Letters to the editor |

Conspiracy theories and the Jan. 6 insurrection: Letters

The April 18 letter by John Waters is a perfect example of how misinformation can be spread, especially in regard to Donald Trump. He states that “the Supreme Court, unanimously 9-0, decided that the criteria for insurrection were not met.” That’s factually incorrect. The court decided that only Congress — and not the states — can enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, so Colorado could not remove Trump from the ballot.

They did not rule on whether the criteria for insurrection were met. Unfortunately, now many people will believe differently because of that letter.

— Bob Horvath, Long Beach

Chad Bianco and the election of 2026

Re “Riverside sheriff eyes governor campaign” (April 13):

When I read the headline “Riverside sheriff eyes governor campaign”

I immediately checked my calendar to make sure it wasn’t April Fools’ Day. Although Sheriff Chad Bianco would make an excellent governor, he would have an “R” next to his name, so the odds of him being elected are about the same as Garvey being elected to the U.S. Senate.

As a famous comedian once said, “The voters of this state would elect an avocado if it had a ‘D’ next to its name.” I ask you, who is the bigger fool, the politicians in Sacramento or the voters of this state who continue to elect them?

— Tom Mitchell, Murrieta

Disney’s land grab

Re “Anaheim approved Disneyland plans” (April 18):

It is sad to see the Anaheim City Council approve Disney’s greed to grab more land to add on, and their lack of concern for the people. I remember when Disneyland was satisfied where they were at but now all they care about is the money. As far as the people who approved this plan, they think that by having Disney’s expansion they will see more jobs, more money coming in and other fantasy dreams come true. The jobs that the people dream about will only be part-time jobs and the money will only go into the pockets of Disney. Walt Disney, the brainchild of family fun and wholesome atmosphere, has turned into a greedy corporation.

— John Kubenski Jr., Trabuco Canyon

Biden forgiving student debt is a buy for votes

Am I the only one who thinks that Mr. Biden’s continued efforts to forgive student debt is nothing more than an attempt to buy votes from gullible college students and bolster his dismal approval rating? It is so disappointing that this once great country with self-reliant citizens is now a nation of people who are increasingly dependent on government to bail them out. I worked hard to save money to go to college.

I earned scholarships and went to a school that I could afford. As a taxpayer, I am not excited about picking up the tab for those who don’t see their student debt as something they should be accountable for. If you take on debt, you pay it off.  No matter how long it takes. Be responsible. And grow up.

— Kathy Gonzalez, Redondo Beach

Mayorkas impeachment

With the failure of the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas, which never had a realistic chance, perhaps the Republicans will take a page from the Democrats’ playbook and impeach him again after he leaves office.

— Ron Lesovsky, Huntington Beach

USC commencement

Re “USC nixes Muslim student’s speech” (April 17):

USC made the right decision. Athletic events should be just that; make your political views outside the stadium. The same should be true for commencement.

That is an occasion for looking back at the accomplishments of the graduating class, and encouraging speculation on what they may contribute as they move on to the next phase of their lives. It is a time to embrace inclusion, accomplishment and potential; divisive political views can be expressed elsewhere.

It is ironic that this young lady and her supporters are alleging various “isms” and “antis” toward USC when her published opinions, and apparently intended speech, are laced with “isms” and “antis” of an opposing view. Fight on.

— Randy Fruechting, Orange