In reference to your Dec. 29th issue, the letter from Mr. Neil Hammaris (“Historical Veracity”) whitewashed the treatment of the now mostly extinct indigenous tribes of what we now call the San Francisco Bay Area, and shows his profound ignorance of history. The indigenous people did not want or need anything from the Europeans—not their presence, religion nor inventions.
The Europeans were cruel, ignorant invaders, who kidnapped, jailed, coerced, raped and murdered the native people. The food and “shelter” they demanded the natives agree to was completely dependent upon their accepting the Catholic religion, which they did not understand.
My ancestry is part European and part Indigenous. I’m an old hippie and I’m grateful that some of the young people are trying to save our Earth. Sorrowfully, their efforts may be “too little, too late.” We hippies tried to warn everyone for decades that human overpopulation has caused or exacerbated every problem our Earth now has.
The cross definitely was not the world’s oldest symbol (“Crosstalk”). Mr. Chensvold needs to engage in more historical research for his “Spirit” column. The Vesica Piscis and many other Goddess symbols predate the cross. The Vesica Piscis symbol was one of many stolen by the Christians.
Barbara Dougherty
Santa Rosa
Biden’s Word
In November 2020, millions of voters like me went to the polls and cast a ballot for Joe Biden.
It’s time for Biden to go further than talking about supporting voting rights legislation. We need him to fully support ending the filibuster so the Senate can finally pass voting rights legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
We can’t out-organize voter suppression. History will remember how President Biden handles these attacks on our right to vote. I’m urging him to do the right thing.
Nancy Stafford
Santa Rosa
