We published the first round of responses on Tuesday, as we normally do, but as a result of the volume and quality of letters submitted, we are presenting additional letters from across Southern California.

As always, feel free to weigh in on the issues of the day by emailing us at opinion@scng.com

“The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

The teaching of the Bible has conflicting positions on taking from today’s Californians and giving to the descendants of those who suffered the abomination of slavery 200 years ago.

Not only has the statute of limitations been exceeded, the administration and funding of such a reparations program is impossible.

The best thing we can do today is to provide equal opportunity for all our citizens. The rest is up to the individual.

Now, let’s focus on getting compensation for the Jewish people who were enslaved by the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Persians.

Do not forget California’s indigenous people who were enslaved by the Spanish and John Sutter pre-statehood.

— Stephen Smith, Eagle Rock

California wasn’t a slave state in the first place

Slavery was never legal in California, and ended in the rest of the U.S. over 150 years ago. My ancestors came here after that time, except for one relative who got off the boat, and joined the Union army to fight against slavery. What claim can be legally or morally made against me and mine? Fair-minded people don’t blame the innocent for problems they had no part in creating.

Let the anxious make voluntary contributions if they feel it will make a difference. Otherwise, keep your hands off my tax dollars. They are needed to address real problems. Reparations will become a future bullet train, with mind-boggling numbers.  Do we stop at a cost of billions, or add on trillions? Of course new state departments will be created. All with bloated bureaucracies and no time limits. Because new populations of “deserving” individuals will be discovered.

— Kenneth Usher, West Covina

Reparations talk is just political theater in state

Cash reparations?

Sorry, but no.

Those aren’t my words; that’s a paraphrase of Gavin Newsom declining to endorse the recommendations of his own reparations task force to pay up to $1.2 million to Californians harmed by slavery and other alleged misdeeds of the past.

Maybe he feels he’s scored enough political points by merely introducing cash reparations into the public discourse in his quest for the presidency.

After all, he says, dealing with past wrongs “is about much more than cash payments.”

Perhaps he realizes California simply can’t afford it, especially in light of a looming $32 billion budget deficit.

— Brian Thiebaux, Moreno Valley

Why reopen old wounds?

America in general has not had a sterling record when it comes to “liberty and justice for all.” Name any minority or ethnic group — Chinese, Japanese, Irish, Italians, Germans, Mexicans, LGBTQ, whatever — and, at some point, they have been the objects of hatred, injustice and discrimination.

That being the case, how would reparations to one minority address historical wrongs against so many others?

Conversely,  it might just open new wounds. Cash payments would be silly; how do you put a price on institutional wrongs?

Favoring one group would be just another instance of discrimination.

Instead, let’s institutionalize treating all citizens the same from this day forward, and work diligently to make us truly a blended society with no barriers, favorites or tiers.

— William Densmore, Riverside

Let Democrats pay for reparations if they want

America has addressed the sin of slavery in numerous policies and laws, such as affirmative action, trillions in transfer payments and subsidized housing.

However if Democrats, who were instrumental in the slave trade, wish to make further reparations including cash payments, they are free to write checks from their personal accounts.

— James Sisco, Westminster

Re “Enough of the Marxist delusions” (May 14):

I agree with Matt Fleming that taxing the rich is not going to save democracy (though our democracy is in extreme peril and I hope something can save it). But, in usual fashion, he sets up a straw man, the obscure Excessive Wealth Disorder theory, and knocks it down. I agree, it seems utter nonsense. What I object to is the huge misleading picture of Karl Marx, taken at a museum in China, and the headline on Marxist delusions. This is just fear-mongering. Today’s so-called communist countries are actually dictatorships, and that is what we need to guard against. Because the Republican Party seems enamored of dictators and autocrats. Yes, we are against communism, but making it the central focus of our fight to save democracy is wrong; it is the authoritarian, autocratic tendencies within our own country that we need to face up to, and reject.

— Marge England, Garden Grove

Durham probe into Trump-Russia collusion theory

The Washington Post received a Pulitzer Prize for its inaccurate reporting of the push by many of “Russian collusion” during an election period against one of the candidates. The long-awaited Durham report goes a step further and says the DOJ, FBI (remember the back-and-forth text messages) were very careless, with unequal treatment in their investigation, as the report found no collusion. How does the mainstream media accept the Durham report? To no surprise, they dismissed a hand on the scale during a presidential election and called it a “nothing burger.” Why do I think if this happened to their choice, their opinion would be different? Hopefully, this never happens again against either side during an election.

— Dennis Cito, Arcadia

Immigration and the open United States border

If the immigrants are coming to work, give them work permits when they arrive to receive their “free” phone, health insurance and ticket to their destination of choice. With that work permit they can pay taxes like the rest of us and pay for housing, food, cell phones and health insurance like all of us citizens are required to do. Let all people have a fair chance to fulfill their dreams by working on it instead of the taxpayers of the U.S. giving and paying for the so-called “Dreamers.”

— Jon Reitz, San Pedro

Re “Should the United States have open borders?”

I was fascinated to read the arguments of both Sal Rodriguez and Susan Shelley … because Rodriguez’s position isn’t really “open borders” at all. He argues it should be easier for well-intentioned immigrants to come to the U.S. without having to navigate such a complicated series of steps for becoming legal citizens or endure a grueling process just to gain entry into the country, but he notes there still should be a process, including a basic vetting. That’s not all that far removed from what we have now.  Shelley, on the other hand, interpreted the same “open borders” phrase much more literally, as if the idea would be to prop the gates open with sticks and re-assign Border Patrol officers to a different law enforcement agency. And so, the debate really was reduced to apples vs. oranges. Both writers make sense on some aspects, but also are somewhat unrealistic about others. The result was an interesting read but, in my opinion, not much help in terms of solving our current border crisis.

— Bob Cunningham, Cherry Valley

Global warming

Re “Coal, gas power plants may get new limits” (May 12):

Thankfully, the EPA’s new regulations for fossil-fueled electricity generation preserve the chance to reach the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions science tells us are needed to maintain a climate where we all can thrive. It won’t be easy or cheap. But, failure is not an option. In 10 years, I would much rather discover we’ve spent a fraction of a percent of our GDP more than necessary to preserve a livable planet (while improving our health, security and extending our lifespan) than find that we just missed keeping global warming to a level that lets our kids and grandkids have a climate where they can enjoy life and prosper.

— Tom Hazelleaf, Seal Beach

White supremacy

Re:  “Biden: Racial progress facing sinister forces” (May 14):

Once again, President Biden has repeated that endless lie, stating that Donald Trump said “there are fine people on both sides” of White supremacy, both for and against. Trump said no such thing. He merely said there are fine people on both sides of the question of whether or not to remove statues of Confederate heroes. But I guess as long as it makes the former president look bad, it is OK to continually repeat this lie.

— Marc Russell, Los Angeles

No, it would be impossible to help all ethnicities that suffered past injustice

History is the study of past events. The operative word is “past.” We can’t go back and help those people who in the past have suffered injustice. Probably every ethnic group on the planet has suffered injustice at one time or another. Can’t change that.

To attempt to pay reparations to descendants of all those ethnic groups who suffered is not possible.

However, that said, we can help ensure that all children are provided with the best education available. If schools in some communities need extra support, let’s spend those “reparation” dollars where it can do the most good. That’s an investment that will benefit all of us. Children are the future of our nation. Let’s learn from the past and do better.

— Ruth Watson, West Hills

Yes, the offending Democratic Party should pay the bill for them

The debate over slavery reparations always comes down to who should pay them. As a believer in reparations I think the offending party should be held libel, and that would be the Democratic Party.

It was formed in 1828 to promote, protect and defend institutional slavery. After the Civil War, it was responsible for the KKK, Jim Crow laws, segregation, separate but equal policies and opposition to civil rights legislation up until 1965. The DNC should apologize for its sordid history and pledge 50% of its donations to a fund to pay reparations.

I’m sure many will disagree with me, but ask yourselves this: “Would the African American community be better off today if the Democratic Party had never existed?”

— Joseph Vinetz, Los Angeles

Yes, immediately

African Americans should immediately be paid reparations for the hundred of years of free labor that their ancestors provided to build this country — my ancestors and millions of other African Americans who were tortured, raped, maimed while building and harvesting to make this country into an international power!

— Matthew Brazille, Long Beach

Additional responses will publish on Friday.

Re “What’s driving the record levels of migration to the U.S?” (May 12):

It is Joe Biden and his administration that have invited the immigrants to our borders. He canceled the construction of the border wall on his first day in office. Donald Trump, during his presidency, had the border under control … not perfect, but there was not a big border problem. The Democrats fought Trump every step of the way in his efforts to control the border.

— Marsha Roseman, Van Nuys

U.S. and Ukraine

In Sunday’s Opinion section (May 7) were two op-eds regarding the highly debated Ukraine crisis. Scott Horton alleges that the U.S. and the West are to blame for the two Russian invasions of Ukraine. This is a preposterous accusation.

The only person responsible for these invasions is the megalomaniac Vladimir Putin. He maintains the fantasy of an irredentist restoration of the old Soviet Union despite the dissolution of the empire more than 30 years ago. By contrast, Adam Schiff supports the concept of free nations aiding the aspirations of the long-suffering Ukrainian people. As much as it pains me to admit it, Schiff is spot-on in his reasons for supporting Ukraine. Free societies ought to assist people who hunger and thirst to be free, just as our allies have helped us in the course of many conflicts. We don’t need boots on the ground in Ukraine, but providing military and humanitarian aid to defeat Putin makes sense. If Putin conquers Ukraine, what is to stop him from invading the Baltic states or parts of Eastern Europe? We can’t solely rely on NATO or the UN to deter armed aggression. Indeed, isolationism will only serve to embolden malign actors such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.

— Christian Milord, Fullerton

The case aginst California slavery reparations

Present-day Californians’ taxes should not pay reparations to descendants of Black slaves living in California. Some 60% of the country is opposed to reparations. In California we have over 2 million people who identify as African American. $2.1 million is the economic calculated amount due each African American in reparations, per The New York Times. Our state budget is $300 billion. We don’t have  $2.4 trillion to pay reparations. The reparations proposal includes monetary payments, policy reforms and services to African Americans. Maybe the descendants of the slave owners should foot the bill for reparations. I don’t believe the current California taxpayers should be the ones to pay reparations.

— Thomas Muñoz, Ontario

Long Beach and Los Angeles and green ports

Re “Officials see a future with wind power facility” (May 10):

The Port of Long Beach’s attempt to brand itself as “the green port” is a classic example of public relations spin. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are repeatedly reported as being the two largest sources of air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin, including toxic, cancer-causing diesel exhaust.

Thousands of diesel trucks, and numerous dirty diesel railroad locomotives operate every day. The ocean going ships are the worst polluters of all. So spare us the spin and concentrate on cleaning up your mess and protecting the public health.

— Noel Park, Rancho Palos Verdes

Teacher wages

Re “Teachers earn $67K on average. Is push for raises too late?” (May 9):

It is the community that makes the school. No amount of pay will diminish disrespect, disruption, incomplete work or lack of consequences in our public schools. It wreaks havoc on teachers and students attempting to learn.

Laws have stripped the schools of their ability to maintain and enforce order, civility and work standards. Give parents the option to enroll their children in a school environment that does.

Charter, private or co-op schools will achieve equal or greater academic success than public if students have behavior and performance standards to meet that are enforced and supported by the parents who send them to that  school.

— Marilyn Marestaing, Mission Viejo

Re “Bianco fails again as contract rates rise” (May 4):

While this year’s 1.63% patrol rate adjustment does increase costs for contract cities, it falls far below the annual rate of inflation. If the newspaper were committed to balanced reporting, you would compare this increase to police budget increases for those cities that have their own departments. I am convinced that this would show that in-house policing cost increases are far greater on an annual basis and over recent years. As a retired city manager for the city holding the county’s largest law enforcement contract, I have first-hand experience with the commitment, professionalism and value provided by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Do your journalistic homework and provide balanced information before rushing to bash our Sheriff’s Department.

— Tom DeSantis, Temecula

Crime and the correlation with density in our cities

M. Nolan Gray (May 7) attempts to use the fear of wildfires to produce support for development that is unwanted by some communities. This blatant effort to support the hunt for profits by developers is disgusting. Local control of zoning laws and development is critical for a community to maintain its desired characteristics. When spewing statistics regarding efforts to limit higher population density development, why is it that the correlation with crime rates is not included? The fundamental problem is population pressure, but no one will step up to the question of carrying capacity, because it will offend the growth objectives of developers. And if hysteria pertaining to wildfire risks is part of the discussion, please acknowledge the successful technology demonstrations and developments to provide earlier detection and response that were introduced in response to the Camp Fire tragedy.

— Tim Woodington, Glendora

Emergency room patient care and the border

Re “Hospitals battle overcrowding” (May 8):

We have an influx of individuals, many of whom have absolutely no access to primary care or any care or insurance, who are all landing in emergency departments. And perhaps the “influx of individuals” is because of the open border policy of the Biden administration and is the reason for overcrowding and high medical costs.

— Donna Hall, Rancho Santa Margarita

It’s the guns … again. Eight killed and seven wounded in a Texas mall. There’s nowhere to hide anymore. Texas has a particular fascination with guns, having legislated an almost free-for-all system for the possession of high powered weapons of war. And yet it’s the desperate hope that a “good guy” with a gun can stop a “bad guy “ going about his deadly business. In this case, an officer just happened to be at this mall and “eliminated” the “bad guy.”

Age increase, magazine restrictions, and dare I say it, forbid the manufacture and sale of these military-style weapons. There is only one use for them, and it’s not personal protection or hunting. There are over 400 million guns currently in circulation, and the U.S. leads the world in gun ownership and gun deaths. And I ask this again as I do after every gun tragedy: Do you feel safer in your daily life knowing that guns are everywhere? I cannot say that I do.

— Michael Rausin, Upland

Fixing the homeless crisis right here in California

I read the two articles about homelessness in the April 30 edition of the newspaper and Ned Resnikoff’s “Housing First” approach is compelling, but he acknowledges it can only work where there is abundant housing, yet California has a housing crisis. So the state would have to tackle housing availability broadly for “Housing First” to work here. Rev. Andy Bales calls out that we need to get people off the street now, and “Housing First” has been ineffective. Unfortunately, resources have been moving to “Housing First” at the expense of alternative approaches. We are throwing resources at something that sounds good but clearly has poor results. I agree with Rev. Bales, “We need a new approach now.”

— Michael McCarthy, Garden Grove

Proud Boy convictions

RE “4 Proud Boys are guilty of seditious conspiracy” (May 5):

More diligent prosecution of those who for days and weeks before Jan. 6 planned the riots in the Capitol. Yet the anti-Trumpers still claim his speech that day was the cause. Only intellectual hypocrisy has it both ways. Where is the diligent identification and prosecution of those in the nationwide Black Lives Matter riots that caused billions of dollars of damage? They are right however, there is no more equal justice in America. Who will be on the wrong end of the stick next?

— Steve Hawes, Sunland

Biden would win over Trump in next election

Joe  Biden has displayed age-related deficiencies and is a danger to the country because of this. In my opinion his presidency has been a disaster, beginning with the Afghanistan fiasco, open border policies, Ukraine war, the economy, etc. Trump is the target of the left with false accusations, but the Jan. 6 incident is his own doing.

He was a non-politician who was a good president but his ego and actions alienated many of his constituents. With all of the baggage connected to Trump I believe that Biden would win the election over him. This could be disastrous to the country because of his age and who would really do his job? If he died while in office then Kamala Harris is our president, which could be the demise of the United States. I believe that neither should run for president and that younger qualified candidates should be given a chance at the office of the presidency.

— Kenneth M. Bezich, Rolling Hills

Hopefully someone new steps up for a win

I think there should be age limits for the president. Biden doesn’t seem to know what’s going on daily and Trump thinks back to the last election.

Hopefully someone else steps up who has us citizens’ best interest first before giving our taxpayers dollars to other countries.

Anyone that has a business background would be great. Look at the states that are thriving; maybe someone from a successful state would and could save this country and any so-called debate would be an argument full of deception and lies or unanswered questions from either Don or Joe.

— Jon Reitz, San Pedro

Chances are against Trump getting back to the White House, ever

As a betting man, chances are against the former president becoming the 47th president of the United States. I’m an unlucky gambler so if I put a wager on Biden, vote for Trump,

I could lose money that I don’t have but the worst president in American history will be out of power. The 2024 presidential election will only be one more in a long line where voters will have to choose between two horrific candidates.

— Stephen Lucas, Van Nuys

Re “Who really pays to phase out diesel?” (May 4):

It’s time to take the regulations out of the makers and enforcers hands — the California Air Resources Board and the local AQMD. This autonomous and self-serving group both makes the rules and enforces the rules. They answer to no one. Their latest rule-making regarding the phase-out of diesel trucks will cost billions of dollars and the loss of thousands of independent truck drivers their jobs. And they don’t care. This new rule will cost California businesses and cities untold billions of dollars. It will add untold costs to all consumers. Elon Musk stated that you cannot make a long-haul electric truck. The long-haul truck drivers will become the new Pony Express. They will have to stop at their centers and change tractors like the Pony Express used to have to do to change horses.

— Earl Miner, Riverside

California’s housing shortage and sprawl

Re “Orange’s cynical ploy to stop housing” (May 4):

It is time for the state of California to stop interfering with cities’ requirements for housing. And time for the newspaper to butt out of our business. I have been a resident of the city of Orange for over 37 years. I have seen massive development, unbearable traffic, water shortages, utility outages, due to over-development. Orange is a large, sprawling city, one of the “big six” in Orange County. We have three — three! — east/west corridors in our city. Massive development in the east end has caused hundreds of thousands of car trips every week and peak-hour gridlock.

That doesn’t include car trips when the freeway has a boondoggle and motorists exit in Orange to use the hills to travel to Riverside/San Bernardino counties. Requiring cities to over-develop further only compounds an already over-taxed system. Sure, our drought is “over” for now, but what about the next one? Where is the water going to come from?

What about rolling blackouts in the summer due to overuse of the electrical grid? Our city leaders were elected to address and handle our city, not what Sacramento thinks is best for our city. Enough. Butt out.

— Carol Ellwood, Orange

Trump’s border wall

After hearing and reading so much about the migrants crossing our U.S.-Mexico border in the thousands daily, maybe President Trump’s idea of the border wall wasn’t such a bad idea after all?

— Terri Glaser, Simi Valley

Newsom’s energy tour

Re “Newsom touts state’s energy shift in tour” (May 2):

Newsom’s energy tour is the same old slick salesman approach to cover up awful energy policies and social programs. Our one-party system in California is leading our state off the cliff. It is even worse because we have agencies with unelected people appointed by the governor adding to the problem. Gov. Newsom calls all people who disagree with him troglodytes. He does not get why people want to leave California. He wants to make all of us still living in California troglodytes to fit his climate change agenda and social agenda.

The total lack of a cohesive energy transition plan and runaway social programs shows us why we need a two-party system in California. If businesses were run like California they would be bankrupt. The Sacramento politicians are trying their best to bankrupt California.

— Don Black, Rancho Palos Verdes

Californians for school choice should get it

Re “School choice is rejected by the Legislature” (April 27):

It’s too bad Democrats in the California Legislature don’t know the meaning of the word “representative.” They are all representatives of the people living in their districts. It is up to them to find out the wishes of those people and vote accordingly.

If a majority of Californians want school choice, that is what true representatives would vote for.

They aren’t to vote according to what they themselves want. The Democratic legislative majority in the state has done a great job in sending us all down the tubes. It’s time for voters who are unhappy with that to clean house in November 2024.

— Arline George, Reseda

In highlighting legislation in the California Legislature, Marc Joffee’s article “Two California foster care bills miss the mark” (April 25) also noted the importance of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Unfortunately, this important program, which enjoys broad bipartisan support in Sacramento, is on the chopping block. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature made a commitment to make a life-changing investment in the lives of youth in foster care — $20 million a year over the next three years for CASA. That funding would deliver to all youth in foster care in the state the one thing they need above all else: a stable relationship with an adult they can count on. CASA’s 11,000 volunteer advocates are each matched with a child, and they stand by that child during dramatic and challenging times. We know that children who have an advocate are more likely to receive appropriate services, more likely to do well in school, more likely to be psychologically sound, more likely to be adopted rather than shuffled from one temporary placement to another and more likely to be hopeful about their future. The promise of receiving $60 million over three years enabled the California CASA Association to fashion a plan to increase the program’s reach by recruiting more volunteers, strengthening the professional staff and expanding public awareness to inspire additional community philanthropy. Now the state must deliver on its commitment. Our youth in foster care cannot afford this painful budget cut.

— Regan Dean Phillips, Orange, CEO, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County

Refugees at our border

Re “The end of Title 42” (April 30):

I wish Congressman Lou Correa would provide us with some facts, not “I hope it happens this way” logic. We gave tracking devices (cell phones as an example) to some migrants. How many, what type, initial cost, monthly cost and how many are still active? Migrants were told to report to a local office. How many were told this and how many have reported? Over the last 10 years what percentage of migrants never showed for their immigration hearing or court date? Percentage of no-shows actually deported? Analyze real data to determine if this rush at our borders is a scam. We have millions of immigrants who have followed our rules and laws and have been waiting to legally enter our country.

— Jerry Griffin, Long Beach