Keeping our eye on the Clock
My father, an Air Force fighter pilot, and our family, were stationed in Yokohama Japan in 1947 as part of the post-World War II occupation force. Fortunately, I was too young to understand the magnitude of the complete obliteration of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the vaporization of their 170,000 residents.
Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, and other creators of these first atomic bombs, horrified at what they had created, and realizing the potential of nuclear weapons to end humanity, created The Doomsday Clock, which is maintained by The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists today and assesses how close civilization is to the apocalypse. In 1947 it was set at seven minutes to midnight and it has risen to 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 (due to Strategic Arms ReductionTreaties [START] around the world), but the clock has been ticking down since then, and in 2017 it shifted the scale from minutes to seconds.
Two months ago, The Bulletin reset the clock to 85 seconds to midnight—the closest we have ever been to annihilation of life on Earth. Several of the reasons it was reset are: The expiration of the nuclear START treaties between the US and Russia, and aggressive geopolitics by Russia, China, and the USA.
About two weeks ago, our president, referring to Iran, said,
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
Those are the facts.
Please review the unspeakable horror of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and take whatever political action you can at bit.ly/4cZVrl0
Don Eggleston
Aptos
•••
Getting rest critically important
A couple of years back, I was involved in a car accident after falling asleep while driving. It’s something I never imagined would happen to me. One moment I was on the road, and the next I woke up to the sound of impact. It was terrifying, and it forced me to confront how dangerous exhaustion can be.
I’m sharing this because I don’t want anyone else to learn this lesson the hard way. We often push ourselves, long hours at work, stress, meltaly drained, and we convince ourselves we’re fine to drive. I thought the same thing. I was wrong.
I’m grateful to be here today, and that gratitude is exactly why I want to raise awareness. If my story encourages even one person to pull over, rest, or ask for help instead of pushing through fatigue, then speaking up is worth it.
Please take care of yourselves and each other. No destination is worth risking your life.
Manuel Gomez
Watsonville
•••
Support for Tony Nuñez
I first met Tony Nunez when he was a Sports Journalist for our local newspaper. I then saw him become the Editor of the newspaper. He left and became a Spokesperson for a nonprofit that gives great services to those in our County. And during that time he was elected to the new Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board.
He is currently the Chair of the Board. As a former city councilmember and Mayor I have observed Tony develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed to be a successful Supervisor for District 4.
As a journalist and editor of our newspaper Tony needed to learn to ask insightful questions and become an active listener to build trust and rapport with those being interviewed so their information would be authentic. He learned to deliver accurate and impactful journalism.
As Supervisor Tony will continue to ask those “why?” questions, be transparent and connect with our District members.
As a Spokesperson Tony has learned to remain calm in handling difficult questions in crisis situations. He has learned to connect with the community members with clear communication and relatability. As a Supervisor Tony will not offer opinion but instead be prepared for challenging questions with genuine information.
As a member of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board and now as Chair Tony helped bring the Watsonville Hospital into community ownership. This included leading the largest fundraising effort in the County. It meant winning support for Measure N to fund long overdue improvements to the hospital.
For the future Tony intends for the hospital to offer the best healthcare available to our community and stay under local control. As a Supervisor Tony will continue to be a leader for our Watsonville/Pajaro Valley community.
Tony advocates the expansion of health care, housing for working families, safer roads and streets, more parks and open spaces, good jobs and small businesses, child care and support for schools, and services that help seniors age with dignity. As I have illustrated he has developed the skills, knowledge and experience to make these challenges happen. Please volunteer, donate, and/or vote for Tony Nunez, Supervisor District 4.
Rebecca García
Watsonville
