Re “House of Representatives censures Adam Schiff for role in Trump-Russia probe” (June 21):
Let’s face it, being a politician is not thought of by many as a particularly honest profession. To be generous, many are proficient at obfuscating and bending the facts, so a politician has to be particularly dishonest to be singled out and punished for those actions. There are 435 current members of the House, and there have been over 11,000 in U.S. history. Adam Schiff is now only the 25th representative since 1789 (and the third in the last 40 years) to be censured for his dishonesty to the American people and his colleagues about the Trump/Russia hoax. It is a well deserved ignominy. A dishonorable mention goes to much of the media that went along with him in spreading his falsehoods.
— Jeff Thomas, Irvine
Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7
Re “Assemblyman’s reckless smear of a colleague” (June 20):
Per Google, Jackson has a Ph.D. in social work from California Baptist University. Apparently he didn’t focus on the biblical admonition in Leviticus to love thy neighbor as thyself and Jesus’ having upped the ante telling us to love our enemies. I’ve learned that “White supremacist” has overtaken Uncle Tom as a pejorative, which is rather comical. Jackson is pitiful in this fight; Essayli demonstrates a typical attitude of an immigrant background. I submit that when the dust settles the electorate will reject ACA 7 and stand with Essayli’s position. Jackson at best is tiresome and at worst a totalitarian and we know how the totalitarians end up.
— Mary Emily Smiley, Lawndale
Student debt
I understand David Wilson’s line of thinking (Letters, June 22) regarding student debt relief, but I want to bring up a few things he may not have considered. Most students who apply for student loans are first-generation college students or in financial need due to family financial hardship. When we support these students, we help not just the individual student but generations on for that family. Our prison population is over-represented by minority groups and individuals with low income and education levels. We need to think about what is best for the common good. I, for one, would prefer to support education over prisons. More bang for the buck and we all ultimately benefit as a society with a better-educated populus.
— Victoria Haviland, Beaumont
America’s outdated gun laws needs reform
Re “Newsom calls for national gun control” (June 13):
Newsom should be heartily commended by all Americans for trying to save lives, in the face of NRA and right-wing conservatives failing to do anything but wish “thoughts and prayers” and then, expressing sadness about recent school and mall massacres. Actually, I disagree about Newsom’s approach. We as a country need to amend the outdated and outmoded Second Amendment, which referred only to colonials being able to arm themselves. No Constitutionalist in 1787 envisioned assault weapon availability to anyone who can literally walk and chew gum, mentally unstable or not. Newsom is neither running for president, nor running a campaign for re-election. So, let’s stop all the “people, not guns, kill people” campaign. America has the largest percentage of gun-related deaths in the free world. Let’s be responsible and end these needless gun-related slaughters before vigilantism takes over, and lawlessness is unstoppable.
— David Goldstein, Chatsworth
Hunter Biden’s plea deal
As a plea deal is reached for Hunter Biden concerning tax evasion and a gun charge, one has to wonder if his name had anything to do with the light sentence. Capitol protesters from Jan. 6 got years of prison for merely trespassing. Ja Morant just got penalized millions for brandishing a gun on social media. The mob boss and gangster Al Capone was finally nabbed for tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Would “Scarface” have been sentenced so harshly if his last name had been Hoover?
— Robert Snyder, Laguna Hills