PUBLIC FORUM STEVE ALLEN.It seems so unfitting that Steve Allen should pass away when we need him most. Although he was a writer, singer, musician, and on and on, one of his best works wasn't finished: the cleanup of Hollywood. As honorary chairman of the Parents Television Council, he represented an organization that strives to place morality and responsibility back into a medium that has become a moral sewer. Usually, anyone who complains about the sex, violence and homosexual themes in today's Hollywood market is called a bigot bigot - A person who is religiously attached to a particular computer, language, operating system, editor, or other tool (see religious issues). Usually found with a specifier; thus, "Cray bigot", "ITS bigot", "APL bigot", "VMS bigot", "Berkeley bigot". or part of the Moral Majority. I wonder if the same epithets would be used against Steve Allen? - Michael Foxen Canoga Park Never too busy While we remember and mourn that lovely person - Steve Allen - I recall another item to add to our memory of him. This is just one more gracious thing he was not too busy, nor too important, to do. He appeared more than once as guest artist with the CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge Student Jazz Band on campus in Northridge. Some of my happiest memories are his performances with that fine group of student musicians. He simply took the time in a busy life to encourage these young people. - Ruth Horgan Northridge Disturbing behavior Re ``City near shutting out Scouts'' (Nov. 1): Is the City Council a law unto itself? At one time the U.S. Supreme Court was the ultimate tribunal in this land. It seems Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg Jackie Goldberg (born June 16, 1937) is an American politician and teacher, and a member of the Democratic Party. She is a former member of the California State Assembly. has a different view and places her role on the City Council above that of the Supreme Court. Is there anyone else disturbed by Goldberg's attack on the Boy Scouts? It strikes me that they promote some healthy values for young people to live by. - Robert Rodine Sherman Oaks Tyranny of minority When I was young, I thought the Boy Scouts were the cat's pajamas pajamas Noun, pl US pyjamas pajamas npl (US) → pijama msg; piyama msg (LAM . They would help old people crossing the street, and to become an Eagle Scout Ea·gle Scout n. One who has achieved the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. Noun 1. Eagle Scout - a Boy Scout who has earned many merit badges Boy Scout - a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts you had to do a public service duty. Now, Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg demands the Boy Scouts should be thrown out of city programs because the Scouts discriminate against sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. and lack of religion. And the chicken livers - better known as that politically correct politically correct Politically sensitive adjective Referring to language reflecting awareness and sensitivity to another person's physical, mental, cultural, or other disadvantages or deviations from a norm; a person is not mentally retarded, but group, the City Council - will let Jackie get away with this discriminatory action. So after all these decades of thinking the Boy Scouts are the epitome of good service (I was not a Scout), I have a person who represents a voracious group of 10 percent or less yet dictates to the majority what should be done. - J.A. Nicassio Valencia Criminal coddling In cooking, to coddle food is to heat it in water kept just below the boiling point. The eggs added to a Caesar salad should ideally be coddled. However, coddled eggs are not fully cooked and still present a salmonella risk. Britton White served eight months in Camp Luxury for a previous rape, he was released early and arrested on suspicion of rape again (``Suspect held in rape at store,'' Nov. 1). A Ventura County Sheriff's Department The Ventura County Sheriff's Department (VCSD) provides law enforcement for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, USA, as well as several cities within the county. The cities that VCSD serves are Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks. spokesman, Eric Nishimoto, who sounds totally baffled by this recent rape, stated ``we're trying to find out how or why this could happen in a department-store dressing room.'' It seems to me the cause of this rape was directly due to a rapist being allowed to roam free and not serving his time for his last rape. But I am sure the legal system will ponder the whys and discuss the hows and spend endless hours discussing the banning of dressing rooms (which is surely the cause of rapes) while doing everything in their power to avoid looking at the truth. The truth is, our justice system caters to the criminals while punishing the victims and the police. - Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Vaughn Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, Cops started it Re ``Anti-police rally turns violent; three arrested'' (Oct. 23): I have been watching the coverage of the police riot Police riot is the wrongful, disproportionate, unlawful and illegitimate use of force by a group of police against a group of civilians. It often describes a situation where police, clad in riot gear such as armor, helmets, padded knee and elbow protectors, and face shields, on Oct. 22, and it's been mostly one-sided, saying that the protesters - of which I was one, and proud of it - started it, or that small groups on both sides started it. What garbage. The LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. was solely responsible for what happened. We were marching, singing, chanting, when the police, with no warning, attacked us. They even assaulted those who tried to sit down and nonviolently protest. We were chased by mounted police and others on foot, who beat those of us they could catch and fired rubber bullets at us all. The only guilty people were the LAPD, who apparently know zip about the Constitution and protecting the people they serve. - Mike Stage Glendale Middle East settlement Do Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Bark and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat really believe they can come to a permanent peace agreement by the methods they are using now? The deep-rooted bad feelings toward one another cannot be resolved this way. The very nature of the people, religion, nationality and the physical location makes it so unique that settlement seem impossible. The only way this situation can be resolved is for the United Nations to form a commission to go there to neutralize the region until the whole thing can be settled. This commission must have real military teeth to enforce its mission. This would stop all the killing, the destruction and violence. It would become an open area, especially for worship. - John J. Piccola Sylmar Live together My friend has a great solution for the Israeli-Palestine problem: Put all those, on both sides, who do not want peace, out in the desert. Leave them there until they kill each other off or learn to live together. Meanwhile, the rest of the people can live happily together - normal, peaceful, everyday lives. - June Aronson Reseda Look around In an Oct. 30 Public Forum letter, J.D. Silvester excoriates ``environmental wackos'' and the U.S. government for preserving habitat for the gnat-catcher and worries that soon much of our land will be under the control of us wackos. Look around you, Silvester: Have you ever considered that diversity is essential for the health of this planet? Have you considered what your life would be like without insect eaters? Do you know how prolific the insects are and how many diseases they transmit? Would you like to live in a world without birds, fish, bugs, plants, all of which depend on each other? Do you think humans can even survive in such a world? Is an unlivable planet the legacy you wish to leave for future generations? - Alan Pollack, M.D. Woodland Hills Seriously, folks Just in case the letter in the Oct. 22 Public Forum was not tongue-in- cheek (I know I laughed out loud, but perchance per·chance adv. Perhaps; possibly. [Middle English, from Anglo-Norman par chance : par, by (from Latin per; see per) + chance, chance others took it seriously), I would like to answer the question ``Is there any doubt that (Ronald Reagan) is the greatest living American?'' Answer: Yes. - Eileen O'Neill West Hills Moms played earlier Re ``Role reversal'' (Oct. 29): Where have you people been? About 25 years ago, we formed the only soccer league for women over 30 in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and played same-age women from Pacific Palisades Palisades, cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). , Santa Monica, etc. I was over 30 at the time but we had (women) age 50 on our team. Our home games were at Parkman Jr. High, and we also traveled to their fields. My husband also played on an over-30 team, all of this coming from the fact our kids played AYSO AYSO American Youth Soccer Organization AYSO All Your Saturdays Occupied AYSO Alabama Youth Soccer Organization AYSO Albuquerque Youth Soccer Organization (Albuquerque, New Mexico) , therefore our coming together. My husband designed the logo, our being the original Grasshoppers Grasshoppers may refer to one of the following:
- Lois Rochetti West Hills What we lost Whatever happened to our mail delivery system? When I was a young boy in the late 1940s, we paid three cents for stamps. I realize gas was 15 cents a gallon, but on the other hand, we received two deliveries a day. We could almost set our watches when the deliveries were made. Some of the young folks should be aware what we gave up in order to streamline the system with computers. - Frank J. Jacobs Sylmar |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion