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Ban on officers’ use of
masks is right move
Re: “State bans most masks for officers on duty” (Page A1, Sept. 21).
Federal immigration agents want masks to “protect their families.” What about the immigrant families they terrorize? What about the Latino communities the Supreme Court just gave ICE permission to racially profile in Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem, stopped for speaking Spanish, standing on a corner, or simply looking “foreign”? That isn’t public safety. That’s state-sponsored racism.
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Let’s call it what it is: ICE hides behind masks because they know their actions can’t withstand accountability. Police don’t get masks. Judges don’t get masks. Soldiers don’t get masks. Only these agents, empowered by Trump’s mass deportation machine, demand secrecy while ripping families apart.
California is right to ban masks. If you wield the power to destroy lives, the public has the right to see your face: no more hiding, no more badges for racism.
Dipanjot Kaur
Milpitas
San Mateo County must
do right by ‘extra help’
San Mateo County relies on long-serving “extra help” workers, especially in libraries, to provide essential public services.
Despite their critical roles, these employees lack basic benefits such as health care, retirement and job security. Living in one of California’s most expensive areas, many struggle financially while the county expands free public programs — sometimes used irresponsibly.
This reflects a troubling priority: favoring public-facing services over fair treatment of workers. By treating dedicated staff as temporary, the county creates a two-tier workforce that contradicts its own values of equity and inclusion. These workers deserve fair compensation, benefits and a path to permanent employment.
David Smith
San Mateo
Epstein’s birthday book
would tell the story
Re: “Panel presses FBI director on Epstein files” (Page A3, Sept. 18).
Donald Trump and his administration have thrown everything possible at the wall, hoping that it will take the focus off Jeffrey Epstein. Grand jury files are sealed and not really necessary. Instead, a pdf of each and every page of the birthday book would tell the story.
Politicians, sports and other public figures receive requests for autographs and other special recognition for friends and family. Seeing what made it to the birthday book should be enlightening. A generic happy birthday in response to Giselle Maxwell’s request is quite different from something very personal, like the drawing and message from Trump. Let us judge for ourselves not only Trump, but every other person who contributed to the book.
Good people cannot imagine knowing — even at a distance — someone as vile as a pedophile. Pedophiles have great façades — they do not look like the degenerates they are.
Jane Power
San Jose
President is at heart
of social media vitriol
Re: “What I learned stepping away from Facebook” (Page A8, Sept. 21).
Larry Magid’s comments about how social media spreads misinformation, leading to increased violence, were right on.
He mentioned inflammatory posts, but failed to mention the person who posts many of these: the president of the United States. Donald Trump’s almost daily posts are offensive and filled with untruths. And talk about how quickly they spread — it’s almost instantaneous — and how quickly people act on them.
Let’s place much of the blame where it belongs — on Trump.
Toni Blackstock
Los Gatos
Kirk’s mixed legacy still
worthy of mourning
The killing of young, passionate Charlie Kirk was reprehensible and indefensible. It is hard to imagine the grief felt by his wife, children, family and friends. It is right to pray for their healing and well-being. But let’s be clear that his death is no greater or less than anyone else’s. All death under these circumstances is tragic.
And let’s remember that in his passionate speeches, he was critical of DEI, claiming it gave benefits to those who were undeserving. He was critical of those on the margins, blaming them for their own circumstances. What he failed to talk about was decades of White privilege, Jim Crow laws, legacy advantage and nepotism that gave any number of white people “access” whether they were qualified or not.
There is much to admire and mourn about Charlie Kirk, flaws and all.
Larry Lauro
San Jose
Farm to School could
change how kids eat
The USDA’s new Farm to School grants are more than just funding — they’re a chance to transform how children eat and how they think about food. Imagine school cafeterias filled with fresh, local fruits and vegetables, offering meals that are vibrant, delicious and entirely plant-based.
This is about more than nutrition. It’s about teaching kids that what’s on their lunch tray can protect their health, safeguard our planet and show compassion for animals — all at once. What better legacy could we give the next generation than the knowledge that food can be both kind and powerful?
Farm to School programs don’t just connect classrooms to local farms; they can set the standard for what compassionate, sustainable eating looks like. If schools seize this moment, students will carry forward the lesson that every meal is a chance to make the world better. That’s a change worth fighting for.
Ralph Findlay
San Jose