No debating masks
No mask, no brains, no money, no life! It is that easy. It is science. It is the most loving, Christian and patriotic action caring people can take—one we should do together—but unfortunately has become a “deadly red” or a “flaky blue” opinion. A brand which marks us for Trump or against. Masks reveal the mindset of the person. That scares me more than the pandemic.
Pat Johnson
Red Bluff
Police reform
I share my heartbreak at the brutal murder of George Floyd. I join the nationwide rising demand to end violent killing of black men, end police violence, end the racism and militarism that perpetuates the violence. This uprising must be a wake-up call for deep introspection: How can our nation expose and dismantle the systemic violence that allows these tragedies to occur, decade after decade?
Concerned Citizens for Justice (CC4J) works to uproot local police violence, to transform police culture to one that treats all persons with respect and applies force only when absolutely necessary. This change will require comprehensive de-escalation training for officers.
As Chico considers hiring a new police chief, CC4J calls on the city to select a chief sympathetic with these concerns. We call on the Policing Review Ad Hoc Committee to assure that Chico’s use-of-force policy reflects these values.
Community members, speak up! Write to the City Council; log onto a one-question survey at CC4J’s Facebook page; and tell your story via the CC4J Story Project.
CC4J will soon release an Action Plan for the Transformation of Chico Police, demanding thorough transparency and accountability; establishing a mental health intervention team; and calling for citizen oversight with subpoena powers. Stay tuned!
Emily Alma
Chico
Theater blues
The Blue Room’s closing is a withering blow to the downtown Chico arts scene. Performance spaces that allow our community to process and heal from injustice are vital to community health and safety.
Thank you, Blue Room, for the years of accessible performance art in the best downtown in all of Northern California. May your new home be just as prominent, and just as vital, to the character of the neighborhood.
Bill Mash
Chico
Back when America was “great”, I was able to send emails predicting the calamity and chaos of arguably America’s worst ever so-called president, aka Trump. I located some of my emails from your archive section , remarkably clairvoyant emails if I might borrow a Regan line….”I told you so”…what a sad state of affairs our once “great” America was huh ?