‘Burning Rage’
Re: Joe Heller cartoon, June 5, 2020
The flames of this cartoon certainly grabbed my attention or better yet my thoughts as I puzzled over the readout on the hand-held device picturing the country in a conflagration. This device riveted my attention, allowing my thoughts to question more. Beneath the read-out, “Burning Rage,” four colored buttons represent both artistically and metaphorically other read-outs contributing to the final attention alert.
For example, I might depress the red button. That display could read “One Hundred Year Pandemic.” With 331 million people either sheltered at home or working at hazardous jobs with little protective equipment, this situation would precipitate anger.
If I might depress the green button, the handheld could produce another read out, “40 million file for unemployment.” That is truly shocking information.
Still two buttons remain. The purple depression when selected might depict, “Jobless & Homeless hungry & crowded.” This population reflects an open wound on our economy and civilization.
The final white button on the hand held probably reads, “Death of Black Man by Police.” Wow, this death became the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” This small highly computerized device re-calculated these accumulated stresses and tragedies into one “Burning Rage” logarithmic result.
Mary Zanger
Hollister
Stop sending Betabel pamphlets
RE: Betabel Road Project pamphlets and project
Although I live in Aromas in North Monterey County, other people who also live in Aromas are in San Benito County. It is well known that San Benito County is fairly desperate for tax revenue and has been trying to rush through whatever rules and laws are necessary to rubber stamp the Betabel Road Project, which sits just within San Benito County by Hwy 101.
Objections and concerns, whether by members of Preserve our Rural Community (PORC) or individuals, have been under attack from the Betabel Road Project people in the form of a barrage of flyers arriving weekly. The tone and content, I believe, are both inflammatory and outrageous.
The Betabel Road Project people keep talking about “facts” and “lies” and then verbally attack locals. This is not the way to get your charity’s project launched.
Despite my writing a letter to the Betabel Road Project in May, requesting them not to send me any more flyers, at least four more have arrived. Addressed to “Resident,” one of them opened with the line “Dear San Benito County Resident.” Not me! I live in Monterey County, a fact they have never bothered to take into account.
The frequency and content of these pamphlets smack of hysteria to me. So I read them more carefully and noted that the tone employed to “inform” me of the virtues and righteous nature of this project was alarming in its arrogance.
Neither the McDowells nor Kevin Costner live here and will not be doing so from what I can gather. By insulting the residents of this area—i.e. how we live, acting as if they know more than we do about how this area functions regarding blights on the landscape, water availability, types of tourism acceptable or desired—the McDowells are not doing themselves or their project any favors.
And environmentalism is not merely a just cause, it is about keeping our planet going, the basis of all our lives, both present and future.
Furthermore, it is difficult for me to believe in the integrity of the research for the launch of this project when the McDowells still boast about their product Airborne in one of the flyers, a product which the FTC charged with “deceptive advertising” in a class action suit and settlement. Why should we believe the McDowells now?
Susan Maresco
Aromas
