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Classroom is no place for teachers’ politics
Re: “Law meant to protect threatens free speech” (Page A6, Nov. 13).
AB 715, which was signed by the governor and is now in the courts, does not infringe on free speech. It does infringe on teachers’ abilities to insert their personal ideology into the classroom.
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Letters: UC Berkeley offers too little security at conservative event Letters: S.J. leaders must keep downtown construction rolling Letters: Waste and fraud have ruined the SNAP program Letters: House bill needs support in order to save lives Letters: Let’s hold the government accountable for SNAP fiascoIf teachers across this state, and especially in the Bay Area, followed state curriculum and policies, this legislation probably would not be needed. However, when you have maps in the classrooms that replace the state of Israel with the nonexistent state of Palestine, there is a problem. AB 715 is aimed at K-12 students who are captive audiences to their teachers and are subject to intense peer pressure.
The law is not perfect, and changes can be made that do not gut the intent of the authors, which is to fight the growing antisemitism in this state and around the world.
Teachers are free to give their political opinions, just not in the classroom.
Gil Stein Aptos
CEOs benefit most from H-1B program
Re: “Trump riles MAGA with defense of H-1Bs” (Page A1, Nov. 14).
As a progressive, I’ve disliked tech’s abuse of the H-1B visa program for years, not for any dislike of those immigrating here, but seeing so many local native-raised people who spent years endeavoring to be in tech, only to find the opportunities were far worse than advertised.
Silicon Valley abuses H-1B visa holders in a form of semi-indentured servitude, overworked and underpaid while under threat of their visa status being revoked … . H-1B is closer to slavery than liberty or innovation. I loathe Donald Trump and MAGA, but H-1B reform was one of the few areas of potential agreement between me and the far-right. However, when push comes to shove, what does Trump do? Suck up to billionaires yet again, and abandon one of his few platforms that was worth pursuing.
It confirms two things I’ve seen for years: Trump is a self-enriching liar, and anything billionaires want is bad for society.
Mathew Clark Campbell
California sets tone on rape-shield policy
The Jeffrey Epstein case reminds us of a truth too often ignored: many “barely legal” victims at 14 or 15 were not experiencing their first abuse. Research shows that minors exploited by predators like Epstein often faced earlier violations, sometimes beginning in early childhood and involving force, drugs and more than one perpetrator. By the time a teen is victimized, a long pattern of trauma has usually already been established.
This is why California’s expanded rape-shield provisions matter. California is one of the few states that allows victims with multiple perpetrators to hold each perpetrator accountable, preventing abusers from escaping responsibility simply because others harmed the victim first.
Federal law should follow California’s lead. A child who has endured repeated exploitation deserves stronger protection, not increased skepticism. When abuse involves coercion, drugs or weapons, the law must respond with full accountability — for every perpetrator involved.
Nicole Henares Half Moon Bay
Bay Area must tighten supply chain security
Recent cyberattacks reveal that America’s digital infrastructure is only as strong as its software supply chain. As businesses and agencies rely more on cloud computing, a single vulnerable component can disrupt entire systems.
Unlike typical breaches, supply-chain weaknesses often originate deep in the code — from open-source libraries or third-party integrations — spreading unnoticed across networks.
The Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) framework, supported by CISA and NIST, offers a practical solution by tracking software components and improving transparency.
For the Bay Area — a global technology hub — adopting SBOM principles should be a shared responsibility. Strengthening supply-chain cybersecurity is not just about IT; it’s about protecting the reliability of the systems that drive our economy and national resilience.
Suman Lama Sunnyvale
Bonuses should go to all shutdown workers
I am appalled that Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem singled out TSA agents with a $10,000 bonus for working the federal shutdown, while federal medics who risk their lives every day were ignored.
My son-in-law is a federal paramedic on an Army base. During the shutdown, he worked his regular shifts, responding to attempted suicides, strokes, pediatric traumas, overdoses and major motor-vehicle collisions. He cared for people in immediate crisis — all while not knowing when or if a paycheck would come, worrying about groceries and bills, asking his landlord to defer rent and supporting his family. He even took a part-time paramedic job an hour away to make ends meet, all while continuing his education.
TSA agents do important work, but the medics on the ground literally save lives every day. If we value essential services, they deserve recognition too.
Richard Etheredge San Jose
The threat from the left shouldn’t be minimized
Re: “Mamdani is a socialist. And that’s no slur.” (Page A6, Nov. 12).
In stating that the Democratic Socialists of America might tug us “a little further” to the left, John M. Crisp mutes their radicalism.
The DSA platform calls for public ownership of the “largest” corporations, along with natural resources generally and “major” transportation and energy infrastructure. Among other commitments, the government will, in turn, fund universal health care (without any “premiums, co-pays, or deductibles”), free child care for every parent and free pre-K education. Finally, in addition to universal rent-control and the cancellation of all existing student-loan debt, there will be “expansive paid family leave for all workers,” and all public higher education will be tuition-free with “no out-of-pocket cost for room and board.”
Mayor Mamdani and the DSA are doubtless serious about “taxing the rich.”
Peter Minowitz Palo Alto
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