Opinion Voices

Letters to the Editor: Is military action really the most efficient way to help American drug users?

'The cost to completely destroy cocaine trafficking from Venezuela and Colombia via naval operations could be considerable — and I don't think it will diminish demand here or stop this drug from being trafficked from other countries,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Granderson: At last, the players themselves are the voice of the NBA

Former and current athletes have created a generation of podcasts that eliminate the traditional gatekeepers and deliver virtually unfiltered perspectives.

Contributor: The true cost of Warner Bros. selling its soul to Netflix

For more than a century, the studio has developed era-defining films, supported innovation and created space for artists to explore creativity.

Contributor: Frank Gehry wanted to show you everything you could become

He wanted more than anything to be known, deeply seen, and he wanted that for all young people.

Contributor: The Supreme Court's 3 terrible reasons for allowing Texas' racially rigged map

The six conservative justices have opened the door to states being able to adopt unconstitutional laws on voting — with immunity from judicial review.

Letters to the Editor: China dominates the EV market, but that doesn't mean we should give up

'Renewable energy isn't going anywhere, and the rest of the world will be using it to power their cars at pennies on the dollar,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: The left's climate panic is finally calming down

Millions of Americans may still believe warming exists, but far fewer view it as an imminent existential threat.

Contributor: Powerful people know Trump's opinion doesn't matter as much anymore

Wooing this president was once seen as the safe play. The calculus has shifted.

Contributor: The American experiment isn't what's failing

The economy is broken, but the cause isn't capitalism, markets or global competition.

Letters to the Editor: Aesthetics aren't the only reason Santa Barbara development project is a bad idea

'The need for more housing should not enable the construction of inappropriately sited and designed buildings that would degrade the character of our community,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: One person with the power to approve a city? What could possibly go wrong?

'It makes sense to require evaluation of adequate water supply and other environmental considerations, as well as the current use of the land,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: California needs to find solutions other than rebuilding in disaster-prone areas

'Instead of continuing to expand into new areas and building in fire-prone areas or places subject to violent storms and flooding, how about we promote fewer people in these areas?' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: We're losing the race against plastic, but there's a solution

Plastic pollution can be cut by 83% by 2040 and almost eliminated from one of its leading causes: packaging.

Calmes: Now it's clear why Trump got rid of the top military lawyers

People who know and enforce the law would have been inconvenient during the president's undeclared war in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

Contributor: When did the Supreme Court stop caring about public opinion?

The court has historically understood the perils of completely ignoring precedent and the will of the people. Chief Justice John Roberts is different.

Letters to the Editor: Despite the environmental concerns, a gas pipeline would benefit Californians

'I understand that using electric vehicles to reduce pollution is desirable,' an L.A. Times reader notes before adding that the number of EVs on the road is still a minority.

Letters to the Editor: An appreciation of those who toil in the fields and keep us fed

'I am reminded of the opening line of Charles Bukowski's poem "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth." It begins, "If I suffer at this typewriter / think how I'd feel among the lettuce-pickers of Salinas?"' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Would missiles and drones make killing survivors any less of a war crime?

'In the alleged double-tap incident, does using a missile make it less of a war crime? What would be the difference between a second missile strike and machine-gunning the survivors?' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: The California governor's race shows why we need ranked choice voting

'It is unreasonable that Californians should be saddled with a governor who has a relative sliver of support. With ranked choice voting, the winning candidate will likely have support from a majority,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: The answer to AI-assisted academic cheating? Good ol' pencil and paper

'For decades, students completed work for evaluation by handwriting it. Teachers and professors had to read and grade actual "papers" and handwritten tests,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Black Friday mall shooting is yet another reminder of the need for public safety

'The fact that daily activities such as shopping, dining and socializing can be disrupted by gun violence is unacceptable. We all have a civic responsibility to ensure our neighbors' safety,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: In Israel and the U.S., parallel cases of malice against Palestinians

Challenging the impunity with which Israel imprisoned an American teenager also means rejecting similar injustices within our own borders, such as the detention of a Palestinian woman in Texas.

Contributor: You need more friends who aren't like you

The holidays are a great chance to diversify for your social network, for your own benefit and for the sake of our society.

Column: You can't hide from war crimes by calling them 'fake news'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attacked a story on the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean as "more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting."

Letters to the Editor: Pickleball isn't the only source of noise pollution making our lives less peaceful

'What about lawnmowers, leaf blowers and those cars with the fancy motors that rev like they're going 100 mph when going 15?,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Politics, policy and law are the very things that make up the world we live in

'Wake up, buddy — politics, policy and law will determine the world you and your family will live in, a world that is heading for catastrophe under the current lawless regime,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: If you want to stem illegal immigration, improve living conditions elsewhere

'Do you want to stop illegal immigration? Do whatever is necessary to raise the standard of living in the countries from which immigrants come. Treat cause, not symptom,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: As production moves overseas, it's American entertainment workers who suffer

'As with any business that goes to other countries, people here start losing their incomes and life possibilities. This leads to a downward spiral of any household, community, town, city or state now missing spending potential and tax benefits,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Pausing migration? Trump has already made the U.S. a less desirable place to live

'Why would potential immigrants still want to come to a country with no universal healthcare and a repressive regime?,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: Killing survivors is not a legal or moral gray area

There is a rule every professional military knows it cannot break: You do not attack people who can no longer fight, such as survivors of the recent boat strikes in Latin America.

Letters to the Editor: A reader shares a fond memory of the more formal days of air travel

'More than once, I have thought that the airport lounges of my childhood now more closely resembled bus terminals,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: There are real solutions to our transportation problems. Air taxis aren't one of them

'Investments in air taxis ignore real solutions to our mobility problems, caused by poor urban planning and underdeveloped transit and alternative modes of travel,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: The American West's most iconic tree is disappearing

The country's first houses, railroads and boats relied on the strength of the ponderosa. More than 90% of its Southwestern forests could soon vanish.

Contributor: Moving to a climate-disaster zone just to afford a home

The only affordable property is often in low-lying areas at flood risk, such as in Houston and coastal Texas, or in higher-wildfire-risk areas, such as in California foothills and canyons.

Contributor: Clear a path for sweeping urban experiments such as California Forever

As some states have tried with clean energy projects, California should empower a state official to approve important large developments without giving counties and cities a veto.

Op-comic: 'No heroics'? End-of-life care is full of heroism

As a palliative care doctor, I hear patients and families say they don't want any 'heroics,' just quality-of-life care. That's a false binary.

Abcarian: Is Trump already a lame duck?

The president has faced a string of failures and setbacks during his first year back in office. Now his hold on his party seems to be slipping.

Granderson: Do the numbers in sports tell a story, or just settle a bet?

Sports-TV debates and legalized gambling are drowning out the love of the games.

Contributor: Epstein victims deserve spotlight. So do 5,700 Native women and girls reported missing each year

The very same forces that failed Epstein's victims continue to fail thousands of others.

Contributor: What keeps me grounded and thankful in the holiday season

The fall-winter holiday season harks back to an America that was always rooted in man's permanent sources of meaning.

Letters to the Editor: Marjorie Taylor Greene owes someone an apology if she wants to make a comeback

If Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to rehabilitate her image, 'first she needs to publicly and sincerely apologize for her incessant and immature hounding of Parkland shooting survivor turned gun control advocate David Hogg,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: 'Working Girl,' the musical, is more than a 'crude knockoff'

'Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer was diabolical as Katharine, hilarious and villainous at once. Joanna "JoJo" Levesque brought real gumption to Tess, with beautiful, strong vocals,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: California's development status quo is 'unsustainable and deadly'

'County and city governments are signing off on new homes in fire danger zones at a dizzying pace, without proper evacuation planning or home-hardening resources,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: 'Assurances' when it comes to Russia mean little for Ukraine

'I think the Ukrainians would argue that assurances from Russia are, in fact, nothing,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: I don't live in a fire-prone area. Why should I pay for those who do?

'If more money is required to support our fire department, the burden should not fall on those who have enough sense to live in a safer place,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: Reimagining our relationship with wolves

Republicans in Congress are trying to remove protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act and block courts from intervening. Enough with the zero-sum thinking from the 1800s.

Calmes: Be thankful for the judges upholding the law

On immigration alone, more than 100 federal judges — including many Trump appointees — have ruled that the administration's actions violated civil rights or were otherwise illegal.

Contributor: Tulsa Remote helps the city — but what about the people it brings in?

The program promises opportunity but delivers something else entirely: a trap built from cheap loans, high insurance, and civic amnesia.

Contributor: Giving thanks for a much-maligned Constitution and a nation at odds

This holiday season, we're grateful for the institutions that have preserved our liberty — even when they frustrate us.

Letters to the Editor: Small pieces of trash litter California's beaches — and even those harm animals

'Having picked up trash at Oceano Beach and Pismo Beach for years, I've seen flattened mylar balloons (in the most remote places), ubiquitous cigarette butts, toothpick wrappings, plastic grocery bags, bottle caps, degraded plastics of beach toys and Styrofoam,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Burbank police dog death is a tragedy, but it's sadly no anomaly

'Police dogs are loyal and eager to please their handlers, but they cannot consent to being in the line of fire in violent confrontations,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Is now really the time to approve higher pay for Cal State executives?

'CSU Chancellor Mildred García said, "we must keep pace to attract and retain a skilled, diverse and engaged workforce." It is a shame that her words seemingly only apply to employees making salaries well into the six figures,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: This Supreme Court loophole could help Texas' illegal voting maps survive the midterms

The so-called 'Purcell principle' allows states to argue that it's too close to an election to change laws.

Contributor: Yes, immigrants have the right to a lawyer, but finding one is getting harder

Preventing lawyers from meeting with detained clients is just one half of the Trump administration's plan.

Column: Leaked 'wish list' for peace in Russia-Ukraine war is hardly America First

People who do embrace the slogan generally believe helping Ukraine isn't in America's interest. Here's why they're wrong.

Letters to the Editor: As child farmworkers toil, California needs to do a better job of enforcing labor laws

'Making a concerted effort to recoup uncollected fines would incentivize industry leaders to protect the health and welfare of their workforce while also providing resources to fund child laborers' chances at a better future,' an L.A. Times reader. writes

Letters to the Editor: How can police justify the hours-long shutdown due to a chase on the I-5?

'How can law enforcement justify inflicting such hardship on the motoring public in order to conduct such a painstakingly slow investigation? I understand wanting to be thorough, but that is beyond the pale,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Businesses shouldn't be able to take advantage of immigrants with low wages

'I'm not supportive of Americans who take advantage of [immigrants'] desperation to earn a profit on their labor,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Take a history lesson before advocating for the U.S.'s 'dominant public ethos'

'I adhere to the principles established by the Statue of Liberty. It is my belief that the only persons who deserve to be classified as true American citizens adhere to the principles embodied by that statue and the poem at its feet,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Officials' reservoir conclusion won't placate frustrated Palisades fire victims

'State office holders and representatives, starting with our governor, have their work cut out for them in convincing Palisades residents that what they perceive is not true,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Antonio Villaraigosa's accomplishments as mayor bode well for a governorship

'He would bring to the office of governor the same energy, drive and commitment that has made him a great public servant,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Trump's claims of sedition among Democratic lawmakers reek of irony

'Contrast this to his treatment of those who seditiously tried to overturn our election on Jan. 6, 2021, and who physically fought Capitol Police and broke into the Capitol,' an L.A. Times reader writes.

Letters to the Editor: Really, Marjorie Taylor Greene? Now you're running away from the fight?

'Running away doesn't help solve a problem, whether it be political bullying, bad policy direction or unwavering loyalty to the "king." It only empowers the bully,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Trump's Ukraine peace plan might as well be called the Ukraine surrender plan

'Putin gets the land he desires, stops Ukraine from joining NATO and constructively makes Ukraine a vassal to Russia. As Gen. Anthony McAuliffe famously said: "Nuts!,"' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: In failing to check Trump, the Supreme Court is abandoning our founding principles

'Until the justices acknowledge that "men like Trump" represent what our founders were "fighting against, not what men in America ought to be," the grave risk Trump presents to our republic will only increase,' an L.A. Times reader writes.

Contributor: Pillars of humanitarianism have ceded the field. That's our cue, everyone

As seen in the shuttering of USAID, nations that once led assistance around the world are retreating. This means individuals must step up to express our values.

Contributor: Stigma only makes drug use more dangerous

When people who use illegal drugs feel like they have to hide their use, the risk of overdose and death soars.

Letters to the Editor: We can't let ourselves become desensitized to Trump's hostility toward women

'Do we really want Trump's aberrant behavior modeled by a generation of young men? Do we want that behavior to be inflicted on our wives and daughters?,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Public defenders have been fighting for the Racial Justice Act's principles

'California's public defenders have led this work — quietly, with limited resources — to serve their clients and strengthen our justice system for all,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Revoking 17,000 commercial driver's licenses would cause massive disruptions

'Imagine the disruptions in commerce — and the price increases on everything — from losing 17,000 truck drivers at once,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Abcarian: Trump's decades-long pattern of attacking women crossed a new line

Angry about election losses, the Epstein files and a faltering economy, the president once again resorts to sexist slurs.

Letters to the Editor: Border Patrol's surveillance of U.S. drivers begets a bevy of frightening questions

'One thing is certain: Because the system has existed under both political parties, both are complicit in creating a surveillance state,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Granderson: Men like Trump represent what the founders were fighting against

Thomas Paine warned us: 'Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent.'

Contributor: How could Marjorie Taylor Greene make a comeback?

The lawmaker has claimed a new spotlight by announcing her resignation from Congress. Reinvention may not prove easy, however, after years of inconsistency.

Letters to the Editor: Giving consumers money directly won't fix our healthcare market

'What is needed is what every other high-income country is doing and getting better outcomes and lower costs than the U.S.: a universal unified system of public insurance, perhaps "Medicare for all,"' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: L.A. homeless shelter fiasco proves the city's processes need to change

'Every bit of this process has to change. Where is Mayor Karen Bass and our City Council in this?,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: 'Plants over people'? People and plants should be working together

'Plants and people share the Southern California environment, assisting each other as part of an interdependent system,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Bob Ross' landscape paintings are 'cheesy'? We love them anyway

'Years ago, while I was new to America, I watched some of Ross' TV shows with wonder because his simple techniques would yield such great results. It inspired so many would-be painters unsure of their own talents,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Pardons aren't the only thing that aren't taken seriously these days

In response to columnist Jonah Goldberg proposing the Constitution be amended to get rid of a president's power to pardon, an L.A. Times reader writes, 'But presidents no longer take the Constitution seriously.'

Letters to the Editor: Trump, stop using our tax dollars to wreak havoc in Latin America

'From the Mexican-American War of 1846-48 ... to recent attacks on Venezuelan boats and the talk about sending troops to Mexico to fight the drug cartels, there is nothing but the arrogance of power and the disregard for other countries' independence,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: What does it mean to be an American, not just a citizen?

A passport can inform which government recognizes us on paper. But it doesn't tell us what holds the nation together, what binds disparate strangers into a people.

Contributor: Five reasons the GOP is finally bucking Trump

Republicans know the elderly, term-limited president's days are numbered. The question of "Who gets MAGA when Dad can no longer operate the remote?" has become unavoidable.

Contributor: Trump's 'industrial policy' is just bad economics

Subsidies and tariffs won't spur a manufacturing revival. True American industrial strength rests on productivity, innovation and competition.

Letters to the Editor: UC would need less financial aid funding if it lowered tuition for everyone

'UC is going to charge more in tuition for … money that goes toward tuition? That's artificially increasing the cost of school,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Why fireproof homes might do surprisingly little to help the occupant

'Unless you decorate like a prison, with concrete and stainless steel, and keep no possessions, everything inside melts, cooks and contaminates,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Do military leaders have an obligation to defy illegal orders? It's complicated

'In this case, is it reasonable to assume that such a trial could not take place in a timely manner to protect our security?,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: Why do so many people cut Ghislaine Maxwell so much slack?

The entitlement and favorable treatment that Jeffrey Epstein's procurer has enjoyed her whole life appear to be continuing after her conviction.

Calmes: Instead of addressing injustice, pardons now pervert justice

Across the political spectrum, Americans are disgusted with how presidents have abused the pardon power for personal and political benefit.

Contributor: Subsidizing insurance just props up dysfunction. Empower consumers instead

Directing payments to taxpayers would incentivize Americans to curb healthcare spending and would give them leverage with providers.

Contributor: Why we neglected wind power for a century

It is more than a little surprising that the wind-powered electricity generator took so long to invent. Even more surprising is how long it took to deploy at scale.

Contributor: Hollywood and Broadway mark an inflection point for feminism

The Broadway blockbuster 'Liberation' caps off a bicoastal stage-and-screen cultural moment. Its clear catalyst? L.A.'s own Ms. magazine.

Letters to the Editor: LAX's 'roadway improvement' plan is actually an 'impending disaster'

'The horseshoe (the worst part of LAX's traffic problems) will not be improved. There are plenty of knowledgeable people ... who think that this plan will not work,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Merely monitoring AI development is a 'woefully inadequate' safeguard

'Whether or not AIs have or will achieve "consciousness," they have already demonstrated the ability to act on their own, reason in unforeseen ways, use subterfuge and resist being turned off,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Faith in capitalism is fading. The next U.S. president could help restore it

'When today's young Americans become a more significant percentage of voters, they could threaten the sustainability of American capitalism,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: L.A.'s green bin rollout is an 'outrageous' case of government waste

'My neighborhood recently experienced the unwanted green bin delivery in Miracle Mile. It is strangely heartening to know people in other neighborhoods felt the same,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: A former White House Christmas decorating volunteer reflects on the East Wing

'The destruction of the East Wing is a tragedy. I can only hope that "we the people" continue to fight to somehow preserve this symbol of our unique democracy,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Sports betting is just another pipeline for money to move to the rich

'It is yet another method of transferring money from the pockets of ordinary people into the pockets of the rich, something our economy is very effective at,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Letters to the Editor: Climate change is 'deeply controversial'? What about denying reality?

'The [U.S. Chamber of Commerce] suggests that ignorance is a viable strategy for improving lives, solving problems and strengthening society. It is not,' writes an L.A. Times reader.

Contributor: How cataloging my failures got me through a crisis

My 'fail resume' became an act of civil disobedience against toxic optimism.

Contributor: ICE is grabbing U.S. citizens, defying its own rules and the Constitution

Americans have been tackled, tased, beaten and shot by immigration authorities. The government has issued news releases about the cases and also denied they are happening.

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