Letters to the Editor, Dec. 15

Profile in courage

EDITOR: Is there a Republican brave enough to stick a binky into Trump's mouth, change his soiled diaper, swaddle him in his bassinet, get him aboard Air Force 1 off to Far-A-Lago, all the while playing the song "Loser” by Beck?

Richard Lyle Harris

Sonoma

If it walks like fascist, quacks like a fascist…

EDITOR: I wish to leap to the defense of Ms. Anne Petersen, who characterized President Trump as a "fascist" (“End of American Fascism,” Nov. 27) and who in turn was sternly admonished for saying so by letter-to-the-editor writers the Callkovskys (“Trump Not a Fascist,” Dec. 8)

I have, over the years, studied the rise of fascism in Italy, Spain and Germany and compiled an extensive list of common points of fascist ideology. While too detailed for this letter, I would like to point out that Donald Trump embraces or approaches all of them. Even if he is not self-consciously a fascist, the term "proto-fascist" is, in my opinion, rather fairly applied to him. One cannot simply ignore ominous forebodings such as racial purity, autarky, impoverished vocabulary, vilification of intellectuals, contempt for the weak, scapegoating, obsession with plots, newspeak, and a fawning admiration for other demagogues, as being mere coincidence with history.

But Trump is only the symptom, not the disease. American Fascism was been around for almost 100 years. Unlike communism, socialism and anarchism, which are imports, fascism is a home-grown commodity in every country in which it appears. It will appear as populism, it will be folksy, and it will be waving a flag and carrying a bible. There are certainly tens of millions of Americans, and even some members of Congress, who are so uncomfortable with diversity and free-thinking, that they would willingly embrace one-party government.

I would suggest that the Callkovskys owe Ms. Petersen an apology, certainly not for voicing their point of view, but for calling her ignorant. Strident perhaps, but she was right on the mark nonetheless.

Joe Troise

Sonoma

A run of good luck

EDITOR: On Dec. 3, 1967, I and the other 11 of my crewmates survived a plane crash of our Navy P2-V Neptune Aircraft. We were in a blizzard and could not return to Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, and had to land (or attempt to land!) at Otis Air Force Base at Falmouth, Massachusetts, on the Cape. There was also a snowstorm there and the pilot and co-pilot became disoriented and we were not near the runway when the pilot was called to pull up as he was dangerously low. Well, he stalled the plane and we hit the ground and slid for quite a distance and the plane's tail and part of its right wing were torn off. While we were escaping the aircraft, it was burning. I went through the overhead bubble hatch over the main flight deck and then ran across the part remaining of the right wing and dropped down to the ground and ran!

There was a follow-up article in my Port Arthur, Texas, hometown newspaper which stated “local flier walks away from crash.” Later the next year when I was visiting Port Arthur, I called the editor who was a friend and said, "John [Ayers], you had it all wrong. It was not 'local flier walks away from crash'; it was local flier runs away from crash. We were lucky that day!

Robert Demler

Sonoma

John Kelly’s smokescreen

EDITOR: With respect to Stewart Saunders’ view of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District – that Superintendent Socorro Shiels’ firing is a John Kelly/ Bruce Abbott smokescreen for SVUSD contracts - he speaks with candor, clarity, honesty, precision. I am one of many who remain in total admiration and support of his dedication toward improving the quality of education for Sonoma’s children all with an eye toward ascertaining an overall healthy academic learning environment. Many are grateful for both his passionate and compassionate voice.

Please address these matters in the Sonoma Index-Tribune to help create awareness and bring about needed changes to Sonoma’s schools.

Cindy Lindh

Sonoma

Cook should have resigned

EDITOR: David Cook should have resigned. He has been officially off the city council as of Dec. 7 and replaced by incoming city council member Jack Ding, but that does not excuse the fact that he has avoided his necessary resignation. Mayor Logan Harvey and Vice Mayor Rachel Harvey both called for his resignation, as did this newspaper. If I'm not mistaken, the Women's March has been well attended in the city of Sonoma since 2016. I myself was interviewed by a local writer on the #MeToo movement. Part of our conversation included my reminding her that sexual assault of girls and women also happens in "nice, quiet towns" like Sonoma, not just in communities of color. This travesty has been made worse by apologist commentary on social media and in letters to the editor, defending a man who has been formally charged by the Sonoma County District Attorney with sexually assaulting a child several times. It's shameful and disgusting. It is the arrogance that David Cook and his supporters express that is most damaging to young girls in our community. The lesson is this: That the privilege and patriarchy enjoyed by wealthy and powerful men is more important than the innocence and dignity of children. Is that what Sonoma wants to represent? I don't think so. David Cook should have resigned, and chose not to. His only statement was that "2020 has just been an awful year." Mr. Cook, you don't get to blame the year on your reprehensible actions.

You should have resigned.

D’mitra Smith

Sonoma Valley