{"id":2286,"date":"2026-06-16T23:06:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2286"},"modified":"2026-06-16T23:06:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:06:59","slug":"letters-white-house-aliens-site-aims-to-dehumanize-our-neighbors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2286","title":{"rendered":"Letters: White House ‘aliens’ site aims to dehumanize our neighbors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

White House site tries to dehumanize neighbors<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cThis White House \u2018aliens\u2019 stunt is monstrous\u201d (Page A7, June 11).<\/p>\n

As I read with blind rage, but more significantly, no surprise, the Trump administration\u2019s latest depravity of posting a webpage likening human beings to \u201caliens and extraterrestrials,\u201d I saw fascist xenophobe Stephen Miller\u2019s handwriting. Referring to millions of immigrants in our country, the page reads in part, \u201cAliens have been walking among us, living in our neighborhoods, and interacting with us in our daily lives,\u201d and, \u201c\u2026[living] seemingly normal human existences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Woman shot in face in Berkeley<\/a><\/p>\n

I then thought of the little Berryessa street my wife and I have lived on for 41 years, where we raised our sons, and where our neighbors include old white couples like us, a Black family, numerous Vietnamese, Chinese, Latino, Asian Indian, 3 biracial families, a gay couple up the street and a few others. These are our neighbors, and they do, indeed, walk among us, attend the local schools and live normal human existences. They are us.<\/p>\n

Barry Goldman-Hall<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Musk\u2019s fortune begets terrifying power<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cMusk is first trillionaire\u201d (Page A1, June 13).<\/p>\n

There are questions that need to be asked.<\/p>\n

Is a man megalomaniacal enough to accumulate (not earn) a trillion dollars capable of doing with it anything that won\u2019t screw up the world for the rest of us? What can anyone possibly do with that much money other than to accumulate power and influence and, of course, even more money? How can any one man, never mind such a man as this, be trusted with power and influence commensurate with having more money than most countries?<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

William Gascoyne<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Trump unlikely to learn from the war with Iran<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cChina is currently winning the war America started with Iran\u201d (Page A10, June 14).<\/p>\n

Kudos to our Congressman, Rep. Sam Liccardo, for his well-thought-out opinion piece on the Chinese benefits arising from the \u201cwar\u201d in Iran. We can only hope that his stated opinion regarding this conflict benefiting China in numerous ways will reach the White House and inform their future actions.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the probability is that even if they do notice it, their reaction will be negative and polarizing, to our country\u2019s detriment. Sad.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Thomas Mueller<\/strong>
\nSaratoga<\/em><\/p>\n

Trump, country weren\u2019t ready for war\u2019s effects<\/h4>\n

The pitiful thing is that Donald Trump did the opposite of preparing us for the oil cutoff.<\/p>\n

Instead of cutting off the EV credits, the solar credits and increasing the tariffs on Chinese EVs, he should have doubled all those efforts. Increasing the credits on solar, wind and batteries for a year would have reduced gas used for power generation. Increasing the EV $7,500 credit for a year and decreasing the tariff on Chinese EVs would have amped up movement to EVs. By now, that might have already reduced our daily gas usage, and it would have reduced the impact of the gas shortage.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve known for decades that any attack on Iran would probably result in the Strait of Hormuz being closed, but Trump did nothing to prepare. Instead, he did the opposite, slowing EV sales and solar and wind growth. It\u2019s like he intentionally sabotaged us.<\/p>\n

Barry Jackson Sr<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Valley can lead on new generation of weapons<\/h4>\n

We need a new generation of low-cost missiles and other defense systems to replace the $5 million Patriot missile and other costly, outdated systems.<\/p>\n

Read more 2 Fremont women dead after being swept to sea in Santa Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortunately, there\u2019s now a NatSec100 of Silicon Valley, venture-backed defense companies that are helping with this. The days of Silicon Valley companies refusing to help our national defense are hopefully over.<\/p>\n

Ed Kahl<\/strong>
\nWoodside<\/em><\/p>\n

Parties should compete, but do it respectfully<\/h4>\n

One of civilization\u2019s greatest achievements is learning the difference between an adversary and an enemy. An adversary challenges you, tests your ideas, and helps you improve. An enemy is someone whose existence is considered intolerable.<\/p>\n

Sports demonstrate this principle. Great competitors do not seek weak opponents; they seek strong ones. Victory matters only when earned against a worthy rival. The opponent\u2019s strength gives meaning to the contest.<\/p>\n

Democracy depends on the same idea. Political opponents are meant to be adversaries, not enemies. They challenge assumptions, expose mistakes and offer alternatives. Their presence provides a vital feedback mechanism that helps society correct errors.<\/p>\n

When politics turns adversaries into enemies, compromise becomes betrayal, disagreement becomes hostility, and elections become existential struggles. Efforts to destroy rivals often weaken the system itself.<\/p>\n

Strong societies are not those without competition. They are those who can compete fiercely while preserving the respect needed to compete tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Paul Osborn<\/strong>
\nMorgan Hill<\/em><\/p>\n

AI\u2019s potential is stunted by GOP<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cAI already aids in lab research, everyday tasks\u201d (Page A6, June 12).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s encouraging to read about the benefits of AI, other than newly minting a few multibillionaires at the expense of all the rest of us. I find the use of AI in the scanning of medical imaging data especially exciting. I believe there\u2019s another AI pattern-matching application that would greatly benefit fellow countrymen: tax fraud detection using AI scanning of tax returns. AI could likely identify returns particularly worthy of audits (by human agents) that could greatly increase the efficiency of tax law compliance efforts.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t look for that to happen soon. Republicans have long been steadfast in their efforts to underfund the IRS, especially as it pertains to compliance. It would be neither unfair nor inaccurate to label them the Pro-Tax-Cheat Party. Hopefully, two years from now, that will change, and we will see some AI innovation making tax cheats pay their fair share.<\/p>\n

Read more Feds slam suspected San Francisco safecracker<\/a><\/p>\n

David Baer<\/strong>
\nConcord<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Also: Terrifying power | Unlikely to learn | Not ready | Valley’s role | Compete respectfully | Stunted potential. Mercury News reader letters to the editor for June 17, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nLetters: White House ‘aliens’ site aims to dehumanize our neighbors - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2286\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letters: White House ‘aliens’ site aims to dehumanize our neighbors - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Also: Terrifying power | Unlikely to learn | Not ready | Valley's role | Compete respectfully | Stunted potential. 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