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Vote for Sanchez forAlameda County sheriff
In 2007, the iPhone was released, Stephen Curry was playing college basketball and Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California. Also that year, Gregory Ahern became Alameda County sheriff. He ran unopposed in that election, and in every election since.
This year, we finally have a choice in the sheriff’s race. It is past time for a change, and I support Yesenia Sanchez for Alameda County sheriff.
Sanchez has worked in the Sheriff’s Office for 24 years and knows what its problems are and how to fix them. Along with safety, she will prioritize transparency and accountability, which are critical for a public servant like the sheriff. But I am most impressed by Sanchez for her immense courage in stepping forward to challenge her boss — something that nobody else in her position has been brave enough to do for the past three decades. She deserves your vote.
Marla KirbyLivermore
Ask Native Americanstudents to share stories
Re. “Report catalogs abuse of Native American kids,” Page A8, May 12:
The legacy of the Native American boarding schools is a cruel, dark history.
Our government had always led me to believe that it valued ethnic diversity. However, in its blind effort to help native children assimilate, it lost connection with what makes the indigenous people special. That is its unique cultures and traditions.
Asking former boarding school students to tell their stories as part of a permanent oral history collection is a commendable step in the right direction.
Haowen WuPleasanton
Supreme Court leak isunprecedented betrayal
The leak out of the Supreme Court regarding Roe v. Wade was so unbelievable to me. Then the Democrats ran with it and immediately started protesting in front of the conservative judges’ homes, and even vandalizing a pro-life center in Wisconsin. I’ve never heard of Republicans stooping this low.
The decision isn’t even finalized yet. Abortion regulation will probably go back to the states like it should have in the first place. Californians don’t have to worry. This state will be the most lenient of all. Anything goes in this state.
Cathy LedbetterNewark
Help schools removestigma of mental health
The past decade has seen an increase in poor mental health conditions for youth in the United States with more and more students seriously contemplating suicide. Kids Data (2022) notably found that suicide rates have risen 130% for kids aged 10-14 and 46% for those between 15-19 years of age.
As a school-based clinician, I can also attest to the number of children in elementary school who have at some point had suicidal ideation or thoughts. California legislators are seeking to address this concern through SB 224, which seeks to incorporate age-appropriate mental health information into kindergarten-12th grade curriculum.
Once upon a time, the state was concerned about rising teen pregnancy rates, which decreased with the successful implementation of reproductive health education. SB 224 allows young people the opportunity to learn more about destigmatizing mental health, prevention resources and access to treatment.
Susana Villegas-RodriguezOakland
