PUBLIC FORUM.Constant vigilance Though I can easily agree with your editorial ``Driving distractions'' (July 3), I fail to see anyone in the media really getting to the heart of the problem of cell-phone use during driving. It seems to me that there are many bad, dumb and/or narcissistic drivers out there who tailgate A conversion layer that lets IDE devices connect to the IEEE 1394 Firewire interface. , don't stay in their lane, don't move over when going too slow and don't use their turn signals for lane changes and/or turning. When these particular drivers add a hand-held cell phone to their mix, the rest of us must be constantly on alert to avoid unnecessary disasters. -- James Hamilton Moore Burbank Comes from us Re ``Schools worthy of protests, too'' (July 5): If Lewis C. Solmon had to produce a profit, he wouldn't be so thrilled at the prospect of yet another $100 million for others like himself who do not have the slightest idea of how deep the impact of taxes is on our economy. People like me are continually faced with higher costs resulting from more taxation, and I pass those on to you, the user of my product. The amount of $100 million doesn't just show up. It is taken from us and passed on by us in the form of higher prices. -- Patrick Weir Chatsworth The chosen few Re ``Bus experiment happily now in rear-view mirror'' (Viewpoint, July 2): I am so sorry that Mariel Garza learned so little from her month of being transit-dependent. With the mind-set exhibited in her comments, no wonder she was miserable. This just confirms my suspicion that not everyone is cut out to be a bus rider. We are a hardy breed with thick skins and a Zen-like attitude to cope with our transit lifestyle. That Garza didn't have the right stuff to be a true transit user is no personal failure on her part. Heck, some of my best friends Some of My Best Friends is a short-lived comedy shown on CBS from February 28 until April 11, 2001. The series starred Jason Bateman as Warren, a gay writer living in Greenwich Village, at 36 Christopher Street, and Danny Nucci as Frankie, his straight roommate. are car owners. -- Dana Gabbard Executive secretary Southern California Transit Advocates Bus accommodation Re ``Bus experiment happily now in rear-view mirror'' (Viewpoint, July 2): As a white-collar worker who rides the Red Line downtown to my office, I object to Mariel Garza's stereotyping all white-collar Metro riders as persons who lost driving privileges due to driving under the influence. Who is she to demean de·mean 1 tr.v. de·meaned, de·mean·ing, de·means To conduct or behave (oneself) in a particular manner: demeaned themselves well in class. them with her attempts to be witty? There are unpleasant people aboard at times, and trains and buses are sometimes thrown off schedule; this is life. If enough people use public transportation when it can accommodate their destinations, and save the cars for grocery shopping and other trips for which it's not feasible to take public transportation, we -- except her, of course -- can reduce pollution and congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. . -- Zoe Trachtenberg Van Nuys What is broken Re ``A nation of immigrants'' (Our Opinions, July 4): Only by ignoring the 11 million illegal aliens can you espouse such drivel driv·el v. driv·eled or driv·elled, driv·el·ing or driv·el·ling, driv·els v.intr. 1. To slobber; drool. 2. To flow like spittle or saliva. 3. about the immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. problem. The nation's immigration laws are not broken, outdated or unrealistic, as you suggest. What is broken is the diligence in applying existing laws governing aliens here illegally. -- Richard Jover La Crescenta And assimilate Re ``A nation of immigrants'' (Our Opinions, July 4): How disappointing that the Daily News no longer is a voice of reason, but instead follows the likes of all other liberal print media. First you lump legal immigration, which 90 percent of the country favors, with illegal immigration. Second, the realities of ``our time'' consist of wages 10 times greater in the United States than in Mexico and Central America. Finally, your remark that ``it comes with a challenge.'' The only challenge is to have our lawmakers follow the current laws -- something they refuse to do. If the people who have come illegally really were here to enhance and benefit our America, they would learn the language, stop waving the Mexican flag and assimilate. -- Darene Sutherland Reseda Ignored by media Re ``Toon thanks'' (Your Opinion, July 5): Carol Milton states that there has been ``a deafening silence from liberal organizations like Human Rights Watch'' over abuses by Iraqi insurgents Insurgents, in U.S. history, the Republican Senators and Representatives who in 1909–10 rose against the Republican standpatters controlling Congress, to oppose the Payne-Aldrich tariff and the dictatorial power of House speaker Joseph G. Cannon. . In truth, HRW HRW Human Rights Watch HRW Heathrow (London Airport) HRW Heated Rear Window issued a statement just two weeks ago concerning ``the serious violations of international humanitarian law International humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the law of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus "comprised of the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, (laws of war The two parts of the laws of war (or Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)): Law concerning acceptable practices while engaged in war, like the Geneva Conventions, is called jus in bello; while law concerning allowable justifications for armed force is called ) committed by insurgent INSURGENT. One who is concerned in an insurrection. He differs from a rebel in this, that rebel is always understood in a bad sense, or one who unjustly opposes the constituted authorities; insurgent may be one who justly opposes the tyranny of constituted authorities. groups in Iraq.'' Amnesty International Amnesty International (AI,) human-rights organization founded in 1961 by Englishman Peter Benenson; it campaigns internationally against the detention of prisoners of conscience, for the fair trial of political prisoners, to abolish the death penalty and torture of has also raised issues of abuses by the insurgents. Ninety-nine percent of the statements released by these organizations are ignored by the mainstream media, so it is not surprising that Milton did not hear of these reports in the media. However, Milton should check her facts before making allegations. -- David Holland Northridge Good and evil Re ``Hard to understand'' (Your Opinions, July 2): Sharon Howard says that she does not comprehend how Cindy Rutherford views liberation of 50 million Iraqis as ``evil.'' St. Augustine said ``evil'' is the absence of ``good.'' Can a mission (the Iraq war) that has left 2,500 young Americans dead, 20,000 maimed maim tr.v. maimed, maim·ing, maims 1. To disable or disfigure, usually by depriving of the use of a limb or other part of the body. See Synonyms at batter1. 2. for life and 125,000 Iraqis dead, with more dying every day, be called good? I think not. Then it must be evil. Why is it that if (in Sharon Howard's words) ``there is now freedom in a country where there was once fear and oppression,'' 2 million Iraqis have decided it is now safer to live in Jordan, Syria and Egypt? Sharon Howard justifies Abu Ghraib by comparing it with terrorist beheadings. How will she justify the reported rape and killings by American soldiers? -- Philip Wilt Van Nuys Not imposing values Re ``Not about freedom'' (Your Opinions, July 2): Ed Mehlenbacher chooses to misrepresent mis·rep·re·sent tr.v. mis·rep·re·sent·ed, mis·rep·re·sent·ing, mis·rep·re·sents 1. To give an incorrect or misleading representation of. 2. the position of the Catholic Church regarding freedom of speech and then to denigrate den·i·grate tr.v. den·i·grat·ed, den·i·grat·ing, den·i·grates 1. To attack the character or reputation of; speak ill of; defame. 2. the church by comparing it to the Taliban. Mehlenbacher alleges that the church wishes to impose its values -- which is not true. The problem is the evolving political correctness that is being translated into laws that provide preferential treatment and protected-category status to certain groups. This has the potential to effectively eliminate the right of free speech regarding abortion, same-sex marriage, stem cell stem cell In living organisms, an undifferentiated cell that can produce other cells that eventually make up specialized tissues and organs. There are two major types of stem cells, embryonic and adult. research, etc., and to silence the church and others from even voicing their values in the public square. -- Charles J. O'Connell Stevenson Ranch God bless America On Saturday, July 1, while reciting 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. at a Christian women's function, I couldn't help thinking that, despite all our flaws and imperfections, America is the greatest country in the world. And then on Sunday morning I read Jonathan Dobrer's opinion about the immigration problem. Jonathan put into words all the feelings I felt while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Is there any other country in the world to which people migrate -- even by trying to get smuggled in -- in such massive proportions? Regardless of how you feel about the major issues our country is facing -- left, right, whatever -- we live in a wonderful country, the home of the brave and the free, and I am so glad that I am an American. -- Estela Luizzi Glendale Fourth of July Fourth of July, Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of it began during the American Revolution. Why is it that every year on the Fourth of July, everybody has the need to shoot off fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to individually? I thought they were illegal in L.A. County. Or is it just that people know the police won't be out in the West Valley, so they're safe? And after the Fourth, could you please not keep firing them off? I would like to get some sleep! -- Sue Abrano West Hills |
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