PUBLIC FORUM.

Silence is deafening

Re ``Medical pot dealers protest'' (Jan. 19):

I am ashamed that our Los Angeles public officials have not spoken out about the 11 marijuana dispensaries in L.A. County that were raided by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Why do these people elected by the people of Los Angeles not follow the will of the people? I have a medical marijuana card because I suffer from post-polio syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. Why did I not hear a greater response from our City Council, mayor and others who believe that people in pain should be able to get relief from what they consider the best source of relief for them?

This action highlights a continuing struggle between the states where voters approved medical marijuana in 1996 and the federal government, which prohibits the use and sale of pot. These busts mirror a burgeoning trend by federal agents to pounce soon after local governments tighten dispensary rules, as Los Angeles and West Hollywood did last week.

-- Jean Fleming

Studio City

Early primaries

Re ``Primary colors'' (Our Opinions, Jan. 22):

Unfortunately, if California moves up its presidential primary date, countless other states will do the same thing. It happened in 2004, leaving us with an insanely front-loaded schedule and still no say in the election.

But there is a better way: a comprehensive overhaul of the primary system called The American Plan has won the support of the California Democratic Party, and it could be implemented by both parties in 2012. In a nutshell, this plan would create a randomized schedule of 10 primaries spaced out over 20 weeks. The size of the primaries would get bigger as time progressed. More details about The American Plan can be found online at www.americanplan.org. Only a plan that is fair to all 50 states will end the juvenile gamesmanship that comes with each approaching primary.

-- Damian Carroll

Van Nuys

Lowering the bar

Have you noticed how many presidential candidates are coming out of the woodwork? I believe the reason for this is that our past two presidents have set the bar so low that darn near everyone feels qualified to lead our once-great nation.

President Clinton hurt us by his lack of leadership and by apparently not being able to make a decision without taking a poll. Our current president enabled the Doomsday Clock to move two minutes closer to midnight by his lack of diplomacy and self-righteous determination to alienate friend and foe alike.

-- Bill Fleming

Burbank

Zipping through ads

Re ``Limit TV ads'' (Your Opinions, Jan. 22):

We've known for a long time that 20 minutes out of every one-hour TV show is taken by commercials. Too bad Joe Palumbo had to discover it during the ``24'' special. We have a solution. We tape our favorite shows and watch them the next night, zipping through the ads in seconds. That way, we can watch three shows instead of two in two hours. And there's no jumping up every 10 minutes to get snacks that plump up our bodies.

The only negative side is that you can't discuss the show at the water cooler the next day, and you may hear a few ``spoilers'' about plot. But, hey, it's worth it to us not to endure all the flashing and jangling.

-- Jackie Houchin

Sun Valley

Mild shifts

In his Jan. 18 letter, David Holland states that recent global warming is more rapid than was evidenced for past global changes. That viewpoint was disputed earlier this year by two scientists at the University of California, Davis. Their study, as published in Science, documented ancient ``spasm after spasm of temperature shifts that rose and fell 7-18 degrees at a time.'' They stated that current extreme weather events are mild in comparison.

Isabel Montanez, who led a team of researchers from five universities and the Smithsonian Institution, also claimed carbon dioxide spikes as high as 2,000 ppm over several million years.

-- Daniel D. Berger

South Pasadena