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No legal justification for attacks in the Caribbean
Editor: Where is the moral outrage?
The president has commanded the military to destroy several boats off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, killing at least 43 people. These boats were suspected of carrying illegal drugs headed for the United States. But there is no proof of this.
The United States is not at war with Colombia or Venezuela, and the boats presented no imminent threat to any military personnel or civilians. There is no legal justification for these actions, which are tantamount to murder. Our commander in chief has taken on the roles of judge, jury and executioner.
We are a nation of laws and are supposed to abide by international norms of conduct. Even suspected drug runners, terrorists and murderers deserve their day in court. The United States was founded on Judeo-Christian values and many within the Trump administration profess to be Christians. What part of the commandment âthou shalt not killâ donât they understand? Has the slaughter of innocents in Gaza and Ukraine numbed their sensibilities to the value of human life?
If the Trump administration can justify the use of lethal force against any threat, real or perceived, is anyone of us really safe?
Kurt Dunphy, Santa Rosa
Housing crisis is a result of government red tape
Editor: Californiaâs housing crisis isnât due to lack of space or materials â itâs the result of government overregulation and excessive oversight that make building nearly impossible.
The California Environmental Quality Act, while well-intentioned, has become a weapon of obstruction. Lawsuits, reviews and paperwork delay housing projects for years, driving up costs. Add to that restrictive zoning laws â many areas of Sonoma County still allow only single-family homes â and you have a system designed to prevent affordable housing. Fees and mandates pile on: impact fees, utility hookups, inspections and âaffordable housingâ surcharges can exceed $100,000 before construction starts. Every layer of red tape adds to the final price tag.
We donât have a housing shortage because builders wonât build; we have one because government wonât let them. The state must streamline permits, reform CEQA, and reduce unnecessary rules if it truly wants to make housing affordable again. Until that happens, families will keep leaving California for states that value common sense over bureaucracy.
Samuel Bragg, Santa Rosa
Puzzled by Hispanic vote for Trump
Editor: As a second-generation Italian American, I read Ăscar ChĂĄvezâs Close to Home column with great interest (âChoose to stand with immigrant neighbors,â Oct. 19). I have always believed in our country as a melting pot â a land of immigrants. My grandparents escaped great personal risk to come to America where, during World War II, they were considered political enemies of the United States.
Throughout my entire voting life, I have always voted for candidates who supported immigrant families and the rights of immigrant laborers.
Unfortunately, more than 40% of registered Hispanic voters voted for Donald Trump in 2024. This is a person who openly calls people of color disgusting names and has empowered the Department of Homeland Security to openly target the very immigrants who Chavez seeks to support. It absolutely breaks my heart. Itâs difficult for me to understand why Hispanic Americans would vote against their own best interests or the interest of their friends and families.
Cherie Volk, Petaluma
Yes on Prop. 50 to protect democracy
Texas and possibly other red states are redistricting to boost GOP control ahead of the 2026 midterms. Iâm proud that California is standing up to this. Sometimes to protect democracy, we must fight fire with fire. When they go low, we canât stand aside. These are unprecedented times â Project 2025, ICE raids, mass firings of federal workers, cuts to vital programs for the disadvantaged, the erosion of FEMA, the CDC, education and other essential safeguards â while the wealthy grow richer and our planet suffers. We are watching the deliberate dismantling of civil rights, social justice and basic decency. To those who ignore or deny it â itâs time to wake up, find your conscience, and vote yes on Proposition 50.
Gail Yamamoto Seymour, Santa Rosa
Trump wanton destruction of the East Wing
Editor: Iâm appalled by President Donald Trumpâs demolition of the East Wing to honor himself with a giant ballroom that would overwhelm the rest of the White House. Iâm appalled by Trumpâs wanton destruction of a portion of the âPeopleâs House,â his arrogance in not consulting with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Congress, the bad taste of undertaking a project that destroys the neoclassical proportions of the White House, and, of course, the hubris of Trump acting like an autocrat.
While the government, at Trumpâs orders, has been cutting valuable programs and employees and has, in that process, compromised a great deal of sensitive government data and citizensâ personal data, Trump embarks on an expensive and self-flattering building project.
He says we shouldnât worry about the expense because he will get his friends to pay for it. These are the tech bros and other billionaires who see that their fortunes are tied to flattering the president. This is a version of a protection racket.
Trump removed the portrait of Joe Biden and redecorated in ostentatious gold, but this is worse. This is a symbol of his arrogance and disdain for the laws and conventions of our republic.
Beverly Voloshin, Petaluma