PUBLIC FORUM CLINTON IN VIETNAM.I was amazed at the attitudes expressed by your readers toward Clinton's Vietnam visit. Would those same people, looking back, also condemn Truman's action in sending MacArthur to Japan, Kennedy for standing up in Berlin and saying, ``Ich bin ein Berliner "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a citizen of Berlin") is a famous quotation from a June 26, 1963, speech of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in West Berlin. He was underlining the support of the United States for democratic West Germany shortly after the Soviet-supported Communist ,'' Nixon for his visit to the PRC, and Reagan for his approaches to the USSR USSR: see Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (though admittedly, the war with them was only a cold one)? For both sides, working toward peace involves - however painful it might be - the willingness to forgive what can never be forgotten. - E.J. von Schoff Glendale Mixed feelings I have voted for every Democratic nominee since Truman's election. Whenever I lost I really felt bad. This time around if Bush wins I will have mixed feelings. If V.P. Gore couldn't beat as inept, shallow and witless wit·less adj. Lacking intelligence or wit; foolish. wit  less·ly adv.wit a person as Gov. Bush, then maybe he doesn't deserve to win. In any event the country will have two years to see what kind of a president Bush will be. My feelings are that the 2002 congressional elections will sweep Democrats back into power, and we will only have to suffer a one-term chief executive. I do hope this vitriolic and hateful explosion by the Republicans will not have a lasting effect upon the electorate. - Al Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. Sherman Oaks Our inheritance To Al Shaw (``Founding Fathers,'' Nov. 23, Public Forum) and any other individuals who have 20/20 vision about historical morality, the Founding Fathers risked family, wealth and themselves so you can abuse the Constitution by whining. Judge them for what they have given us. True Americans strive to attain the beliefs and goals set forth in our written doctrine. Were some of the Founding Fathers wealthy land owners, did they grow crops that today are questionable? Yes. Some did own slaves and some also grew hemp as a crop for rope. This country with its faults both past and present has always looked at wrongs and attempted to right them with many good results and some bad. - Robert E. Ryan Northridge Far-fetched comparison Re Bill Schorr's Nov. 22 editorial cartoon: How far-fetched and what a misrepresentation misrepresentation In law, any false or misleading expression of fact, usually with the intent to deceive or defraud. It most commonly occurs in insurance and real-estate contracts. False advertising may also constitute misrepresentation. it is to compare the politically motivated arguments in the Florida voting debacle to those of the impeachment impeachment, formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct. In a looser sense the term is sometimes applied also to the trial by the legislature that may follow. of William Jefferson Clinton, who by whatever legal or unpublicized exertion of the force of his powerful office avoided conviction for the commission of perjury and other crimes. If there were any inappropriate political considerations related to this serious matter, it was upon members of his own party who failed to do what was right. - Harris S. Goldman Tarzana Dead wrong Rep. Brad Sherman is dead wrong in his article ``Dump the old school,'' (Nov. 20). He wants to eliminate electoral voting by states to improve our democracy - because electoral voting is out of date. Ours is not a ``mobocracy mob·oc·ra·cy n. pl. mob·oc·ra·cies 1. Political control by a mob. 2. The mass of common people as the source of political control. .'' We have a Bill of Rights that protects us from the excesses of government, not from each other. Each state has two senators so the more populous states cannot run roughshod over the less populous states. In a mobocracy, the actions of the big-city political machines would dominate our national elections. Electoral voting leavens some of their undue influence. The Founding Fathers - and mothers, too - gave us the most astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, document in the history of the universe and wisely included that the consent of three-fourths of the states are required to change it. Good luck, Brad. - James H. Steger Camarillo Unconstitutional In Brad Sherman's Nov. 20 column ``Dump the old school,'' he wants to dump the Electoral College electoral college, in U.S. government, the body of electors that chooses the president and vice president. The Constitution, in Article 2, Section 1, provides: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, . His proposal is to use the popular vote and require a threshold of 40 percent. He states, ``If the threshold was set at 50 percent, we would need a runoff in many presidential elections, perhaps most elections.'' The Constitution sets the election date and has no provisions for runoff elections. His proposal could result in requiring recounts in every state for all close races. - Bill Zelenka Granada Hills This is a republic Rep. Brad Sherman's Nov. 20 column on the Electoral College is a sure sign of the dire consequences of government-mandated education. This country is a republic, not a democracy, and this is not a simple change of words. The Electoral College is a fundamental element of that republic. That is why we pledge allegiance to the republic, not the democracy. Anyone with a mild education in civics civics, branch of learning that treats of the relationship between citizens and their society and state, originally called civil government. With the large immigration into the United States in the latter half of the 19th cent. or history would be fully aware that the Founding Fathers warned vociferously against a democracy - which always leads to socialism, monarchy and despotism despotism, government by an absolute ruler unchecked by effective constitutional limits to his power. In Greek usage, a despot was ruler of a household and master of its slaves. . These were not a bunch of ignorant old white guys as Sherman tries to portray them. They specifically warned against the type of political ignorance Sherman's editorial brings out. Is it not also interesting that Sherman's solution is a big federal program with federal oversight? - John K. Taylor Woodland Hills In the White House In answer to K. Murphy's letter on the military vote, (Public Forum, Nov. 17): Take a good look at what's sitting up there in the White House - a draft dodger. At least Gov. Bush was in the reserves, which is more than can be said for Clinton the draft dodger. - R. Rodeen Northridge Every issue Your Nov. 20 editorial ``Fortress of Folly'' was laudable - but doesn't mean diddly did·dly n. Slang A small or worthless amount: His advice wasn't worth diddly to me. [Short for diddlyshit; see diddly-squat. squat. So the council kept secret a major part of the bond issue that no firms bid on the library projects. Over the years I have discovered that every time an issue goes on the ballot, we are screwed. No matter whether the vote is a yes or no. The public has had it. Every issue means some politician is making money off it. Not the public - the politician. And politicians very wisely always say the American public isn't stupid. And the stupid American public believes it, as they are being taken to the cleaners. Just remember, no matter what issue goes on the ballot - you have been taken. Politicians only tell the truth when their lips aren't moving. - Frank Barron Van Nuys Paving the way It is with great despondency de·spon·den·cy n. Depression of spirits from loss of hope, confidence, or courage; dejection. Noun 1. despondency - feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless despondence, disconsolateness, heartsickness that I read the article ``Parent pressure strains campus'' (Nov. 20). Once again teachers are having to defend themselves. Obviously, Carlos L'Dera did not learn that you attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. Had he formed the We Support Our Teachers group rather than the Parents Demand group, he would have been hailed the hero, not the hellion hel·lion n. A mischievous, troublesome, or unruly person. [Probably alteration (influenced by hell) of dialectal hallion, worthless person.] Noun 1. . L'Dera should stop passing the buck and use it to clean the bathrooms himself. You are only paving a road of conflict and unhappiness for your child. Believe me, no teacher will ever want your daughter in their room because of the nightmare you create. And that is the greatest disgrace of all. - Juliet Kaluzniacki Burbank Real reform As I predicted prior to the verdict of guilty on the matter of these three rogue cops, a hardworking blue-collar jury would not permit some overrated Overrated was a Horde World of Warcraft guild, based on the US Black Dragonflight Realm. On November 2 2006, the majority of the guild members were indefinitely banned from the game for use of (or directly benefiting from) a third-party "wall-hack", used to bypass content barristers paid for by the police union to snooker snooker Variation of English billiards. It is played with 15 red balls and 6 variously coloured balls. Snooker arose, probably in India, as a game for soldiers in the 1870s. them. The Rampart verdict, long overdue, is not about gangs, it tears at the very fabric of our justice system and affects the entire citizenry when dirty cops ignore probable cause, perjure per·jure tr.v. per·jured, per·jur·ing, per·jures Law To make (oneself) guilty of perjury by deliberately testifying falsely under oath. themselves, embellish and falsify falsify, v to forge; to give a false appearance to anything, as to falsify a record. reports - including the staging of bogus injuries. This rap about reform will never happen, i.e., a new inspector general, etc. The reform is for the judge to sentence these three defendants to lengthy state prison terms so as to restrict other cops from engaging in this course of conduct. - Ron Nicol Glendale |
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