Letters: Costly closure | Christian home | Homeless services | Fire safety | Gun ownership | Jesus’ words

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Closing RMC units
will cost time, lives

Why should we prevent at all costs the closure of Regional Medical Center San Jose’s (RMC) trauma, comprehensive stroke and STEMI programs, due to shutter on Aug.12?

RMC is the only hospital on the East Side of San Jose, providing medical coverage to approximately a third of the population of Santa Clara County. Closure of these specialty programs will mean that as of Aug.12, there will no longer be any in-house trauma surgeon, neurosurgeon, O.R./angio suite tech, plastic surgeon, ENT surgeon, cardiothoracic surgeon, neuro IR physician, STEMI cardiologist and others.

These specialty programs serve time-sensitive medical emergencies. The golden first hour in the management of trauma, heart attack and stroke will be lost or cut short for both walk-ins and EMS-transported patients, increasing chances of serious harm and even death for up to 20 patients a day.

Raj Gupta
Director of Stroke and Neurosciences at Regional Medical Center
San Jose

Christianity offers home
to trans community

Re: “Fremont trans woman is an advocate for community” (Page B1, June 25).

Thank you for your article on the trans woman who was honored for her advocacy work in Fremont.

She mentioned that she no longer shares her family of origin’s Christian faith. That saddens me as there are many versions of Christianity, and while I understand, it is my belief that Jesus came to teach us love, of all people. I do believe that the trans community and really anything, can co-exist with Christianity.

Thanks again, and keep up the great work. We need more people like her.

Jane Parks-McKay
Santa Cruz

Homeless act out
without services

Re: “Shigella outbreak tied to encampments” (Page B1, June 26).

So now we have an epidemic (Shigella) in our homeless population. What will it take to get local leaders to do something?

I walk the Los Gatos Cteek trail daily. I bike the Guadalupe Trail. I’ve seen bathing — with soap — in the Guadalupe River near Coleman Avenue, and one other guy right next to the par course drop his pants to do his business, arm’s length away. Another carried bags of concrete down into the canyon from a Home Depot handcart. I guess he needed his foundation.

With nothing done about it, why should they behave?

Robert Wahler
San Jose

Simple search can
help with fire safety

Re: “Heat, dry lightning keep firefighters busy with new California wildfire starts” (June 25).

As a resident of the Golden State, I’m dismayed yet unsurprised upon learning about the series of wildfires that have broken out throughout Northern California in recent days. Although many who live in California haven’t directly experienced the adversity such wildfires can place upon an individual both socially and economically, this doesn’t take away from the importance for every Californian of being prepared for worst-case scenarios.

For example, a 10-minute browsing session or even a simple internet search can keep us updated. In doing so, one can be informed and prepared with the right tools and evacuation plans for potential future wildfires that may graze Californian territories in the near future.

Stanley Wan
Los Altos

Tie public service
to gun ownership

Re: “US surgeon general declares gun violence an urgent public health crisis” (June 25).

Traffic fatalities have decreased through stringent regulations like requiring licenses, registrations, inspections and safety features in cars. These common-sense measures could also apply to guns, yet Republicans resist such regulations. We enforce strict car laws for transportation, while guns, designed to kill, face fewer regulations.

It’s time for change. Legal action against gun manufacturers for unsafe products is crucial to prevent deaths among children and teens. The Constitution’s Second Amendment calls for a “well-regulated Militia.” We should establish state militias, requiring service similar to the National Guard, addressing current needs like climate emergencies and environmental cleanup. If public service were required for gun ownership, how many eager gun owners would remain? My guess is not many. No public service means no guns.

Jag Singh
Los Altos

Commandments pale
to the words of Jesus

Re: “New law requiring classrooms to display Ten Commandments churns old conflicts” (Page A4, June 21).

Instead, why not use rules proposed by Christ himself: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Allow those without transgressions to hurl the first accusations. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

These laws are timeless, and though they offer a window into Christianity, they can be written to appear secular thereby avoiding a confrontation with our founding document.

By pushing the Ten Commandments, the Christian Nationalists lead me to question whether they really understand either the Bible or the Constitution.

Raymond Jones
San Jose