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/nbc-wsj-poll-country-remains-divided-over-trump-s-impeachment-n1128326 ) Viewing his behavior from this perspective: Trump is pissed off and this informs his pathological calculus: if you support him, you should live; if you do not, you should die. 

Bob Burnett is a Bay Area writer and activist. He can be reached at bburnett@sonic.net