PUBLIC FORUM ACT OF TERROR.It is discouraging that our authorities at all levels continue to debate on the semantics of the nature of the LAX shooting on July 4. If the same incident with the same persons had occurred at a Tel Aviv Tel Aviv (tĕl əvēv`), city (1994 pop. 355,200), W central Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea. Oficially named Tel Aviv–Jaffa, it is Israel's commercial, financial, communications, and cultural center and the core of its largest bus terminal, such a discussion would not be entertained. To place a name on this very successful act of terror with its casualties and disruption of a major facility whether perpetrated by an individual or as part of a group plan is immaterial to the effect and consequences of this despicable incident. - Harris S. Goldman Tarzana Head in the sand Clearly the Fourth of July Fourth of July, Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of it began during the American Revolution. attack on the El AL airport terminal was an act of terrorism. If this gunman could have had access to a bomb instead of a gun, be assured he would have used it. As long as our government keeps burying its head in the sand, and denying the truth, so as to keep people flying and shopping until they drop, we all continue to be in extreme harm's way harm's way n. A risky position; danger: a place for the children that is out of harm's way; ships that sail into harm's way. . - Art Haendiges Topanga Absolute miracle Has anyone noticed the absolute miracle in that with all the bombings and killings in the Middle East and around the world not a single Israeli has ever been killed by terrorists? Oh for sure they have been killed, but by ``militants'' or by ``freedom fighters'' or by ``gunmen'' or most recently at LAX by an ``angry person.'' It is unclear to me how we are ever going to win the war if we cannot even say who is killing whom. Any person who takes two guns and a knife to the airport with the intent of killing innocents in a public place, based solely on political considerations, is a terrorist. - Barry Lowenkron Encino Independent terminals The security at LAX did work. On July 4, the shooter at El Al was immediately killed. Increasing the number of armed officers in the ticket area will help. It has not been talked about in the news, but having several independent terminals at LAX worked exceptionally well. Only the Bradley International Terminal was closed. All other terminals continued to operate. Had this incident occurred at an airport with only one main entrance the entire airport would have been shut down for hours. The proposed changes at LAX will have all travelers go in and out of one entrance, which would concentrate many travelers at the entrance or first line of security. Another incident like this July 4 shooting at this proposed one entrance would totally shut down LAX. - Raiford L. Langford Sherman Oaks Hahn's LAX plan The proper question is not if Mayor James Hahn's new plan is expansion - it is. Hahn's plan extends LAX to the San Diego Freeway The San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405, and the part of Interstate 5 south of the El Toro Y[1]) is one of the principal north-south highways in Southern California, and the major beltway of I-5 running through Southern California. . The question should be, Is LAX expansion appropriate for Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ? LAX dominates air commerce. Regional airports can distribute this load and reduce ground traffic. Can our only major airport be incapacitated in·ca·pac·i·tate tr.v. in·ca·pac·i·tat·ed, in·ca·pac·i·tat·ing, in·ca·pac·i·tates 1. To deprive of strength or ability; disable. 2. To make legally ineligible; disqualify. ? Yes. Would loss of life on July 4 have been precluded? No. The LAX design is for 40 million annual passengers while the mayor's plan design is for 78 million. Is LAX worth $8 billion to $11 billion more? Now is the time to build up these other airports at less cost. - Denny Schneider Board Member Alliance for a Regional Solution to Airport Congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. Secession chances It is becoming more apparent each day that the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Valley's secession initiative has as much chance of success at the voting booths on Nov. 5 as Yasser Arafat has of being invited to a bar mitzvah Bar Mitzvah (bärmĭts`və) [Aramaic,=son of the Commandment], Jewish ceremony in which the young male is initiated into the religious community, according to tradition at the age of 13 years and a day. . The liberal establishment is galvanizing galvanizing, process of coating a metal, usually iron or steel, with a protective covering of zinc. Galvanized iron is prepared either by dipping iron, from which rust has been removed by the action of sulfuric acid, into molten zinc so that a thin layer of the zinc its core of regular voters among L.A. city employees, all union members, minorities, registered Democrats, etc., to vote against the Valley's secession movement. It's the very same group of politically correct-thinking voters which will also assure passage of the $3.3 billion LAUSD's school bond. God bless Glendale. - Everett P. Harrington Glendale A good joke The attempt of the Daily News in its July 4 editorial, ``Spirit of '76'' to compare the War of Independence with Valley secession was a hilarious stretch. The colonies were a result of conquest, the Valley become a part of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. at the request of the Valley for annexation. Colonists were taxed without representation in the British Parliament, the Valley is represented on L.A. City Council by representatives elected by the citizens of the Valley. This editorial should have appeared in the April 1 edition, it would have been perfect for April Fools' Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day First day of April, named for the custom of playing practical jokes on that date. Though it has been observed for centuries in several countries, including France and Britain, its origin is unknown. . - Philip Wilt Van Nuys Ludicrous of Davis After watching the political commercials on television of Gov. Gray Davis accusing Bill Simon of all the financial failures that supposedly went wrong at taxpayers' expense, I have to speak up. Davis claims millions against Simon. I think it is pretty ludicrous of Davis to make these kinds of accusations after he squandered squan·der tr.v. squan·dered, squan·der·ing, squan·ders 1. To spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate. See Synonyms at waste. 2. billions of taxpayers' money for his failed decisions on the electrical fiasco. I feel Davis has too much dirt at his front door to put the attention on somebody else to his gain. Shame on you, Gov. Davis: You put California in financial jeopardy, and now you want us to pay for your mistakes by raising taxes/fees. - Peter Sahlender Lancaster Lose either way After eight years of fighting over the airport, Burbank faces defeat. The FAA mandated that new security measures, requiring city issued construction permits, be in place by Dec. 31, 2002. Burbank's Measure A, which requires a cap on flights and a nighttime curfew before permits can be issued, will fall before the new federal law. Burbank must choose whether to enforce Measure A. If it grants the permits it will face the wrath of the voters. Should it deny the permits it will be dragged into Federal District Court for refusing to permit the airport to protect the flying public. Either way it loses. - Sean McCarthy West Hills Sorry lesson It is difficult to understand how some people feel that doing something as illegal and dangerous as firing off their own fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to helps to celebrate our nation's birthday. And what a sorry lesson to teach their children - to disobey dis·o·bey v. dis·o·beyed, dis·o·bey·ing, dis·o·beys v.intr. To refuse or fail to follow an order or rule. v.tr. To refuse or fail to obey (an order or rule). the law and risk setting a fire in one of our dry neighborhoods. - Barbara Adams Reseda Slippery slope 'slippery slope' Medical ethics An ethical continuum or 'slope,' the impact of which has been incompletely explored, and which itself raises moral questions that are even more on the ethical 'edge' than the original issue Dick Denne says congressmen should ``unharden their hearts'' to vote for ``free'' medication for old people (Public Forum, July 8). What Denne means by free is that other people should pay for the medicine. Specifically, taxpayers. Price caps on medicines will remove all incentive for drug companies to innovate and invest millions on new drugs. Then those like Denne, who favor socialized medicine socialized medicine, publicly administered system of national health care. The term is used to describe programs that range from government operation of medical facilities to national health-insurance plans. , will demand that government nationalize na·tion·al·ize tr.v. na·tion·al·ized, na·tion·al·iz·ing, na·tion·al·iz·es 1. To convert from private to governmental ownership and control: nationalize the steel industry. 2. the drug companies. We are already on a slippery slope to Soviet-style medicine, and Denne wants to add some grease - in the name of compassion. We have seen how government intervention in the medical industry has led to exploding costs and eroding quality, so we must need more of the poison that is killing what once was the finest medical-care system in the world. - James F. Glass Chatsworth Who's next? Now that there is ``Women of Enron'' in Playboy, with the way some officers of corporate America manipulated their companies, Playboy's coming-up issues probably will feature ``Women of WorldCom'' and then Martha Stewart herself. - Julian Nguyen Reseda |
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