PUBLIC FORUM WHAT WE OBJECT TO.

As a close neighbor of Studio City Golf and Tennis, I take exception to your suggestion that our Residents Association should be seeking compromise regarding use of this space (``Room for everyone,'' Editorial, Dec. 11). Even as private property, its potential uses are subject to zoning laws.

These laws are meant to protect property owners from incompatible uses by their neighbors, thus ensuring orderly development of communities. One aspect of this governance is open space and this property is currently zoned for agriculture or recreational uses. To develop it for any kind of residential use would require a zoning change and this is what our Residents Association is rightly registering its objections to.

- James Mathers

Studio City

Closed libraries

I support the renovation of the city's libraries, but not the idea of closing all of the ones I am near all at once, while I am studying for final exams. I have no car and taking the bus to other libraries would cut into my study time significantly.

If city officials were capable of rational thought (we all know they are not), they would have closed half as many, which would ease the burden on the ones still operating, decrease the lines and wait times for special orders, and perhaps increase the members at each construction crew. That would mean each facility would be completed more quickly.

- Michelle L. Katz

Sylmar

Some timing

There's talk about spending $10 million to time our traffic lights. That's about as absurd as posting speed limits. Almost nobody obeys speed limits and drivers are not about to slow down just to make a system work that's designed to prevent stop-and-gos at the red lights.

Lights would have to be timed to at least 50 mph to accommodate prevailing speeds. Even then, we would find hop-heads, drag racers and lead- foot drivers racing to the red lights, maintaining the stop-and-go mentality. Like Forest Gump said, ``Stupid is as stupid does.''

- Fred W. Coble

North Hills

Increase understanding

Re ``Menorah gave spark of life amid death'' (Opinion, Dec. 12):

To all those of you who laud the notion of separation of church and state, you should read Judith Novack's article. Most religions give hope and help to endure hardships. But they often are twisted to fit the evil purpose of twisted minds. It is better to educate our understanding so we are not deceived than to extinguish what hope might be left in prayer and song.

- Leo De Los Santos

Sun Valley

Sowell gets silly

Re ``To stop being hated, don't be a success'' by Thomas Sowell (Opinion, Nov. 30):

People don't hate us because we're successful, nor do they hate us because we're free, as George W. Bush's people would have us believe. They hate us because too many Americans are arrogant and insensitive when it comes to dealing with non-Western cultures and this infuriates people.

The intelligentsia, the people who speak in ``psychobabble,'' according to Sowell, know this because they've taken the time to gain a better understanding of the history and the people of these troubled regions, and they are aware of America's part in setting the stage for our present conflict. His silly reference to the ``psychobabble version'' of understanding is nothing more than a declaration of his own ignorance.

- David B. Sharp

Granada Hills

Cemetery policy

The 11 Catholic cemeteries in the Los Angeles Archdiocese serve the families of more than 650,000 deceased within our Catholic community. At this time of year in particular, sensitivity to the emotions and feelings of our patrons should be - and is - our utmost concern. Our policies and guidelines regarding holiday decorations are designed to respect the various customs and practices of some families, while showing sensitivity to other families who have voiced complaints that elaborate decorations of others' graves have obscured and in some cases blocked access to graves of their own loved ones.

The safety of our patrons and grounds workers is also of critical concern to us. Glass bulbs and bottles can break and become hidden in the grass. Electric wires, wooden objects, metal spikes, etc., can be stumbled over or can become dangerous projectiles when pulled into the blades of a lawn mower. Our Cemeteries Department staff is composed of good and sensitive people. They certainly deserve far better than the journalistic thrashing they received at the pen of Richard Nemec (Viewpoint, Dec. 9).

- Tod M. Tamberg

Media Relations

Archdiocese of Los Angeles

State of affairs

Just when you thought Al Gore's supporters had finally accepted their man lost the election, somebody like Rick Kellis pops up with a letter (Public Forum, Dec. 16) noting how Al Gore won the nationwide popular vote by a half-million or more votes, as if that ever mattered. The fact is, per the recent independent recount, Gore lost the election under all the recount options except if a statewide recount had taken place, which by the way, is the one option Gore did not want.

As far as Bush being the ``accidental president,'' I'm sure you wouldn't be crying had they voted for Gore. I'm ecstatic that Bush was able to ``steal'' the election. He's turning out to be everything we hoped for and much, much more. That's the current state of affairs - something Al Gore supporters have yet to acknowledge.

- Jose A. Pasillas

Calabasas

Feel-good legislation

In Daniel Weintraub's Dec. 12 Opinion column about tracing guns, he leaves out some very pertinent facts. He states that for some reason, the new law isn't taken seriously. The main reason for that is most guns used in crimes have been stolen from homes by burglars who are rarely apprehended. Essentially, it is a waste of valuable police resources to try to find a

``pattern'' in the source of guns used in crimes, and most busy police department heads know this.

Much more important is linking a particular gun to the criminal that used it, and then locking that criminal up. The gun-tracing law is just another bit of ``feel-good'' legislation by anti-gun totalitarians who want ultimately to confiscate all guns except those held by police and criminals.

- A.E. Kholos

Van Nuys

Foreign intervention

What do Kosovo, Iraq and the United States have in common? Answer: All three are patrolled by foreign military forces under NATO/U.N. command. On Oct. 12, five NATO/U.N. AWACS planes dispatched from a base in Germany began cruising American skies to help in the defense of our homeland. For the first time in American history, we are unable to defend our own borders and skies.

It is tragic that our interventionist foreign policy has spread our military forces so thin. How much longer can we continue to defend so many other nations, but not our own?

- Lucy Crump

Mission Hills

The important things

I am deeply saddened by the loss of our three special-forces soldiers. These men are our bravest and finest. The term ``special forces'' is an appropriate description. These men are truly special and are the true description of heroes. If it were not for the terrorists and the Taliban, these men would still be alive.

As deeply saddened as I am, I am also deeply angered. Some in our midst, such as Sen. Patrick Leahy, are more worried about how we will treat any terrorist we may capture. He is worried about the rights of terrorists?

Perhaps I am biased, I freely admit that. Like these men who died, I believe that love of country, love of God, and love of family are the most important things in life.

- Thomas Kiser

North Hills

Pet control

I couldn't agree more with Marion H. Winkler's letter (``Kitty Care,'' Public Forum, Dec. 10) on the importance of animals needing to be on a leash, in a crate or carrier whenever transported.

Every veterinary clinic I've ever dealt with has said ``dogs must be on a leash'' and ``cats must be in a carrier,'' and the distance to a veterinarian is far shorter than the distance of a trip or a move.

- Eddie Cress

Sylmar