PUBLIC FORUM WE WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR.If we unleash the mightiest military in the history of the world on innocent civilians, on women and children, the terrorists will have succeeded. If we live in suspicion of our differences and in fear of one another, the terrorists will have succeeded. If we turn America into an armed camp, perverting the very freedoms we seek to preserve, the terrorists will have succeeded. If we live in hatred, fueling our cries for blood with our own religious ideologies, the terrorists will have succeeded. We are better people than those who would destroy us. We will seek justice, not revenge. We will not live in fear of them or each other. We will stand tall and show the world that America is many peoples and a great nation. - Susan Cornner Northridge All in all The door on the Canoga Park Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2805 has the following words: ``All gave some. Some gave all.'' These words surely apply to the firefighters, the police and the just plain American heroes who answered the call on Sept. 11, just as they apply to those who answered the call given Dec. 7, 1941. May God bless you all. - David C. Griffith Woodland Hills It will get better Yes, I am a Muslim. This is the answer I have been telling people when they frequently ask me. I am sorry to say I have encountered many people who are targeting the Muslims for this heinous hei·nous adj. Grossly wicked or reprehensible; abominable: a heinous crime. [Middle English, from Old French haineus, from haine, hatred, from act of violence. Although I am a proud, natural-born American citizen, my family is from Iran. I just wanted to take the time to let all of my fellow Americans know that no terrorist could ever be a true Muslim. Names, races and religions don't make a terrorist. It is the mentality. Perpetrators of this crime have nothing to do with Muslims. We need to embrace this country for its unique diversity. We cannot let hatred rule our hearts because right now it is good vs. evil. Americans: Keep your heads high and keep on praying because it will get better. - Yeganeh Rene Khanverdi Canoga Park Gold Star mothers There is a woman out there in our community who perhaps feels more alone than she ought to today. She wonders if we remember her sacrifices for America and those of her family over the years. She asks only that we remember the actions of her son, who gave his life so long ago on a lonely field of battle so the rest of us could remain free. The fourth Sunday of September is official ``American Gold American Gold is a syndicated weekly, four-hour, hit-packed, oldies countdown program which is written, produced and hosted by Radio Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Dick Bartley. Concept The concept of American Gold Star Mother Day,'' first celebrated during the 1940s. Somewhere along the way, the observance of this occasion and what it stands for seemed to fall into obscurity. God Bless American Gold Star mothers. And to the women who wonder if we remember, I assure you we do. - Robert Hammer Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. Our liberties In the aftermath of the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, Madeline Albright, our former secretary of state, has suggested Americans compromise some of their liberties to empower government to protect us better in the future. This is the way things were done in her country of origin. The United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and its Constitution were not formed for people who would sacrifice a bit of freedom every time a shot is fired or a bomb goes off. If we allow flag burners, assassins and terrorists to trick us into compromising our liberties, then we are playing right into their hands. - James E. Caldwell Doyle, Calif. Pick your absurdity I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. which is more absurd, Jerry Falwell's claim that God ``lifted the curtain of protection'' or some reader's bleeding-heart claim that we are a target for terrorism because the ``have-not people of the world do not have a stake in our system.'' If Falwell is correct, I would have to seriously rethink my faith, if I had any to begin with. But unspeakable tragedies such as the Sept. 11 attack tend to negate any idea of a protective and loving higher power Higher power is a term used in a 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, to describe "a power greater than yourself." Although many participants equate their higher power with God, a belief in God or in formal religion is not mandatory; the higher power is intended as a . As for the bleeding hearts, I direct their attention to Osama bin Ladin's declaration: ``I'm fighting so I can die a martyr and go to heaven to meet God. Our fight now is against the Americans.'' If bin Ladin's and Falwell's God is one and the same, we can forget about prayer vigils and go about the business of freeing the world from terrorism with every weapon at our command. - Harlan Campbell Tujunga Give love a chance Concerning the tragedy in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. on Sept. 11: I am an old lady who has lived 78 years, and if there is anything I have learned it is that we, as a nation, must not seek revenge. We must pray to be free of hate and rage. We must pray that the perpetrators of this outrage be freed of their hate, their anger and their pain. To live in hate is to live in pain. We must give love a chance. - Doris MacCorkell Woodland Hills Hertzberg replies I could scarcely believe your unconscionable Unusually harsh and shocking to the conscience; that which is so grossly unfair that a court will proscribe it. When a court uses the word unconscionable to describe conduct, it means that the conduct does not conform to the dictates of conscience. accusation that the Legislature had taken advantage of the attention focused on last week's terrorist attacks by approving our redistricting redistricting: see legislative apportionment. plans. Your attack was wholly inaccurate - and beneath contempt. Let's set the record straight about how lawmakers responded to last week's tragedy, which occurred during our hectic final week of session for the year. First, out of respect for the victims, we recessed for the day Tuesday without convening session. This also allowed the legislative leadership to confer regarding the security of the state Capitol and gave grief-stricken staff members time to be with their loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl as the crisis unfolded. Second, upon returning Wednesday morning, we began our session with an interdenominational in·ter·de·nom·i·na·tion·al adj. Of or involving different religious denominations. interdenominational Adjective among or involving more than one denomination of the Christian Church Adj. prayer service for the victims and their families. Only afterward did we return to our normal work. As I said at the time, the best memorial we can offer to those who have died is to see that our democracy - and the free and open society that nourishes it - goes on. Your misguided criticism was a disservice to every member of the Legislature, who put the traumatic events of last week aside to complete the work of the citizens of this state. Shame on you. - Robert M. Hertzberg Speaker of the Assembly Committing ground troops It would be a tragedy for the United States to commit ground troops into Afghanistan. There are only three first-class roads to the Afghan border: the Kohat Pass Kohat Pass is a mountain pass in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, connecting Kohat with Peshawar, crossing the Khigana Mountains. As the current road to the pass is steep and too narrow for large vehicles, Kohat Tunnel is under construction. , the Khyber Pass Khyber Pass (kī`bər), narrow, steep-sided pass, 28 mi (45 km) long, winding through the Safed Koh Mts., on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border; highest point is 3,500 ft (1,067 m). and the one road to Wana Camp, which is situated seven miles from the Afghan border through Waziristan. All these approaches are through Pakistan, which is 100 percent Muslim, and the majority of those inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. are decidedly sympathetic toward bin Laden. A handful of ragtag rag·tag adj. 1. Shaggy or unkempt; ragged. 2. Diverse and disorderly in appearance or composition: "They're a small ragtag army of racketeers, bandits, and murderers" tribesmen with antiquated weapons could ambush and hold at bay thousands of inexperienced troops and their supply convoys as they attempted to negotiate the narrow defiles that abound in this mountainous area. Tropical diseases will fell the remainder of the invaders. President Bush, scratch off using ground troops from your list of options. - Robert Grant Robert Grant may refer to:
Glendale Airline bailout I would urge everyone to write or call your U.S. representatives and senators and tell them to vote no on airline bailouts. Why should we give taxpayer money to private corporations, especially airlines that have gouged us for years with high fares, bad service and bad attitude - making massive profits for the last 10 years while our schools suffered from a lack of federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve . Money for federal security at airline terminals may be OK, but a blank check Blank check A check that is duly signed, but the amount of the check is left blank to be supplied by the drawee. - with no security deposit from the airlines or payback - is not acceptable. Let free enterprise and competition decide the fate of which airlines will be up and running. - Art Haendiges Topanga |
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