‘The Rand Corporation reported recently that since the middle 1970s through 2023, $79 trillion in earnings had been moved from the bottom 90% of earners to the top 10%. Neoliberalism functioning at its finest,’ writes an L.A. Times reader.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we asked Los Angeles Times readers to highlight American heroes who don’t get enough credit in the history books.

‘Initially introduced as a villain that symbolizes concerns surrounding excessive reliance on technology, the character (Lilypad) is simultaneously being used in promotional campaigns and merchandise marketed directly to children,’ writes an L.A. Times reader.

‘If they would then follow through by taking a serious and permanent cut and publicizing that stand against gross income inequality, maybe then the world of executive compensation would take a turn for the better,’ writes an L.A. Times reader.

‘The footage of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti’s killings is already forever seared into my brain. And the cavalier attitude afterward of the trigger-happy ICE agents who shot them signals to us they knew in advance they wouldn’t face any consequences,’ writes an L.A. Times reader.