Readers’ comments: February 13, 2026

Racist MAGA crowd can’t handle Bad Bunny
Dear editor:
The MAGA crowd’s racist reaction to Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl halftime show is all you need to know about this group. They simply cannot accept that America can mean different things to different people. They cannot accept that any citizen can be different from their version of an American. They also apparently cannot accept that Puerto Ricans are American citizens.
Puerto Rico has a population of 3 million, which is larger than 18 states. Puerto Rico is 1,000 miles from mainland America and the population speaks Spanish. Of course they have a different culture. Instead of celebrating these differences and seeing how they strengthen America the MAGA crowd turns ugly. Why do they hate their fellow citizens? Why won’t they allow a different culture or language to be enjoyed and honored?
Racism: the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior.
Bad Bunny singing in Spanish, celebrating the culture of Puerto Rico America is something the racist MAGA crowd cannot tolerate. Sadly, here in California where a significant population is bilingual and many share cultural norms with Mexico, Central and South America, we see this all the time.
Dr. Martin Luther King provided a road map for a better, stronger and more inclusive America when he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Differences make our country stronger. MAGA followers are racists that make our country weaker.
Sydney Pollard
Claremont

Students’ anti-ICE protest was a waste of time
Dear editor:
After reading the story “The kids are alright: CUSD students demonstrate against ICE” [February 6] if I had a kid attending Claremont High School and found out that he was holding profanity laced signs, shouting “f**k ICE,” scaling traffic signals and being led around the protest by Superintendent Jim Elsasser, then within one hour I would pull my kid from the school system and either send him to a non-unionized charter school or start home-schooling him. Furthermore, I would discourage him from attending Columbia, Harvard or Berkeley and encourage him to either join the military, attend a trade school or Hillsdale College. Lastly, I’m willing to bet a case of Coors that freshly minted Princeton student Joy Cheng did not waste her time at the protest.
Alex Pilz
Claremont

ICE killings: Biden’s fault
Dear editor:
Referring to the February 6 story, “CPD will not cooperate with ICE,” I am told ICE has 25 field offices and it is or has been actively operating in 10 or 12 cities. What I do not know is in how many cities did the police protect the demonstrators from ICE agents? That’s right: protect the demonstrators from the ICE agents. It is my position that two people died because there was not a police presence protecting/separating the demonstrator from the ICE agents. No where else have I heard of any death.
Police Chief Mike Ciszek says, “The unfortunate thing is as you see when ICE goes out to do their jobs and they get surrounded and then they call us …” In my world, the demonstrator(s) would never be allowed to get near enough to surround an ICE agent(s). The ICE agents are well protected, shields, tear gas, rubber bullets, bullet proof vests, and let’s not forget guns. The days of a demonstrator sticking a flower stem down the barrel of a gun are gone.
It is fine with me if the police do not cooperate with ICE. What worries me is some young, naive, and dare I say stupid demonstrator will get too involved. The chief goes on to say, “… trying to prevent them from doing their job only complicates their job, as well as puts anybody who decides to cross that line into harm’s way.” Wow! I hope that’s a wake-up call to someone.
Remember, you are demonstrating today because your older brothers and sisters did not demonstrate yesterday. This mess could have been avoided if they had demonstrated against the Biden administration which was willfully allowing immigrants to enter our country illegally.
David Stedman
Claremont

An Amendment of convenience?
Dear editor:
“Second amendment is for me not for thee,” so says Trump.
Opanyi Nasiali
Claremont