PUBLIC FORUM.

Marathon runner

On March 19, I completed my 19th L.A. Marathon, at the age of 80, in nine hours and 14 minutes. The L.A. Marathon is one of the few marathons that has water available to you at every mile. Thanks to the 3,000 volunteers who always smile as they hand you two cups of water at every mile.

The marathon is so great because of the people on the street who have marvelous words of encouragement. My hand was tired from all the high fives I gave to the younger children. As one of the 25,000 runners, we passed Figueroa, Koreatown, Little Ethiopia, the Crenshaw District and Hancock Park - and we welcomed your kind words. I run the marathon to raise money, and in 21 years I have raised $140,000 for Camp Ronald McDonald.

- Ed Rasky

West Hills

Mayor's promises

Re "N.Y. tour inspires Antonio" (March 22):

With all of the smiling mayor's grandstanding, all that I see is a lot of promises. What does he not understand about Los Angeles Unified School District? This is a separate entity from city government and is not in his bailiwick. It would be wonderful if he concentrated on things that could be accomplished that are under his purview. Gang problems, police protection, fire personnel, city traffic congestion, street repair and the list goes on.

A picture of Antonio holding a shovel of asphalt over a pothole or showing up at a neighborhood event does not cut it. Please fix our city's problems before grandstanding about how the mayor will appoint a superintendent of Los Angeles schools or members to the school board.

- Ira Kaplan

Woodland Hills

Sign of trouble

Re "N.Y. tour inspires Antonio" (March 22):

Now I know we are in trouble when the mayor goes to New York to find out how to run a school system. If you think L.A.'s school system is bad, try on N.Y.'s for size. The kids can't read there either. If the mayor really wants to help he should back school vouchers and put a child's educational future in his or her parent's hands.

- Lawrence A. Calabro

Northridge

The right thing

Regarding the no-smoking ordinance in the city of Calabasas: It was the right thing to do, the brave thing to do, and so wonderful when a political entity actually does the right and brave thing. Thank you, Calabasas, for setting such a good example to the rest of the country.

- Diana Richardson

San Diego

Other efforts

We would like to applaud the City of Calabasas on the new smoking ban. We have always felt smoking in public places was a nuisance to nonsmokers and even those smokers that don't want to be around it all the time. We have contacted the city of Anaheim, Costa Mesa (where we both work), Orange (where we often shop) and Placentia (where we often shop and visit my parents) in hopes that similar laws can be established.

We have never understood why smokers have been allowed to intrude on our right to not be exposed to the 43 known carcinogens in cigarette smoke.

- Wesley and Rina Padilla

Anaheim

Gone in a flash

The secondhand smoking affair that made law in Calabasas has been on talk shows and the printed media for many long years. But I am yet to hear or read what is a legal or scientific definition in so many words.

I hope that when Margo Arnold buys her first car it's a clunker. Then, when she goes to get it smogged, she will realize what the world that she lives in is all about. Like all other media stars. She is a flash in the pan. Manana, it is all gone - and the hangover takes over. Why would anyone want to put this kid through this?

- Albert L. Navarrete

Los Angeles

Bought and paid

Obviously, representatives in your Calabasas have enough courage and concern for their constituents to pass laws protecting the health of restaurant workers and patrons, as well as other in other businesses. Here in St. Louis, our representatives have been bought and paid for by Big Tobacco. We citizens have lost the freedom to go to bowling alleys, listen to live music at a bar, eat at any restaurant we choose, etc., because our lawmakers are cowards.

- Patricia Presti

St. Louis, MO

Iranian history

Re "Need to know" (Your Opinions, March 16):

Paul Straughn has been grossly misinformed about history. Mohammad Reza Shah Pahiavi, the Shah of Iran, was in power from 1941 to 1979. In 1953 the Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, who had a close relationship with the Communist Party, ignored the Iranian Constitution and persuaded parliament to nationalize the oil industry without any compensation to the foreign countries involved. The Shah was forced into exile, but returned when Mossadegh was arrested, tried, and put under house arrest.

In 1979 President Carter turned his back on the Shah by refusing to support the Iranian government under the Shah. The result was the overthrow of a friendly government and the return of the Ayatollah Khomeini and his bunch of radical clergies.

- Gus Smyrnos

Newbury Park

It's a sin

Re "What would Jesus do for immigrants?" (Viewpoint, March 19):

Domenico Maceri claims that promotion of disobedience to the law is "a reflection of Jesus Christ's beliefs," but he never mentions any of Jesus' beliefs. Rather, he says that Roger Mahony's position reflects "the thrust of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' campaign," "the Catholic Church's history," and his own "history of fighting for immigrants' rights."

Jesus never broke the law or encouraged anyone to do so - even though the Romans had imposed many unjust laws. When they brought him to trial, they had to trump up charges. One could feed the illegal immigrants or give them communion and then call the authorities. Breaking the law is a sin (Romans 13:1-2; Titus 3:1; I Peter 2:13-14) and it is not "Christian" to support them in their sin.

- Gregg Frazer

Castaic

Social promotion

Re "Worst crop" (Your Opinions, March 21):

This is a problem all high schools are facing - students who attend middle school and are socially promoted. Until this is stopped and students and parents are held responsible to earn grades so they are prepared to attend high school, nothing will change. Middle school administrators and teachers need to work together to fight this attitude so that students know they are being held responsible.

Since LAUSD and the State of California do not seem to see this as an issue, someone has to take on the battle. Maybe we need to send in the board members and the state legislators and let them see how things are not working.

- Stephanie Schwartz

Canyon Country

How many wars?

Re "Good night, George" (Your Opinions, March 15):

In equating the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan on Dec. 7 to the razing of the Twin Towers on 9-11 by terrorists, the writer would have us infer there existed a like axis between Hussein and bin Laden as there existed between Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini. Historically, the stretch is hyperbolic: the one was an overt pact to ultimately control nations of Europe and the Pacific, while the other is an assumption based on insufficient evidence; the one commonality Dec. 7 and 9-11 share is the end result of evil intent.

And as far as Santayana's admonition about not learning from history, how many wars and their aftermath must be experienced before the lesson is learned?

- Stephen Pettine

Canoga Park