PUBLIC FORUM.Public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most ploy Re ``Church shame unfolds'' (Oct. 12): The release of the summaries of church personnel files on accused priests by Cardinal Mahony is just another public relations ploy. The appellate court A court having jurisdiction to review decisions of a trial-level or other lower court. An unsuccessful party in a lawsuit must file an appeal with an appellate court in order to have the decision reviewed. ordered the documents released last month. The summaries are watered down and once again show that Mahony will continue to spend the Sunday collection money to hide the truth. Visit www.bishop-accountability.org and read the grand jury report released last week on the Philadelphia Archdiocese's sexual abuse cover-up. It tells in detail the abuse that occurred over the last few decades and names the priests as well as the bishops who covered it up and allowed it to continue. This will give you an idea of what truly happened in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. as well as archdioceses across the country. - Mark Gauer Moorpark Separation Re Church shame unfolds'' (Oct. 12): I was struck by the sad irony of Wednesday's front page headlines. ``Church shame unfolds'' revealed 75 years of church complicity in the sexual abuse of children by priests. ``New effort under way to return cross to L.A. County seal'' described the tenacity of a group of zealots Zealots (zĕl`əts), Jewish faction traced back to the revolt of the Maccabees (2d cent. B.C.). The name was first recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus as a designation for the Jewish resistance fighters of the war of A.D. 66–73. to restore the ``trademark'' of the very same child-abusing entity to our county's logo. My question is, how can you separate one from the other? - Billy Bauman Van Nuys Protecting the criminal Re ```I think it's outrageous,' Plea bargain plea bargain n. in criminal procedure, a negotiation between the defendant and his attorney on one side and the prosecutor on the other, in which the defendant agrees to plead "guilty" or "no contest" to some crimes, in return for reduction of the severity of the in fatal DUI case adds to parents' grief'' (Oct. 12): Hell, yes, it is outrageous. It is against the law to be driving while intoxicated driving while intoxicated n. see driving under the influence. ; certainly that in itself is a crime. But when injury to others, and in this case death, then the driver must pay for the crime. Far too often, our laws are protecting the criminal and not the victim. Shame on our justice system if this driver goes unpunished unpunished Adjective without suffering or resulting in a penalty: the guilty must not go unpunished, such crimes should not remain unpunished Adj. 1. . - Cliff Hall Chatsworth Cocktail napkin results Re ``Where is the love for Orange Line? She wishes she knew'' (Oct. 12): Congratulations to Mariel Garza for apparently being the only person on the Daily News staff to see through the MTA's $330 million Orange Line boondoggle boon·dog·gle Informal n. 1. An unnecessary or wasteful project or activity. 2. a. A braided leather cord worn as a decoration especially by Boy Scouts. b. . Who would want ``a bus ride with plenty of red lights and jarring stops and starts?'' But what more can we expect from something that was designed on the back of a cocktail napkin by politicians? What ever happened to real engineers sitting at drawing boards and designing new freeways? Make no mistake, a majority of those who ride buses are only doing so until they get a driver's license Noun 1. driver's license - a license authorizing the bearer to drive a motor vehicle driver's licence, driving licence, driving license license, permit, licence - a legal document giving official permission to do something or save enough money to buy a car. That's because the best reason for driving your own car is having been forced to ride public buses. - Robert L. Rosebrock Brentwood Dog stereotyping Re ``Dog control'' (Oct. 11): I take exception to your comments regarding pit bulls. These dogs are very affectionate in nature. The dog in the ``Our Gang'' comedies was a pit bull. They are, however, very strong and any dog that is abused can become aggressive. Dogs have individual personalities and should not be lumped together in a stereotype. - Susan Lieberman Northridge Cahuenga Pass The Cahuenga Pass (IPA: [kə'wɛŋgə]) (from the indigenous Tongva language) (el. 745 ft. / 227 m) is a mountain pass through the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Hollywood district of the City cross Re ``A great pity'' (Your Opinions, Oct. 11): I assure Terri Andrews that I have no objection to historic place names, whether they be Catholic saints in California or English royalty back East (Jamestown, Elizabeth, Charlotte, etc.), although I have no liking for either bunch. But she refers to the cross on what she refers to as the ``real'' county seal. It does not symbolize anything historical, being merely a depiction of the huge, garishly gar·ish adj. 1. a. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. b. Loud and flashy: garish makeup. See Synonyms at gaudy1. 2. lit cross that used to loom threateningly over Cahuenga Pass across from the Hollywood Bowl. This is why they appear in the same segment of the seal. By the way, the seal is not historic. The county had no seal at all until our lifetime, and somehow survived. - Mary Anne Steinberger Tujunga Just kidding Re ``A great pity'' (Your Opinions, Oct. 11): It seems that Terri Andrews does not understand the concept of a spoof. Claire Magid was trying to give us all a gentle chuckle. With the recent natural disasters, terrorist killings and political hysteria, we all could use a ton of chuckles. - Emy Lenoir Blackwell Granada Hills Set the stage Re ``Perfect emissary'' (Your Opinions, Oct. 11): Thank you for printing right-wing letters. Today there was one Charles Sergis who says it's actually a good thing that Bush crony Karen Hughes is clueless clue·less adj. Lacking understanding or knowledge. clueless Adjective Slang helpless or stupid Adj. 1. about radical Islam because ``if she did know, she couldn't stomach the job.'' I guess Sergis belongs to a peaceful religion. Peaceful unless you were one of the millions who throughout history have been on the receiving end. Combine the Crusades with the British taking a big bite out of Iraq and creating Kuwait in 1921 and the stage is set for what is going on today. - Chuck Heinold West Hills Lopez's humor Re ``Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the George Lopez Show'' (Oct. 9): ``Hey, man! If you park your car there, I'll steal it. I'm Mexican. That's what I do.'' George Lopez's comedy represents the Mexican we're all trying to forget. - Gloria Montoya Johnson Tujunga The rest of us Scott Hewes thinks Americans would rather have an imbecile im·be·cile n. A person of moderate to severe mental retardation having a mental age of from three to seven years and generally being capable of some degree of communication and performance of simple tasks under supervision. for president than a so-called ``liberal extremist.'' Speak for conservative extremists only, and not for the rest of us (abuse) for The Rest Of Us - (From the Macintosh slogan "The computer for the rest of us") 1. Used to describe a spiffy product whose affordability shames other comparable products, or (more often) used sarcastically to describe spiffy but very overpriced products. 2. who are disgusted with and offended by the whole thieving Bush gang and their supporters. Just when you think the lowest point has been reached, conservatives manage to sink lower into incompetence and corruption. If they had any respect for their country, they would resign, all of them. - Geri A. Mellgren-Kerwin Burbank Two wrongs ... Re ``Unconstitutional'' (Your Opinions, Sept. 30): Max Yost implies that because the words ``year of our lord'' appear in the Constitution, they are constitutional and the constitutionality of those words make the words ``under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of Allegiance, in full, Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, oath that proclaims loyalty to the United States. and its national symbol. constitutional. The constitutional amendments belie be·lie tr.v. be·lied, be·ly·ing, be·lies 1. To picture falsely; misrepresent: "He spoke roughly in order to belie his air of gentility" James Joyce. that notion. The 17th Amendment reverses the text of Article I, on the election of senators, making the original text unconstitutional. The failure of the government to correct the words ``year of our lord,'' appropriate in the 18th century, to ``year of'' appropriate in the 21st century, is wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right. The uncorrected reference to God in the Constitution does not give government carte blanche CARTE BLANCHE. The signature of an individual or more, on a while. paper, with a sufficient space left above it to write a note or other writing. 2. In the course of business, it not unfrequently occurs that for the sake of convenience, signatures in blank are to use ``God'' anywhere. - Denis Denis, king of Portugal: see Diniz. Feehan Simi Valley From God Re ``Religion and government'' (Your Opinions, Oct. 11): The same Congress that wrote and passed the establishment clause created legislative chaplains and military chaplains, confirmed a grant of land to the Ohio Company for the support of religion, approved the holding of religious services in the House chamber, the War Office, and the Treasury Building, approved days of prayer and thanksgiving to ``Almighty God,'' and approved the Northwest Ordinance Northwest Ordinance: see Ordinance of 1787. , which specifically and intentionally connected schools with the promotion of religion. The Declaration of Independence (not just Chris Weinkopf) says that our rights come from God. Not a single framer of the Constitution believed that rights come from the Constitution. - Gregg Frazer Professor of History and Political Studies The Master's College Should be illegal The enormous amount of union money spent to defeat Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77 is not only disgusting, but should be illegal. There should be a reasonable cap to allow for free speech, but this is ridiculous and insulting. It is a consolidated power play by the unions to control elections in their favor. If allowed to continue, California will surely be bankrupted. - Raymond Vaughn Northridge |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion