PUBLIC FORUM WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?

Re ``Act on `never again''' (Their Opinions, Nov. 24):

I am devastated that Rabbi Lee Bycel had to call our attention to the slaughter of thousands of black Sudanese by their government's militias. Where are the African-American ``defenders'' of the human rights they are so concerned with in the U.S.? Where are the NAACP, the Urban League, the black churches? Why aren't they out screaming in marches on Washington? Why are they not protesting to the United Nations for the months of delay since the U.N. started to ``investigate'' these atrocities?

Why don't they have an emergency address and phone number for those of us who want to help?

Thousands of innocents have been slaughtered, thousands of little girls have been raped by these monsters, thousands of fathers of little children and little boys have been murdered by these blood-thirsty mobs. How much longer will sane people allow this to continue?

And where is the president of the United States?

- Herman Berman

Sherman Oaks

Bush's picks

Whether one calls them ``yes-men (women),'' ``far from the most qualified,'' ``political hacks'' or simply ``arguably incompetent,'' it amounts to the same thing. The recent spate of White House appointees have neither the best character nor the best experience for their respective posts. Bush is already mismanaging this country into even more dangerous narrow-mindedness, ineptitude and disastrous policies than before. Accuracy of information, right action and morality, more likely with qualified advisers who will speak up, apparently mean nothing to Bush.

- Roger Hull

Torrance

Poor sports

When a fan is displeased with what is happening in a game, he certainly has a right to show his displeasure. He can boo all he wants, but that's all. Shame on those fans who do more than boo the opposition. They should not be surprised if they get charged with a crime. The players are admittedly overpaid and pampered, and should have the maturity not to resort to violence against fans. The Pacers and Pistons players were out of control, but the fans were out of control as well, and deserve whatever happens to them.

- Toni O'Brien

North Hills

The real fight

Ask people on the street about what happened in Detroit last week and they will go on a tirade, giving you their opinion about the fight that caused Indiana Pacer Ron Artest to be suspended from NBA play for the remainder of the season. Ask them what happened in Iraq last week and they can't tell you that 41 young Americans were killed and scores wounded. Most don't know that more than 1,200 Americans have been killed in Iraq or that more that 20,000 have been injured, of which only 9,000 are acknowledged by the Pentagon as combat-related. They don't know that more than 100,000 Iraqi men, women and children have lost their lives.

How easily we are detracted by a few fisticuffs and some spilled beer. Yes, the Pacers will lose the service of a star player for a year, and yes he will lose a few million dollars, but our attention should be on the tens of thousands of children who have lost their dads and moms forever.

- Philip Wilt

Van Nuys

Protecting the human

``Assisted suicide here?'' (Nov. 9):

The controversy over assisted suicide reminds me of a cartoon I once saw. A healthy-looking elderly woman is being ``assisted'' in suicide, with her son standing next to her. She says ``I should have aborted you when I had the chance!''

Life is a priceless gift to each person; it should be protected whenever possible. A person who wishes to commit suicide can do so fairly easily. That is individual choice. For society to condone a doctor ending the patient's life is a really bad precedent. Doctors are supposed to protect the patient, not kill them.

As a society, we seem to have gone so far down the path of ``choice'' that we have forgotten that it is our morals, our capability to transcend the convenient and easy, that makes us human. It is very sad to see people compare animal euthanasia and ``assisted suicide,'' because it means they don't really comprehend the difference between animals and humans.

- John Green

Northridge

Making choices

God gave me a brain to think and to make choices. If I had a terminal disease, my choice would be to choose the time and place to die, rather than hanging around for weeks and weeks with plastic tubes hanging out of my body, and to be able to speak consciously and clearly to my family and friends, not strangers.

- Lois Rochetti

West Hills

Needed reforms

Re ``New primer issued on child abuse'' (Nov. 23):

Thank you, Los Angeles County officials, for recommending better training for law enforcement officers and ways to coordinate their efforts to minimize trauma to child-abuse victims.

One night at 10 p.m., after we had reported to DCSF that our newly adopted, 3-year-old son had been abused in foster care, two police officers banged on our door. It turned out they wrongly thought I was the suspected foster mother. The officers then interviewed our adopted son, who was terrified of these big strangers with guns and handcuffs. Weeks later, the foster home was closed, but the memory of our late night visitors will stay open in our minds.

- Janet Alston Jackson

Lake View Terrace

GOP Time warp

I was worried about being dragged back to the '50s after the election. But in less than a month, the Bush Republicans have regressed us back to the McCarthy Era. In the name of homeland security, we are now strip- searching women at America's airports, including celebrities and the elderly? Give any clod a uniform and an excuse, and the dastardly behavior will follow.

House Republicans tried to sneak a provision into a huge spending bill that would allow the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committees the right to access to our tax returns. While at the same time they have changed the rules to let Tom DeLay keep his job. Bye bye, freedom; hello, Big Brother!

- Bruce Alan

Granada Hills

New role for Arnold

If our governor wants a new role that will satisfy both his political and ``artistic'' ambitions, he'd be well-advised to take on the role sensible California citizens would cast him in: ``The Roadless Warrior.'' We need a governor who looks out for the state's interest in keeping our forests intact and less accessible to corporate pillage by keeping them roadless.

He never made great movies, but he could make a few good choices in Sacramento.

- Nick Gilhool

Los Angeles

Awe-struck

I am awe-struck that Los Angeles can find $11 billion to fund Mayor James Hahn's boondoggle expansion of Los Angeles International Airport, but can't seem to come up with the cash to fund more officers for the Los Angeles Police Department. State cigarette-tax money is blown on fun stuff for the administrators. Our property taxes are wasted on expensive trips, but there is simply not enough money for security and control of illegal immigration. L.A. tosses billions into the air, then says we don't have the money to keep our hospitals operating. Has anyone else noticed this?

- Michael C. Hines

West Hills

A fair solution

Everyone wants a selective tax, or source of funds for more police, right? Well, how about a 20 percent tax on every game sold by the state lottery system? Games that cost $1 would now be $1.20. If you don't like the tax, don't play the lottery. If you want to help support the police, play till your heart's content. After all, this is a fair, equal opportunity state, right?

Oh, and don't forget a 5 percent police tax on winners' income in excess of $1 million. We want to tax the winners as well as the losers.

- Greg Beckman Sr.

North Hollywood