Californians’ strange history with voter initiatives continues on Tuesday, as we will decide on 12 measures that range in subject matter from teen abortions and the size of animal cages to renewable energy goals and the proper tools to battle gangs.

It was a night of firsts.

I witnessed a hit-and-run last month. There were kids just around the corner waiting for their bus, two more walking past my house on their way to that bus stop, and a mother and her baby just crossing the road. Then, down the street, flying past the children at the bus stop, at a speed far exceeding the posted 25 mph, came a white pickup truck. The sound of the mother and her baby being run over by that truck as it continued speeding down the street while we helplessly watched, was sickening. Ditto for the next few cars that also neglected to slow down or even attempt to avoid running over the bodies again and again, even as the baby tried to get back up after the first hit. The shocked reaction of the children looking on was unsettling, to say the least. Even more disturbing was the fact that the truck did not bother to slow or stop, its race down the hill unchecked as it passed more homes with children who would also be heading to school.

Attacks in the story comments attached to each NapaValleyRegister.com article take many forms — all of them disturbing since this should be a forum for community debat — and I find it sad to realize how many people cannot debate a topic without attacking the messenger.

Dear editor,

At this very moment hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, sailors and Marines are fighting for our country overseas.

Dear editor,

Dear editor,

Dear editor,