PUBLIC FORUM.

Strike support

Re "County unions offer strike support" (April 10):

Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary of County Fed, will give support to grocery workers in the form of help with picket lines, demonstrations and food drives. Will union members do this while taxpayers foot the salaries for these workers?

If so, apparently they have plenty of time to forgo their daily duties, so why are the taxpayers paying the salaries of these people who seem to have time for these activities while others have time to do their work? Seems to me there was a similar situation some time ago where county employees were caught aiding in an election campaign.

-- Joe McMillin

West Hills

Driver's license 

Re "Illegal immigrant suspect in fatal crash" (April 6):

Please remind us again: Why should we give illegal immigrants driver's licenses? Just another reason why we should not.

-- Nanette Svolos

West Hills

Not about gender

Re "Next U.S. president to be male" (Their Opinions, April 10):

The comments of Mary Sanchez demonstrate the blindness of gender bigotry. My partners would not be happy if I decided to have my wife sit in on our board meetings. But they would not be happy if I decided to have my brother sit in on our board meetings, either. It is not about gender; it is about who the elected individual is.

Until Judith Giuliani is elected president, she has no place in the Cabinet meetings. It is quite simple. Sanchez, don't make an issue of something so mundane.

-- Patrick Weir

Chatsworth

Failing to understand

Re "Iraq like 'Nam all over again" (Their Opinions, April 9):

What Rich Lowry, George W. Bush and their co-believers fail to understand is that this is not the kind of war our fathers and grandfathers fought with planes, tanks and guns.

Due to a complete lack of understanding of the history of the region, our untutored leaders have immersed us in the midst of ethnic and religious rivalries between sects going back centuries. Loyalties are to sect, not to nation. The goal is domination, not democracy. Passions are for avenging grievances, recent and ancient. Trying to use World War II methods to change all this is like trying to drive a nail with a screwdriver, and doing more of what doesn't work, but expecting the result to be successful, is a good definition of insanity.

-- Alan Pollack, M.D.

Woodland Hills

Boorish behavior

Re "Mayans have right to beef with Mel" (Their Opinions, April 5):

Ronald Nibbe defends the indefensible and in doing so sheds light on a problem at California State University, Northridge. The "in-your-face" hijacking of CSUN's Department of Cinema filmmaking discussion with Mel Gibson by Alicia Estrada, head of the emerging Central American studies, is a disgrace. She should apologize for her boorish behavior.

The Mayan culture was based on human sacrifice and was on the decline 600 hundred years before the Spaniards came. All human sacrifice ended when the Aztecs were defeated by Hernan Cortes in the 16th century. He could hardly have defeated the Aztecs with his band of 200. It was the natives who gladly helped the Spaniards when they realized they wouldn't be food for the gods anymore.

-- Maureen C. Wiggins

Lake View Terrace

Another accident

On Saturday night, another serious multivehicle accident with injuries occurred at the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Rinaldi Street in Porter Ranch. This dangerous intersection, with its proximity to the 118 Freeway and to Rinaldi Park, has had more than its share of major accidents.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation needs to install four-way left-turn signals before someone else is injured or killed.

-- Hal Bass

Porter Ranch