I love trains. They are a great way to move both people and freight. But based on my experience with Southern Pacific, I think that the Ventura County Transportation Commission should look long and hard if S.P. would be the freight carrier.

I live on Channel Drive in Ventura where the train tracks run right behind the buildings. In our apartment buildings, people get used to the noise and rumble of the trains. However, on too many occasions, we have had them idling for long periods of time. This means constant noise and diesel fumes.

Regarding the government engaging in domestic spying after Sept. 11, many in the mainstream media seem to be taking the view that this sort of thing is outrageous and that spying on mosques and Islamic businesses is wrong. Yet they would be the loudest critics if another catastrophic terrorist attack happens.

When it comes to my civil liberties, the one I care about the most is my right to life. If that’s taken away from you, all the rest doesn’t matter.

When I first learned that the Ventura Aquatic Center was going to be built, I was thrilled. I enjoy lap swimming, and even though the Ventura City Council was going to have to allocate $22 million for the project, I felt there was a need for it. Demand for open swim lanes is high in Ventura, and it seems as though there are always too few to go around. This community pool seemed to be the perfect tool to alleviate pent-up demand.

When the Ventura Aquatic Center first made its long-anticipated opening, my family and I were duly impressed. It is a beautiful facility, and it was done in a first-class fashion. All was wonderful for the first few weeks. We swam on an almost nightly basis; indeed, it seemed too good to be true.

Re: Anthony van Leeuwen’s Dec. 30 letter, “Evolution as a religion�:

Mr. Leeuwen is wrong in his assertions on several counts.

There are no simplistic explanantions for many of Mr. Leeuwen’s assertions. Evolution is a very complex process, and to understand it requires many years of dedicated study in paleontology, microbiology, biology, chemistry and physics, just to mention a few areas. Scientific creationism does not explain life’s origin based on an explanation of any evidence, but simply because it is consistent with the story of Genesis.

“This has been a year of strong progress toward a freer, more peaceful world and a prosperous America. This is an amazing moment in the history of liberty.�
—President George W. Bush on the recent Iraq elections and the American economy

I am still awaiting Bush’s clarification as to precisely how zero Iraq-related American deaths prior to our occupation of Iraq was considered “less free and less peaceful� than the now 2,160-plus American deaths in Iraq, and how more than 100,000 Iraqi citizen deaths after our occupation equates to a global climate that is now more free and peaceful than before. I want specifics, not more rhetoric from the maligned CEO of this country.

Safety? No way at the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Glenn Drive. Ever since the new on-ramp to Highway 101 South was opened, I have been frustrated — no, angry — at the unsafe conditions. Whoever planned this hazard, please correct it soon. Please don’t wait for us to see a cross, candle and flowers placed at the curb. Thanks for your timely consideration.

— Joan J. Cole, Camarillo

Re: your Dec. 27, Opinion page cartoon on pharmacists by Chris Britt:

The cartoon was deeply offensive to me and many others. It is far over the line of good taste and respect.

Please have no more of such ilk.

— Norma Clark, Ventura

In my 10 short years of teaching, I have watched good intentions destroy education.

California wants superior teachers and so imposes the most stringent requirements in the country. Unfortunately, there is no consensus on what is a credentialed teacher. Confusing laws have potential teachers lingering in college for years trying to meet shifting expectations. If one completes a credential, it must be “cleared� with additional coursework and visits from master teachers (who have gotten their own credentials under a completely different system). In addition, should one choose to shift his path to go from one credential to another, the experience one receives under one credential does not apply to another. The content of one credential does not affect the content or the coursework of the other. For myself — with a cleared multiple-subject credential, a master’s degree in special education and recepient of the Golden Bell for Teaching Excellence in Special Education — I still have to clear the special-education credential and have a visiting mentor teacher. This costs money, about $500 per unit.

These standards not only affect new teachers but also out-of-state educators attempting to move into California. I know of two educators already driven away, two who are struggling to stay, and one who emptied a life’s savings to meet requirements. The harm is that California positions for education specialties remained unfilled as recruits from within and outside the state navigate the duplications of the state’s education processes.

Since I would rather live as a teacher instead of following the treadmill of California credentialing, I find myself looking at the want ads in various states — some are looking pretty good. I’m comforted that I might meet California students who are also fleeing the same education system.

— Ellita Pearce, Camarillo
C

Re: Ron Patterson’s Dec. 29 letter, “Science of the Bible�:

Robinson tells us to “examine the Bible as a theory like it does the Darwinian theory. Yes, they are both theories and should both be examined.�

Patterson does not really understand the significance of a scientific theory. A theory is a scientific principle derived through logical inference from carefully conducted experiments or from collected observations. The whole of the evidence is weighed when developing a theory. And when new evidence is found to contradict the theory, the evidence rules that the theory must then be changed.

Shall we apply the same rigor to the Bible? True believers take the Bible as immutable. If evidence indicates an error in the Bible, the evidence is discarded because the Bible cannot be changed. This is not science, and the Bible is not a scientific theory.

Today, we see an anti-science movement in American society. Patterson’s comments — his ignorance of the meaning of “theory� — merely reflect that movement. The result can be the loss of our nation’s technological supremacy and a shift of dominance to nations that can separate faith from science.

— David E. Ross, Oak Park

As this year reaches a close, it is valuable to consider the advice from our founders and other great American leaders that our greatest threat to maintaining our freedom comes from within, not from the outside. Consider the words of Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 11, 1858:

“What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? … Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in us. Our defense is in the spirit which prized liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism at your own doors. Familiarize yourselves with the chains of bondage and you prepare your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed to trample on the rights of others, you have lost the genius of your own independence and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises among you.�

This “war� on terrorism is an unending one, not like previous wars we have fought; and the growth of unchecked power of the president is exactly what Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln were concerned about.

— Bill Robinson, Westlake Village

As a concerned mother of three daughters, I am extremely disturbed by a recent discovery. My children and I live in a townhouse complex in Simi Valley. About a month ago, I was informed that, within this complex, is a registered child-sex offender.

After checking the Megan’s Law Web site, lo and behold there is the face, address and list of offenses of a resident in my complex. My first instinct is panic. After calming down, my journey of emotions begins. My bubble has been burst. The shocking part is how many offenders there are in Simi Valley.

Being a single parent, I have worked very hard to have my children grow up in Simi Valley. I felt it was the safest environment I could provide them. Reality has hit home with the Megan’s Law site. It doesn’t matter where you live, offenders are there. The only advantage is now you can see them, know who they are and where they live.

The issue I have is the lack of security I feel since knowing I am living in close proximity to a child-sex offender. I have a difficult time understanding where his rights stop and mine begin. He has taken away my peace of mind and I resent it. I realize he has paid for his crime, but I feel it is my right to be able to live with my children without the fear of him re-offending.

It bothers me to have to inform my children that a neighbor has to be watched very carefully for fear he might harm them.

It was a sad day when I made this discovery.

— Christine Maurer, Simi Valley

Re: Fred Dixon’s Dec. 4 letter, “Who’s a traitor�:

It sounds like Dixon may be getting a large dose of Air America. I don’t think “we can all agree� that the Bush administration revealed the identity of a CIA agent.

Dixon should get some unbiased facts concerning this case before he passes sentence in the press.

Talk about who needs to be educated?

— Brad Orloff, Simi Valley

The Oxnard Harbor District is preparing to seize private land in Port Hueneme through eminent domain to build a 17- acre cargo and vehicle-handling facility. In contrast, a development of 150 houses and a park dedicated to the Chumash Indians has been approved for the same site by the City of Port Hueneme.
 
Many local residents have consistently attended Harbor District meetings to discuss the expansion plans. Residents near the proposed VHF have consistently voiced their opposition to the VHF project. In contrast, local support for the VHF project has previously been virtually nonexistent. These dynamics changed drastically at the Dec. 21 meeting. 

Re: John R. Mulchay’s Dec. 23 letter, “No God in Constitution�:

Mr. Mulchay is correct in stating that the word God does not appear in the Constitution.

The Constitution is a document that was crafted as part of a political process which was the Constitutional Convention, and, as such, it would have been inappropriate for the framers to endorse any particular religion, especially in a nation that, according to President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address “was conceived in liberty.�

Re: your Dec. 24 editorial, “Judge deals a decisive blow; Ruling expels intelligent design�:

While proponents of intelligent design suffered a defeat, as stated in the editorial, the teaching of the theory of evolution as the exclusive explanation of origins in the public school will continue to be controversial.

Proponents of evolution claim “evolution� is scientific, whereas “intelligent design� is religious or philosophical in nature. The facts are that evolution — where one species evolves into another — is also religious or philosophical in nature. After all, evolution has never been demonstrated in the science laboratory, nor has it ever been witnessed by man!

Re: your Dec. 25 article, “Bethlehem recovers its Christmas crowd�:

I think every peace-loving reader of The Star was pleased to read that more than 30,000 tourists enjoyed the holiday in Bethlehem. Unfortunately, almost half your article bemoaned the fact that there is a protective wall separating the entrance to Bethlehem from Jerusalem and that visitors had to go through a checkpoint.

Re: your Dec. 22 article, “Harbor District says land is vital�:

Thanks to The Star for keeping the public informed of the outrageous ploy of the Oxnard Harbor District to seize one’s private property though eminent domain in our beautiful little city of Port Hueneme.

The Draconian process of eminent domain is not required or necessary for the Harbor District’s proposed project, nor does it in any way contribute to the public good.

Re: John Mulchay’s Dec. 23 letter, “No God in Constitution�:

Mr. Mulchay is my hero! He so calmly, rationally and accurately reiterated what the framers of the Declaration of Independence so carefully constructed.

How has it evolved in this country to the point that ultra-conservative Christians — including members of the Bush administration — have usurped patriotism from the remainder of the American people? One can be a non-Christian and still be a fine human being and a good citizen.

Re: your Dec. 22 article, “Harbor District says land is vital�:

I thank The Star for its unbiased view on the situation!

My husband and I have lived in Ventura County beach areas since 1978, in Port Hueneme since 1994. 

We do not need any more industrial buildings, car parking lots or traffic in our tiny but beautiful city. We could use more affordable housing, that’s for sure! 

Re: your Dec. 27 article, “New laws run gamut for state’s residents�:

It was interesting reading the new laws going into effect Jan. 1.

One I thought that was definitely interesting, if not ironic, was that kids under the age of 18 will have to get their parents’ written permission to have a body piercing, a procedure that can be done at the mall.

Yet a child under the age of 18 does not have to have a parent’s permission to go to a sterile clinic and have a baby suctioned out of her womb. How dumb is that?

— Len Newcomb, Ventura

On Dec. 19, The Star described President Bush as “humble.� The very next day, The Star referred to him as “defiant.� The adjective “megalomaniacal� comes to my mind.

President Bush ignored both the legislative and judicial branches of government when ordering the National Security Agency to spy on Americans. When confronted about this possible criminal and impeachable act, with unmitigated gall the president essentially responded (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I did it, and I’m going to keep on doing it. So there.�

I ask, “Is it legal for a democratically elected president to put himself above the law by morphing into a one-man dictatorial monarchy?�

Re: Steve Greenberg’s Dec. 23 cartoon:

I found Greenberg’s drawing of the Bible under a microscope to be his standard philosophy: Take the facts and distort, sometimes in a funny way. This depiction was, of course, intended to ridicule President Bush and the Bible. Unfortunately for Greenberg, there was a Freudian slip on his part.

The microscope representing science has nothing to view below its magnifying lens. This, of course, correctly represents the Darwinian Theory.

Re: Steve Farley’s Dec. 26 letter, “Terrorists have rights�:

From the flip and sarcastic tone of Mr. Farley’s letter, I can only assume that he is an extremist himself and that the National Security Agency would do well to keep an eye on him and have some “sniffer dogs� check his garage for dangerous substances. I am sure he would have no objection.

Re: John Sherffius’ Dec. 26 cartoon:

Is the purpose of this cartoon to demonstrate that the political left has nothing to offer but name-calling?

— Rodney Sinclair, Thousand Oaks

With respect to the current debate over civil liberties versus security, those of us over 60 should recall the similar debate in the 1950s with the hysteria about Communism, subversion, McCarthyism and blacklists, when people lost their jobs and even their freedom because of their speech or their friends. We remember loyalty oaths then, and the joke that Communists would gladly take the oath.

America survived at that time, somewhat bruised. The wrong has been recognized.

Before that, we had World War II, when Japanese-Americans had their civil liberties revoked also because of hysteria. That wrong has been amply recognized.

A friend and I were discussing what Jesus would think of Christmas in this day and age. If he could observe the celebrations which take place in his name, here is some of what he would see:

— Nasty, abusive shoppers in the stores, knocking each other over to buy presents in his name for their loved ones.

— Nastier, more abusive drivers waving their middle finger in the air and cutting each other off in an effort to get a better parking spot to buy presents in his name for their loved ones. Maybe some people wave the finger, swear and cut off other drivers who might make them late for church.

Re: your Dec. 21 article, “Red abalone discovery ‘pretty amazing’�:

Sorry, but in 1985, abalone were not “washing up by the score on shore for people to just pick up.� Overfishing had pretty much wiped out the abalone population long before that.

Longtime residents may remember the huge pile of abalone shells beside the freeway in Goleta back in the 1960s.

Now that the vice president has cast the deciding vote defending the Republican mantra that the “rich get richer while the poor get poorer,� it’s way past time to call a halt to these un-American activities.

Now that a president who, in a campaign speech, claimed that no eavesdropping without warrants occurred, only to recently recant, it’s way past time to call a halt to these un-American activities.

Re: Steve Greenberg’s Dec. 23 cartoon:

Steve Greenberg finally gets it!

While we can look through microscopes, telescopes and other marvelous technological devices, they can only tell us about the physical world we live in. What they don’t do is give us the perspective to understand how we, as sinful human beings, should live.

I am conducting a poll and would like to know what people want.

Do you want Christmas vacation in 2006 to start Dec. 16, 20 or 23?

Do you want the Conejo Valley Unified School District to borrow money to build the joint-use facility or use Measure R funds?

To cast your vote, send an e-mail to mike4schoolboard@yahoo.com.

It is difficult for me to understand how some people only see the sides of the story that they want to see.

The Patriot Act is a highly controversial issue, but there are many misunderstandings.
First, it’s not the Democrats who want to stop it. They were a majority of the dissent, but there were Republicans who were worried also.

Second, what the Senate did not approve was not the Patriot Act, but rather long-term extensions of the bill, some of which would have been permanent.

Indifference, oppositions and changes in our modern society today undermine the old American tradition and practice almost all of us were born to embrace, love and carry on.

First and foremost is our reverence and trust in God that some people wish to strike from our Pledge of Allegiance, our dollar bills and coins, and deny our schools and public places.

It is so sad and unfortunate because God is all about love, compassion and service that made our nation strong, unique and beautiful. With him in our lives, our country became a vision of one big happy family where freedom is exercised with pride, dignity, sensitivity and respect for each other. Without his presence, our existence centers on our own life alone and what makes us happy, driven by a strong desire to prove and perpetuate our own superiority over others, a lust for power.

Re: David Howard’s Dec. 20 commentary, “Posthumously yours, Stanley Williams*�:

After I read this, all the innocent victims of the Crips knocked on my psychic door and asked me to give them a voice to speak to Williams:

“First, we all take issue with the fact that Mr. Howard condemns Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for “murdering� you. Sheesh. We were all murdered, and no one is strumming a peace song on their guitars or using their celebrity to champion our cause.

Re: Alicia Reynolds’ Dec. 21 commentary, “Knowing precious little about so much�:

I would like to assure Alicia Reynolds that the mystery of how God planned to redeem the world is a mystery only until one understands it. It will remain a mystery until she tries. Merry Christmas!

— Kay Wilson-Bolton, Santa Paula

Re: your Dec. 22 article, “Harbor District says land is vital�:

The Oxnard Harbor District met on the eminent domain process that the district intends to exercise against a private property owner.

I consider it the business of the press to expose corruption and abuse of power in government. Instead of focusing on the very abusive, un-American concept of taking private property for questionable public use, The Star’s headline reads, “Harbor District says land is vital� and “Port director promises to look at other sites for car facility.�

I love this!

Bill O’Reilly referenced in his national broadcast on Fox TV that he has searched throughout the entire country for any newspapers which, amidst the controversy, have printed a newspaper opinion supporting “Merry Christmas.� Only three in the country had. Guess who one of those papers was? None other than the barely known Ventura County Star!

Well, little Ventura County made it on the national map because The Star was recognized by O’Reilly for standing up for the traditional reverence for the holiday of Christmas and its appropriate notice in our greetings and gift-giving and commerce.

Merry Christmas, Ventura County Star!

— Denny Weinberg, Camarillo

It is ironic that President Bush will be impeached for telling the truth. Not much impeachment rattling was ever made when he lied about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or about Saddam Hussein being connected with al-Qaida, for which 160,000 U.S. troops will not be with their families this holiday season.

For once, Bush is accepting a truth: He admitted that four years ago he allowed the National Security Agency, an arm of the Pentagon, to spy on phone conversations and e-mails of U.S. civilians without court-approved warrants. For once, he admitted that he has and is infringing onto the democratic constitutional rights of U.S. citizens.

Re: your Dec. 21 article, “Cheney says presidential powers have been eroded�:

Vice President Dick Cheney wants stronger presidential powers. If indeed needed, it would seem reasonable for Congress to grant these powers within the framework of the Constitution when the executive branch demonstrates commensurate competency and responsibility. The current administration is sorely lacking in these attributes. Public opinion polls support this conclusion.

Further, regarding competency, perhaps the time has come to set minimum IQ standards for presidential candidates.

— Jim Moreland, Camarillo

When I first heard and then read about our wonderful president’s misuse of power concerning the wiretapping and eavesdropping of American citizens without proper judicial warrants, I was entirely flabbergasted — but not surprised.

Who does this man and administration think they are? They are really trying to justify this gross misuse of power.

We as American citizens are supposed to be guaranteed certain inalienable rights through the Constitution, in particular, the Bill of Rights. This administration seems hellbent on eroding as many of our personal guaranteed freedoms as possible.

Re: David Howard’s Dec. 20 commentary, “Posthumously your, Stanley Williams*�:

This cruel, inept and disgusting article would only have been printed with editorial approval of those with extreme liberal bias, hate for elected officials who are fair and centrist and those who have no true sense of their readers’ intellect.

Mr. Howard says he was “channeled� by the convicted and executed killer. Was this the basis of his credibility in the minds of The Star’s editors, or were they so excited to take a diatribe of anti-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that facts of judicial process meant nothing?

The hypocrisy of members of the International Longshoremens & Warehousemens Union Local 46 speaking in favor of the Port of Hueneme’s condemnation and exercise of eminent domain to acquire space for more parking of import cars astounded me.

Touting retention and creation of jobs, they tacitly condone the eradication of domestic employment for their auto-building brethren of the United Auto Workers by supporting foreign-built product.

Shame on them!

— David DePaolo, Port Hueneme

Re: Brian J. Mixon’s Dec. 20 letter, “Merry Christmas�:

I would suggest that Mr. Mixon read the Constitution.

The Declaration of Independence states, in part, “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.� Notice that it refers to “their Creator� not “the Creator� or “God� or “Buddha� or “intelligent designer,� but “their Creator� — the creator of choice for each and every individual.

Re: David Howard’s Dec. 20 commentary, “Posthumously yours, Stanley Williams*�

Not once does the teary-eyed Mr. Howard mention the victims who were summarily murdered by a hardcore gang member. He is too busy seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.

The truth is that Williams was never remorseful for his past heinous actions, and writing children’s books that are dedicated to other criminal offenders does not negate the murders he committed.

I wish to add my two cents’ worth to the Christmas/holidays controversy.

As a Jewish woman, I welcome all benign religious expressions. I live in a predominantly Christian society in a nation that has been uniquely tolerant of other religions and belief systems, including atheism. To expect Christians to relinquish the freedoms they have traditionally enjoyed would be unjust and ungrateful.

Over the last month, I have listened to the seemingly endless diatribes from the activists who rave on about how we cannot allow the state to execute vicious murderers because their lives have worth.

I have heard these very same activists and celebrities on other occasions, fighting vehemently to preserve the right of women and doctors to pass on a death sentence to thousands of innocent lives every single day in America via abortion and wonder, “How can this be?�

I was very pleased to see the opening of the new mall in Simi Valley. However, I’m really disappointed to find a store selling puppies. It looks like they have nice merchandise otherwise, but I’ll be boycotting it, and I urge others to do the same.

If you’re looking for a companion animal, the shelter or the local humane society is the place to start.

— Roberta Yates, Simi Valley

Re: your Dec. 16 article, “Cleanup set for burned Tapo park�:

The article about Tapo Canyon Park has alarmed us. This beautiful park has been closed two times for more than two years each time. Why is the Ventura County Parks Department keeping the taxpayers out?

There are no restrooms. Money is being made at this park of more than $1,000 a month by the Conejo Valley Archers, and they use portable toilets.

I see that the usual suspects are up in arms over the appointment of Tom Glancy to the Thousand Oaks City Council.

I cannot imagine a better choice from those who applied for the position. Anyone who knows him and has watched him on the Planning Commission realizes that he is a very good choice. He speaks calmly and without animosity against others with whom he works. His decisions are considered and consistent, with no derisive remarks about his fellow commissioners. How refreshing!

You have to wonder how many times George Orwell would spin in his grave if he knew that his novel, “1984,� which he wrote as a warning, was being used by the Bush administration as a primer: “Now, what did Orwell say we should do next? ‘Endless war’? Got it! Then what? ‘Internal spying’? Check!� And ad infinitum.

— David Rives, Ventura

President Bush has authorized spying on American citizens without the benefit of a court hearing or warrant. Current law allows for secret courts and spying on Americans under the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act. Bush tells us his actions are legal because the plan has been approved by the Justice Department. This department is part of the executive branch of government and offers no oversight. Informing a few senators also is not oversight.

The president also claims his position as commander in chief gives him the right to set up his own system of spying outside the scrutiny of any review process. This is the logic of despots. Dictators use this logic to set up secret police and torture chambers to intimidate those who oppose their terror tactics.

When George Bush came to Washington as the president-elect in December 2000, he said, “If this were a dictatorship, it’d be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I’m the dictator.� (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0012/18/nd.01.html).

At the time, it seemed like just a poor joke. Who knew it would become the guiding philosophy of his government?

— David S. Ettinger, Oak Park

Tear down the Christmas trees? Throttle the Christmas choir? Demolish the manger scenes? Christmas only leaps higher! No one can forbid Christmas, birth of Jesus Christ on earth! No power can prevent a single soul from receiving his birth, for God’s power is supreme. Let the bells of Christmas ring in all churches everywhere, and let choirs of angels sing!

Christmas is every day when Jesus is born in your heart. When your sins are forgiven, your eternal life will start. Be born again, dear Savior, within our loving hearts and Christmas will never die. Christmas lives as it starts everywhere on this, our earth, to fill the world with glory.

I see that the greenhouses on the campus of Ventura College are coming down and that the Ventura County Community College District no longer offers courses in horticulture.

What was the rationale that led to the district’s decision to cancel these programs? Both farming and urban areas within the county can only be improved with a local horticultural program. It is in the best interest of all to have nursery personnel, landscapers, architects, builders and homeowners trained in the local conditions of soil, plants and water usage. It is also pertinent to the well-being of our community that we are skilled in the care of our natural resources in a way that they will be preserved for generations to come.

Re: Jack Killian’s Dec. 21 letter, “America’s motto�:

Mr. Killian’s grip on his religious faith is commendable. Unfortunately, his grip on the facts leaves a lot to be desired.

The motto of the United States of America is not “In God we trust.� It is, in fact, “E Pluribus Unum�: out of many, one. 

Re: Richard Larsen’s Dec. 20 essay, “Santa defends espionage�:

Whenever I read a column by Richard Larsen, as a rock-solid Ronald Reagan conservative, I am infuriated. But his column Tuesday about Santa Claus, the North Pole and Christmas was hilarious. I never realized he had such a great sense of humor.

Now I get it. Everything he writes is a joke in the highest form of humor!

— Lou Gates, Westlake Village

Leave it to the Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees to be leaders and tackle the tough educational issues of the day.

Funding cuts due to No Child Left Behind, deteriorating teacher working conditions, lack of adequate technology and teaching supplies, and a bond program experiencing serious cost overruns are all topics our trustees could be tackling. And yet, when we open The Star, we don’t see those issues being addressed. But we do see a squabble over who will be president of the Board of Education.

Re: David Howard’s Dec. 20 commentary, “Posthumously yours, Stanley Williams*�:

While it is undeniable that The Star is a mouthpiece for left-wing political beliefs, I never realized that it leaned so far as to purport to seriously print the words of dead people.

Will we be seeing reports from dead people on the front page soon? Will a Star correspondent interview Lee Harvey Oswald for the truth about the John F. Kennedy assassination? Does Napolean Bonaparte have a few things to say?

Re: David Howard’s Dec. 20 commentary, “Posthumously yours, Stanley Williams*�:

Dear Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger:

We have been dead for more than 25 years now. Thank you for not forgetting us and moving on to other important matters like balancing the California budget.

We ask you to take a moment from your schedule. We have something important to tell you: Thank you for rendering justice to us.

Re: David Howard’s Dec. 20 commentary, “Posthumously yours, Stanley Williams*�:

David Howard really believes that Stanley “Tookie� Williams was something special and that he could channel him? This is beyond creepy.

Williams’ legacy is “a series of beautiful children’s books and a peace treaty between violent street gangs�? Give me a break. He was a murderer who had it coming, and what does it say to you when even the bleeding-heart liberals of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals wouldn’t give his case the time of day? Good riddance. Who’s next?

— Nancy Low, Camarillo

Re: David Howard’s Dec. 20 commentary, “Posthumously yours, Stanley Williams*�:

I thank The Star for printing the letter from Mr. Howard, who was able to channel Stanley “Tookie� Williams and his feelings. I have not had such an explosive belly laugh in years. California will always be the laughingstock of the planet when others read this letter from Mr. Howard.

If there really is a St. Peter, I believe he met “Tookie� at the gate and “flushed� — channeled — him to hell.

— Bob Launius, Oxnard

Re: Richard Larsen’s Dec. 20 essay, “Santa defends espionage� and George Will’s Dec. 20 commentary, “President power does have limits�:

Which one uses logic, education and honesty? Which one uses demagoguery, ignorance and a bad metaphor that isn’t even humorous — when he usually makes me laugh?

— Tom Cefalu, Ventura

Re: your Dec. 16 article, “Ventura Hillsides Conservancy gets a $10,000 stock donation�:

I’m delighted with the generous contribution to the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy from Tom and Kerry Weisel.

Theirs and the additional gifts from others will build the conservancy’s fund and invigorate the effort to buy the approximately 50,000 acres of hilly open space behind Ventura. Protecting this land and obtaining it for the common good is the principle but not the sole mission of the Hillside Conservancy.

The destruction of the greenhouses marked the end of an era for many graduates and those of us who will never get to graduate from Ventura College’s horticulture department.

The current Board of Trustees and administration of Ventura College do not believe that horticulture has any significance in Ventura County — at least not enough that it is worthwhile to consider training students who want to spend their life growing, planting or selling plants for environmental benefit and aesthetic beauty.

It doesn’t matter that it’s the second largest industry in the county.

Americans should be outraged at President Bush’s affront on our civil liberties by ordering the National Security Agency to spy on fellow Americans. Why would any American want the president of the United States and the NSA to protect its citizens from depraved terrorists?

I can’t think of a greater threat to our civil liberties then the NSA spying on potentially dangerous American citizens — well, except the ongoing threat of being blown to bits by some miscreant vying for his afterlife virgin pod. It’s a tossup.

For some reason, there seems to be an extraordinary effort to disassociate the word “Christmas� with December 25 this year. The term “politically correct� is often used in the arguments, and some retailers say they don’t want to offend anyone by using the word “Christmas.� I did some research on the matter of political correctness on the Internet, and I came up with the following information.

In 1870, the U.S. government passed an act authorizing “the twenty-fifth day of December, called Christmas Day� as a holiday within the District of Columbia. An 1885 joint resolution of Congress further authorized employees of various government departments to take the 25th of December as a holiday.

We are proud to have a county newspaper that distinguished itself on the Bill O’Reilly Show on the Fox News Channel. Mr. O’Reilly cited The Star as the only large newspaper smart enough to reflect the huge majority of the country’s attitudes towards the Christmas holidays and refuse the media elite stance, which is, by the way, offensive to most readers and viewers!

We applaud The Star for not bowing to the 3 percent anti-Christmas crowd and instead listening to the 97 percent pro-Christmas people of faith and tradition.

Merry Christmas!

— Ed and Debi Bascom, Camarillo

Re: Gary L. Parker’s Dec. 19 commentary, “Not homeless, but still very angry�:

I read with great interest Gary Parker’s article regarding the homeless people in Ventura. He is just mad, mad, mad! Well, too bad!

Does he think this is the life these people want to live? I think not. These are people who have fallen on hard times and had no help. Many of them could have been helped at Camarillo State Hospital, had it not closed. They stay drunk just to make it through the day.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice clearly stated that Americans are prohibited from torturing prisoners both here and abroad. However, she failed to say anything about the torturing of prisoners by foreign interrogators!

I would also like to know why we ship prisoners to such “special� countries as Syria, Egypt, Russia and Romania.  These certainly are not the most democratic, progressive countries, and it is safe to assume that there are foreign interrogators there. 
  
— Marvin Krantz, Thousand Oaks

Re: Dorothy Campagna’s Dec. 20 letter, “Meaning of Christmas� and Jean Leighton’s Dec. 20 letter, “So what?�:

Without Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas.

When the Greek-Syrians conquered Judea (Israel), they expected that the Jews would simply assimilate into the Greek culture, as did every other people conquered. And some Jews did. They dressed as the Greeks did, spoke Greek, and even bowed down to Greek idols. Most Jews, however, refused to give up their religion.

It is with great sadness that I read of the coming closure of the geriatric unit at St. John’s Hospital on Dec. 31.

This unit has played an important role in our community, one that no other Ventura County facility can match.

It is able to evaluate the special mental health needs of adults over 60, providing a complete work-up by sorting through the complex medical and psychiatric symptoms of older adults.

Re: your Nov. 28 editorial, “Outsourcing boomers�:

This editorial was quite intriguing. While the knee-jerk response may be, “Are you out of your mind?� the article makes a lot of common sense.

Both Social Security and Medicare are in financial trouble. The outsourcing of boomers can provide relief to this problem by lowering these costs, providing this “remedy� to our citizens is purely “optional.� We don’t want to force Americans to leave, just show them they can get more bang for the buck elsewhere.

Re: Joe Howry’s Dec. 11 essay, “Death penalty questions�:

Mr. Howry’s very thoughtful piece on the death penalty raised a number of very important questions concerning this pillar of our justice system. Some important ones:

— Is the death penalty, as it is administered in the United States, fair and equitable?

— Given the number of errors that occur in our judicial system, can we be sure that everyone put to death deserves to die?

I am disappointed that politicians have jeopardized the $453 billion military spending bill by tacking on the issue of Arctic oil drilling.

They show that their support of our soldiers is negotiable. They are willing to gamble with troop funding in order to pass a bill that was vetoed when it was part of the budget. 

Shamefully, supporters of Arctic oil drilling will be the first to accuse anyone who holds up the military appropriations bill as “un-American� and “not supporting our troops.� 

When are we going to stop letting others take away our civil rights? In a democracy, does the majority rule or not?

Do most people in America believe in God or not? I believe they do. We may not all believe the same things about him, but we do believe he does exist.

The motto of our country is “In God We Trust.� It is printed on all our money, both in currency and coin. The graves of our fallen servicemen and women are marked with a cross, and some of our cities have a cross on their logos and flags.

Re: your Dec. 20 news brief, “Outlook bleak for city transit strike accord�:

I wonder how many pounds were lost in the city of New York just this first morning by so many people walking to work instead of riding. A long walk sounds like a good thing for many of us in my opinion. It would be an interesting study to have done if we had thought ahead.

— Clarence H. Fredrickson, Newbury Park

Until it is proven that the president is doing something illegal, people should keep their opinions that he is guilty to themselves, especially in time of war.

The problem is that no one, especially the Democrats, wants to give the president the benefit of the doubt.

Further, why should law-abiding citizens be concerned about their phone conversations being overheard and used against them? Do people not believe that if any American had their “privacy and civil liberties� violated by this eavesdropping that lawyers would be like hungry sharks coming in for the kill?  
 

Christmas’ true meaning is waning in many hearts and minds. The evidence of this is a growing use of “happy holidays� and “season’s greetings� instead of the traditional “Merry Christmas.�

Businesses and individuals claim they don’t want to offend anyone. If the words offend anyone, so be it! I understand the meaning and don’t worry about offending others. I am just so thankful that I have a Savior whose message I share.

I myself have on occasion said “Happy Holidays� not to offend someone, and for that I am ashamed! Jesus Christ came to this earth to redeem sinful mankind to all who would accept him. Christmas is not just a holiday, but a holy day.

Re: your Dec. 17 article, “Patriot Act fails; senator calls for spying inquiry�:

Congratulations to The Star for continuing its history of editorializing “news� stories.

Anyone who got beyond this fake headline discovered that the real story was the Democrats filibustering to destroy the Patriot Act. It appears that their tactic is to continue the fears exaggerated by the ACLU that the Patriot Act will destroy their “civil liberties.� They want people to forget the real threats of terrorist activities that continue to cost lives and to certainly forget the events of Sept. 11 and those planned attacks that have been thwarted since.

In recent weeks, President Bush has been on television bragging about the “freedom� he is bringing to the Iraqi people. (After all, we never went in there looking for weapons of mass destruction.)

Last week, he admitted to approving to eavesdropping on American citizens without judicial oversight and says it will continue. He has also been pushing for the renewal of the sections of the so-called Patriot Act that are the most damaging to Americans’ civil rights.

The only thing I can figure that he is doing with his hypocritical actions is taking freedom from the American people and shipping it to the Iraqi people.

I got home from work Saturday and turned the news on to see police riddling a fleeing suspect with 100 rounds! One-hundred rounds is ridiculous! What would happen to a squad of soldiers if they spent 100 rounds on one Iraqi? They would be crucified! They would be imprisoned for the rest of their lives in a military prison. What would happen if a civilian spent even 10 rounds on an attacker? He would be imprisoned for excessive force! 

If the police are put in place to keep civilians in line, exactly who is is supposed to keep the police in line? The people? The minute they find out who you are, they make your life a living hell. I have had very unprofessional and quite ridiculous run-ins with the police.

It’s ironic that Christian conservatives are angry enough about the alleged “attack� on Christmas that they are suing certain retailers. Their behavior would certainly bewilder conservative Christians from past centuries.

Remember, no one knew exactly what day Jesus Christ was born when Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christmas on Dec. 25 in the fourth century A.D. The Julian calendar used at the time erroneously considered this day the winter solstice. In many pre-electricity cultures, the winter solstice was very important. It symbolized the “return of the sun,� because light increased each day until the summer solstice in June.

In the latest example of a horrendous act upon an animal, CNN recently reported that four men in Florida took joy in dragging and beating a crocodile to death. Naturally, this has sparked a national outrage.

But what about the crocodile farms where these reptiles are hacked to death (I have seen video footage) so their skins can be used for the latest in high fashion? Where’s the outrage for that? It’s not as if it’s a Stanley “Tookie� Williams death for these crocs, where a needle is inserted into them and they fall peacefully asleep. These crocs run for their lives as someone with a machete chases after them.

We were in Oxnard to visit our family recently, and we had a real nasty shock while shopping.

I had parked my car at the handicapped parking spot in front of a store with my handicap placard showing. When we returned after shopping, there was a piece of paper on the windshield — a parking ticket that cost us $290.

The ticket stated that the car was in violation for parking on the disabled-crosshatch lines. The car only covered approximately one foot of the lines due to the extremely large car parked to the right.

This holiday season, in the background of California government, something is happening that will change our voting lives forever.

Funds were allocated for our state to upgrade its voting system, and, unfortunately, the machines that are most likely to receive this windfall of acceptance are ones made by the Diebold company. (Blackboxvoting.org has the latest updates in this saga.)

Re: your Dec. 14 article, “Smokers might pay more�:

As a smoker, I’ve had abuse thrown my way countless times. If I were a minority, those individuals would be arrested for hate speech — but not if the object of their hatred is a smoker.

Didn’t tax-and-spend liberals learn from the luxury boat tax? Fewer boats were sold, and less tax was collected. The same will happen if this cigarette “tax abuse� takes effect. Many will decide to quit, and many, like myself, will find another outlet. Who will be hurt most? The poor, of course.

Re: your Dec. 12 article, “Crime Stoppers seek 4 women�:

I wish to express my disapproval of the law that makes possession of a “controlled substance� a crime. Far more damage is done by those who drink to excess than those who use illegal drugs.

Our jails house too many nonviolent offenders, costing taxpayers millions of dollars that would be better spent treating those who abuse drugs, including alcohol, by mental health professionals. I urge those who are inclined to turn in the women named to consider whether, indeed, these women should be prosecuted for these offenses.

— Constance LaFerriere, Ventura

Renewal of the Patriot Act moves the United States closer to becoming the kind of police state the masters of the Kremlin could only dream of.

Every bobblehead in Congress who voted for this bill should be thrown out of office at the earliest opportunity.

This act perpetuates the government’s power to pry secretly and without legal cause into the private medical, legal and business records of any American citizen — not just those who fit a terrorist profile, but any American.

Re: your Dec. 10 article, “Former foster children buy houses with program’s help�:

I believe this wonderful program, or ones like it, should be available to all young people. I believe there are very few, if any, youngsters who graduate from high school who have any kind in finance training.

Children should be taught from kindergarten on how to manage money, starting with savings accounts and on to investing in stocks and bonds, starting a business, and buying and selling real estate. Professionals from each category should teach the courses.

Bill O’Reilly said on a broadcast that The Star recently came out in favor of “Merry Christmas� instead of “Happy, happy holidays.� I’m amazed that I missed seeing the editorial, but perhaps it’s because I gave up reading The Star’s opinions some time ago. A little flash of a conservative or traditional position on something may give me a reason to start reading them again. We’ll see.

— Robert W. Dingman, Thousand Oaks

Re: Don Harris’ Dec. 13 letter, “Time-honored tradition�:

It must be gratifying to all but the most avid Bush-haters to see millions of Iraqis flock to the polls and choose their own government. Too bad the citizens of Thousand Oaks weren’t given the same opportunity to select Ed Masry’s replacement.

Of all the power grabs by the pro-development council majority over the years, the decision to handpick a councilmember to serve three years, instead of allowing a vote, may be the most egregious yet. Voting for one’s representative is so basic to our form of government that it should be beyond discussion.

Re: your Dec. 15 editorial, “Rights require your vigilance�:

Congratulations on The Star’s thoughtful editorial about the Bill of Rights.

How ironic that the anniversary of the Bill of Rights occurs now, just as the federal government is again attempting to limit these rights. The proposed extension of the Patriot Act would undermine the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

— Julia Gregg, Simi Valley

Re: your Dec. 15 editorial, “Rights require your vigilance,� and Gary M. Galles’ Dec. 15 commentary, “Debates raged over rights protections�:

Our Founding Fathers believed individuals have inalienable rights, that all rights vest with individuals, and the government only has the rights that we give it through the Constitution — for example, establishing the Post Office.

The three years prior to our occupation, there were zero American casualties directly related to Iraq. In the three years since our occupation, 2,150 Americans have been killed (along with 30,000 Iraqis) and the number continues to grow on a daily basis. Yet, President Bush continues to say we are safer and better off now.

I have to ask: By what measure are we safer and better off? He needs to clarify that statement.

— Jeffrey Bellamar, Ojai

As one of the applicants for the Thousand Oaks City Council seat that was vacated, I, too, would like to have seen the City of Thousand Oaks hold a special election. On the other hand, $250,000 is a lot for one seat.

I wasn’t sure how the process was going to go because the information packet was very vague.
Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña made the suggestion that all 34 applicants be heard. The other council members finally agreed.

Even though I didn’t get chosen for the City Council seat, I feel that the process was fair and complete.

Santa Rosa Island was purchased by the public in order to both protect the island’s significant natural and cultural resources, as well as to provide access for all of us.

The National Park Service is fulfilling this mission. The proposal by U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, to turn the island into a playground for the military is not only contrary to the purpose for which the island was included in Channel Islands National Park, but it also sets a bad precedent that puts all of our national parks and public treasures at risk.

If the military wants an island for R&R, they should look to San Nicolas or San Clemente islands, which they already own and have bases on.

— David Begun, Westlake Village

Amid all of the coverage of Stanley “Tookie� Williams’ execution, it is easy to forget that, on average, 3,300 people are executed in this country each day, with no trial, no appeals, no clemency hearings, and certainly no media coverage.

Who are these people? The unborn. What is their crime? Simply being in their mother’s womb. What is their method of execution? Abortion.

— Noel D’Angelo, Thousand Oaks

If finalized, the budget cut and tax cut legislation passed by House Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley — will cause more children to go hungry in the richest country in the world. More working poor families will go without health care. More working-poor and middle-class families will find it increasingly difficult to send their kids to college.

And the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans will be able to buy a second yacht.

I hope that those of us in Ventura County who care about  basic fairness, common sense and common decency will remember these Republican legislative atrocities when Rep. Gallegly comes up for re-election next year.

— Michael Briley, Ojai

The idea of a Wal-Mart store in Ventura raises many issues, but one frequently overlooked is whether the local citizens have any choice about the entrance of a powerful outside entity, such as this retail giant, into their city.

If the reason for resisting entry of someone or something is based on prejudice or unreasonable hatred, then local choice should be limited. But when, as in this case, the business wanting in has a documented history of damaging other communities, then the people living in an area ought to be able to require either help in dealing with the negative consequences or the right to say no.

Re: your Dec. 13 article, “Under the hood�:

This was a nice article, but it appears strongly influenced by people who haven’t experienced driving Southern California highways during rush hour.

We need a little fancier adaptive cruise control to be our 21st century, life-saving traffic laxative — safe, gentle-on-your-pocketbook congestion relief. You can view a computer simulation movie of how this works at http://conversantcars.com.

Re: Richard Larsen’s Dec. 13 essay, “Have a merry whatever�:

Mr. Larsen does not get it.

“Happy holidays� or “Season’s greetings� is fine, and we all use them, but the reason there are “happy holidays� is because it is Christmas. Without Christmas, there would not even be a holiday! So we say, “Merry Christmas.�

Re: your Dec. 11 article, “Teachers use high-profile death sentence of a convict as a lesson�:

After the continued discussions about Stanley “Tookie� Williams’ death sentence, I respect either opinion on the death penalty. Both sides, whether pro or anti, have made strong arguments for their view on the subject.

However, after reading the article, I found it troubling that the other “lesson� learned by students was, “Never rat out your friends.� Really? Even if they committed murder? Sold drugs to kids? Raped? Robbed and beat shop owners?

Regarding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s denial of clemency to Stanley “Tookie� Williams, who was executed by lethal injection:

The governor may, perhaps, be personally opposed to the death penalty but felt that he had no right to impose his moral beliefs on the constitutional right of the people and the state to choose to end this life before it came to term naturally.

He is, after all, pro-choice.

— Sue Paroski, Santa Paula

I always thought competition was a good thing. Everybody wins if we all have more choices, right?

Apparently, corporate America doesn’t believe in competition. At least, that’s what seems to be going on lately in the marketplace.

I did some shopping yesterday at the local Robinsons-May store. May Company, the May of that present retail concern, had been a fixture in my youth. Now, it seems it will soon disappear like so many other commercial outlets.

The latest evidence that our society puts entirely too much emphasis on the importance of sports is the ongoing sentiment that 20-year-old Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is “wise beyond his years.� Nike, in fact, has a multimillion-dollar ad campaign proclaiming his “wisdom.�

Sure, its obvious he’s quite adept at playing a boy’s game for a living, but by his own delusional admission in a recent Sports Illustrated interview. James says, “I don’t know where it (all my wisdom) comes from because I don’t read books and don’t read newspapers much.�

Is he making measurable progress on a cure for cancer or AIDS when he’s not playing basketball, without the help of research books or clinical science?

Re: Tim Hansen’s Dec. 5 letter, “Williams’ execution supported�:

Stanley “Tookie� Williams has passed, poisoned in the San Quentin death chamber by our own hands. I mourn our complicity in this most premeditated of murders.

I oppose the death penalty not only because it kills innocent people (which it does — the American Bar Association says that thousands of people, mostly poor, mostly black, are wrongfully convicted in this country every year, some of them being sentenced to death), but also because it turns us all into murderers. Murder requires premeditation, and no killing is more premeditated than an execution.

Re: your Dec. 11 Pulse Page, “Homeless in Ventura County�:

After this season is gone, the problem will still be here. There is not a political solution, unfortunately. As Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you.�

Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, founders of the Catholic Worker movement, saw an opportunity in working with the poor.

For many years, I was an atheist/agnostic. I’m still an unbeliever in the eyes of organized religion. Yet I’ve never been offended when someone wishes me a “Merry Christmas,� and I say it myself. 

Ought I let others tell me I can’t express my greetings as I wish, or that I must refer to “holiday trees?� To these notions and their ilk, I say, “Bah, Humbug!�

 — Michael Hough, Ventura

Re: your Dec. 1 article, “All anti-psychotics may endanger seniors�:

I thank The Star for warning the citizens of Ventura of the dangers of anti-psychotics drugs. The fact that anti-psychotic drugs may double the risk of death in the elderly is important to know.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration started requiring very strong warnings on anti-depressant drugs for children as well. These “black box labels� warned about the risk of increased suicidal tendencies.

I am ashamed, embarassed, and shocked by the Bush administration’s representatives at the global warming conference in Canada.

Their complete and total failure to cooporate with the entire civilized world and complete and utter lack of understanding of the issues shows just how closely the Bush Administration has aligned itself with the big oil and power companies.

Their actions in no way represent the feeling of the vast majority of citizens of this country, but then, that never really mattered at all to the Bush group.

Re: Tim Vanderhey’s Dec. 12 letter, “Seeking power in pews�:

Mr. Vanderhey bravely declares, “There is no war on Christmas,� suggesting instead that it is simply a political gambit by the religious right.

Vanderhey fails to note, however, that there is tough, hand-to-hand combat for the title of commanding general of the forces of irony in the Phony War on Christmas.

Re: your Dec. 10 article “Island plan for military resurfaces�:

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, wants the Department of Defense to take over Santa Rosa Island to convert it into a military “morale, welfare and recreation operation.� Why Santa Rosa? Why now?

The Navy already owns San Miguel Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park. Why not make this a military “morale, welfare and recreation area?� Could it have to do with the lease Vail & Vickers has on Santa Rosa? The Navy also owns and has operations on San Nicolas Island. Although not one of the park islands, it is just off the Southern California coast.

I was so delighted to see a picture in the paper last week of three Khepera men handling lights for the lighting of the trees at the mission.

Nothing was mentioned about these men other than their names. Various men under the direction of Bill Kelso have been performing this service for at least seven years.

The best-kept secret in Ventura has been saving lives for over 21 years. The disease of drug addiction and alcoholism wrecks lives and destroys families. Since 1982, Khepera House has provided proved services to help an average of 50 men at a time to overcome drug and alcohol addictions and heal families. In addition to getting the lights up on the trees, hot drinks, cookies and little candy canes were handed out by the men at the actual lighting of the trees, which were enjoyed by all, as it was a cold evening.

Re: George Sjostrom’s Dec. 10 commentary, “A chorus of sour notes from the pullout choir�:

Since I’m probably about his age, I can understand and sympathize. Then again, perhaps he has just forgotten how we got into Iraq.

As a bit of refresher, we got there because George Bush said there were weapons of mass destruction pointed at our heads. He and his administration also encouraged the mistaken notion that Sept. 11, al-Qaida and Iraq were inextricably linked. Mr. Bush never said, “We are going there to save the Iraqi people and solve all of the problems in the Middle East as a bonus.�

Re: your Dec. 10 article, “Island plan for military resurfaces�:

So, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, wants to steal the public’s 53,000-acre Santa Rosa Island from the National Park Service and turn it into a private, non-public, military- only recreational compound.

American taxpayers’ dollars purchased the island for all Americans to use.

I have an idea for Rep. Hunter: Why doesn’t he and his cronies in Washington take one or more of the 97 major military bases closed since 1988 and turn those into private, non-public, military-only recreational compounds. Did I mention 21 of those bases were in California?

— Brian Hessman, Thousand Oaks

Re: Nicholas D. Kristof’s Dec. 10 essay, “Hubris of the humanities�:

Mr. Kristof argues that the lack of science and math education results in only 40 percent of Americans believing in evolution. Intelligent design, he implies, arises out of our collective ignorance. More science and math education is needed to elevate the other 60 percent of us into accord with evolutionists.

The truth may be the opposite. Perhaps science and math have prepared us to properly evaluate evolution and find the theory incomplete and wanting.

Re: your Dec. 12 article, “Cops will crack down on drunken motorists�:

It is a disservice to use the term “drunken drivers� in your story when describing law enforcement’s efforts to crack down on incidents of driving under the influence.

The term, although popular, removes two key offending groups: those who drive over the blood alcohol index but do not consider themselves “drunk� and those who drive while under the influence of pharmaceutical products. Each of those groups can be as deadly as those who drive while drunk out of their mind.

Re: your Dec. 10 editorial, “Another way to act?�:

We have spent many thousands of dollars to protect our rights. The person who did not obey the order of an air marshal to stop got exactly what he deserved. I cannot help but wonder, had he not been shot and instead had detonated a bomb, what uproar The Star would have unleashed on the public that it professes to serve.

— Mark Webber, Thousand Oaks

Re: your Dec. 9 article, “Harbor District threatens to seize land from builder�:

I own a townhouse in the Surfside III development in Port Hueneme that would be affected by the Port of Hueneme’s legal theft of land through eminent domain.

The port favors large foreign businesses such as BMW over the community.

Re: your Dec. 9 article, “Harbor District threatens to seize land from builder�:

As Port Hueneme residents for three years, we care about the success of the port as well as the community that we live in.

The Harbor District should not be using eminent domain to condemn property when there are likely other properties with willing sellers. We would all be better off if the Harbor District worked with the City of Port Hueneme and the community to find a better site instead of fighting us.

We want to see homes, not cars, in our neighborhood!

— Ray and Denise Evans, Port Hueneme

Re: your Dec. 9 article, “Harbor District threatens to seize land from builder�:

I live in Portside Commons, an association of 23 homes across Hueneme Road from the property the Oxnard Harbor District wants to condemn for a parking lot.

It seems that the eminent domain practice all over the country lately is being abused by big business. Eminent domain is supposed to be used to benefit the community. It should be in the best interest of that community not to line the pockets of the Harbor District.

Re: Steve Greenberg’s Dec. 13 cartoon:

I wish The Star would stop printing Steve Greenberg’s political cartoons. Instead of making people think about what’s going on in the world around them, they are nasty, lopsided tirades.

Our governor decided that Stanley “Tookie� Williams did not deserve clemency and that the court-ordered execution would be performed. Instead of showing respect for our judicial system and the governor’s role in that system, Greenberg’s cartoon depicted our governor as a gun-toting madman. In fact, Mr. Williams was the gun-toting madman, not our governor.

Re: Steve Greenberg’s Dec. 13 cartoon:

Would it be possible to have an additional local cartoonist doing the political cartoons, one with a conservative viewpoint?

I rarely agree with Steve Greenberg, and that doesn’t bother me. However, there are times when he is downright offensive, such as the cartoon portraying the governor as a gun-toting crazy and implying that Stanley “Tookie� Williams should have been pardoned because:

It would be great if the pro-death penalty people and the anti-death penalty people could see each other’s point of view. I would suggest a Web site where each side could register how they feel.

People who are against the death penalty would sign a statement saying, “I am against the death penalty, and I would not want it to be applied to someone convicted of murdering me and/or a member of my family, even if there was rape or torture involved, and even if the person killed was a child.�

There is a very fine line between justice and revenge. Now that Stanley Williams is dead, does anyone really feel better? Have his tragic victims been brought back to life? Do their relatives feel relief? Vindication? Do you feel safer today, now that Williams has been killed?

Revenge gouges a deep, dark chasm in our souls that can never be filled regardless of the price we try to exact in the name of justice. It reduces us to the level of the perpetrator and leaves us with an insatiable thirst for goodness.

Innocent or guilty, we cannot push a man into his grave without crawling down in there with him. Every time we conduct a state murder in the name of justice, we all die a little bit.

— Gary E. Murphy, Simi Valley

Stanley “Tookie� Williams has paid the just penalty for his career of evil — as he should. Things like multiple murder are beyond redemption in this life, and all of us must know that if you are bad enough, you must yield up your life to atone.

You’ll see lots of letters written against the ultimate sanction against evil that we have. Objections to the death penalty seem to me without wisdom, on three counts.

Over the past couple of years, there has been an intensive and exhaustive effort by parents and teachers wanting to establish Ventura Unified School District’s first charter school: the School of Arts and Global Education (SAGE).

Major achievements along the way have included writing a grant, which was successfully funded ($400,000) by the state, and the writing of the school’s entire charter.

Charter schools are public schools that offer an educational experience and the potential for a school to evolve, something that cannot be provided by the regular, non-charter schools in a district. There are currently more than 500 charter schools in California.

The Ventura Unified School District board is discussing the addition of a K-8 charter school in Ventura on Tuesday night. The School of Arts and Global Education (SAGE) is proposed to open in September 2006.

A charter school is a public school and must meet the same state standards as all other public schools. However, there is much more flexibility in the teaching methodologies and instructional materials used. This flexibility allows teachers to teach students using methods designed to appeal to a variety of learning styles.

On Tuesday evening, the Ventura Unified School District will hold a public hearing in response to the charter petition received from the non-profit School of Arts and Global Education (SAGE).

Express your support for educational choice in public schools by coming to the hearing.

It is widely theorized by many educational and developmental experts that not all students learn the same way. Gardner, Piaget and Vygotsky are all very well respected in their field, yet traditional public education today ignores these innovative theories, at the expense of millions of children each year who struggle in a traditional classroom.

I fail to understand why “diversity� is an issue with the creation of a unified Camarillo school district.

I am not a racist, and I must add I don’t like having to preface my statements with such a disclaimer, yet it is the school district and government that are interjecting race into the situation.
I feel that the Oxnard Union High School District does not want to lose Camarillo because that would mean significantly less revenue for the district, lower test scores, and the number of Caucasian students would be dramatically reduced.

Re: your Dec. 9 editorial, “Put unification before voters�:

This editorial suggested that unification should be determined by the entire voting area. This has been my position since day one.

AB780, written by the proponents of unification, prevents total community involvement.

Additionally, the county committee’s attorney requested the delay on the environmental study, not the Oxnard Union High School District.

— Dick Jaquez, Clerk, Board of Trustees, Oxnard Union High School District

Re: your Dec. 7 article, “Camarillo school unification decision on hold,� and your Dec. 9 editorial, “Put unification before voters�:

The Star, in reporting on the activities of the county committee’s Dec. 6 meeting, did not even mention that the consultant hired by the committee had concluded that the proposed unification had not satisfied three of the nine unification requirements required by California statute and may not have complied with two additional statutory requirements. This failure was repeatedly advanced at that meeting by numerous speakers.

Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña is up to her normal demagoguery by suggesting it is undemocratic to replace Ed Masry by appointment rather than by a special election. The council members are qualified to appoint city managers, city attorneys, etc., but, in her mind, they are not qualified, capable or trustworthy to appoint another co-council person?

 Mrs. Bill-de la Peña should take note that one of our states — one of the original 13 colonies — just allowed a single person, the governor, to appoint a U.S. senator from New Jersey. I could probably go to Google and get a sizable list of senators and members of Congress who replaced their deceased spouse by appointment, but that would just give Mrs. Bill-de la Peña a longer list to call undemocratic.

— Don Harris, Thousand Oaks

Re: your Dec. 11 editorial, “Don’t appoint, let voters vote�:

The Star nailed it on the “we know best� decision by the Great Triumvirate to appoint a successor to the late Ed Masry rather than have his seat be filled by the voters. The money issue of a special election is not a valid argument with a lengthy term at stake. It seems they have rewritten that famous song of recent years to, “We’ll do it our way!�

Politics in Thousand Oaks has long been ruled by the 3-2 vote between the pro- and slow- growth members, as they come and go over the years.

I would like to bring to The Star’s attention the unfairness of the process by which the Thousand Oaks City Council can exclude certain candidates from being interviewed for appointment to Ed Masry’s vacant seat.

Using the third option described in the supplemental packet of the agenda, ( http://www.ci.thousand-oaks.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=7621 ) council members will rank their top 20 candidates. The applicants who are in the top 20 list of at least three council members will be interviewed. All it takes for a candidate to be blackballed is to have two of the three aligned council members rank a candidate 21 or less. 

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Dec. 10 commentary, “Taking a bit of poetic license with a Christmas classic�:

Mr. O’Reilly wrote that Clement Moore, back in 1822, wrote “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,� which first appeared in the New York Sentinel journal.

The poem is actually titled, “A Visit From St. Nicholas.� It was published in the Troy Sentinel, in Troy, N.Y., in 1823, and the poem may have been written at least 15 years earlier by one Henry Livingston.

Re: Jerry Harman’s Dec. 7 letter, “Law must be changed�:

Mr. Harman paints a dramatic picture of shock, death and lost opportunities in regard to Proposition 73, the pre-abortion notice law. 

The saddest thing about his letter is that he would put off having a conversation with his daughter while she was alive, before she was sexually active, before she became pregnant, that he didn’t tell her there were options she could look at to avoid becoming pregnant, and that if she became pregnant, he would stand by her. 
 

Re: Terry Paulson’s Dec. 5 essay, “Taking a cue from Israel� and George Sjostrom’s Dec. 10 essay, “A chorus of sour notes from the pullout choir�:

Mr. Paulson and Mr. Sjostrom don’t get it. We need to stop trying to nation-build in Iraq and Israel by spending massive amounts of U.S. taxpayer money. The longer we stay in Iraq, the more they will let us take responsibility and never take responsibility for their own country. Sure, if we just pulled out, they might go through a tough time and the Kurds might break away, but they would come out of it in better shape. Let them run their own country and take responsibility for their own security.

Considering that the irresponsible actions of our state legislators are the main reason California is in such bad financial shape, I find it unconscionable that they now are giving themselves a raise. They are already the highest paid legislators in the country. What a slap in the face to the taxpayer! Unfortunately, we, the taxpayers, are ultimately to blame by allowing these people to remain in office.

— David B. Shepard, Camarillo

Re: Photos accompanying your Dec. 5 article “Local food inspection crisis�:

Why wasn’t the “environmental health specialist 3� wearing gloves and a hairnet?

— Connie Gajefski, Ventura

There is no war on Christmas. However, there is another cynical move by the politically savvy leaders of the Christian right to manipulate congregations into getting riled up and sending money by fabricating enemies out of thin air.

The religious right specializes in this tactic, portraying itself as a minority under siege when it actually dominates much of our culture. The reason is simple: There’s not much political power to be gained by telling the flock, “Treat each other with love, respect, compassion and tolerance, like Jesus taught.�

— Tim Vandehey, Ventura

Re: Geoff Irvin’s Nov. 20 letter, “Key points missing�:

Mr. Irvin states that Stanley “Tookie� Williams “is responsible for more deaths in the African-American community than were caused by all the members of the Ku Klux Klan in the last 100 years.�

Does Mr. Irvin honestly know how many murders the KKK has committed? By the way, the KKK is still active in parts of Arkansas, where my sister lives in fear.

Re: your Nov. 23 article, “Housing study termed wake-up call�:

OK, another article about Ventura County’s lack of affordable housing. How about articles addressing the very real issues of multiple families living in single-family homes throughout Ventura County?

Even County Supervisor Judy Mikels admits to seeing at least 10 homes in her neighborhood with multiple families in single-family homes. I get the feeling our county supervisors are not trying to stop, but add to, multiple families in our neighborhoods.

Re: your Dec. 6 Community Focus: Youth Sports article, “Troublemakers finish unbeaten�:

The under-14 Troublemakers were disqualified for the remainder of area playoffs. The coach for this team, Ernie Rascon, got an e-mail from the area director/acting commissioner for AYSO Region 304, Archie Shum, telling him that his team was too strong — unbalanced. In fact, Mr. Shum knew about this situation in the beginning of the season, and he could have done something instead of waiting until the end of the regular season to punish these girls for a job well done — being undefeated.

Re: Kent Brown’s Dec. 7 letter, “Report the news�:

Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., did not call for the immediate, unconditional withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. He called on the president to present to Congress and the American people a rational timetable indicating when American troops will be withdrawn.

That would seem to be a reasonable expectation from a president who launched a war based on faulty information, has not found weapons of mass destruction, has not caught Osama bin Laden and has not provided any evidence linking Saddam Hussein and his regime to terrorism or having been involved in Sept. 11.

In the spring of 2006, I plan to enroll in classes at either Oxnard or Ventura College. I am excited about completing my remaining classes required to transfer to a four-year college or university.

As a re-entry working parent and prospective student, I have some grave concerns. Rumors abound that Oxnard College may not have professional counselors to assist me and other students in the completion of our educational goals; apparently counseling was not available this past summer.

If this is true, it may affect my decision to attend school or not. Since I live in Oxnard, I would like to take most of my classes at Oxnard College.

Re: Thomas D. Elias’ Nov. 25 commentary, “Pricing of LNG a question not yet even asked�:

Has anyone considered what factors would enter into the pricing of natural gas to the California consumer if it were imported as liquefied natural gas?

It should come as no surprise that it would require massive infrastructure investments on BHP Billiton’s part to be able to move into the LNG market, costs that the California consumer would bear.

Re: Keith Johnson’s Dec. 8 letter, “It’s a Christmas tree�:

Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for  saying what so many of us are thinking.

It’s about time we stop thinking and stand up for what we believe. Let’s take the cross off the hill and off the state’s seal, prayers out of school, and now the “Christ� out of Christmas. How far are we going to allow this destruction to continue?

In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and while vile miscreants are still slitting the throats of American hostages, it is important that Congress spend its time trying to protect America’s enemies from torture and discomfort.

Although thousands of Americans are still out of work, homeless and desperate because of the terrible hurricane season, it is imperative that America’s legislators concentrate on how to give our foreign enemies constitutional protection.

Re: Gary M. Raives’ Dec. 8 letter, “East County crowding�:

I have lived in Ventura County for a long time as well.

Unfortunately, Mr. Raives could put a blank space where he wrote “Newbury Park� or “Thousand Oaks� and insert “Simi Valley,� “Moorpark,� “Camarillo,� etc. All of these cities are being ruined by too much expansion, too fast.

You would think our local government officials would care, but they obviously don’t. It’s all in the name of a buck.

Re: your Nov. 26 article, “In journey from humiliation to activism, man faces HIV head on�:

There is only one way to bring down the escalating AIDS epidemic in our county and nationwide. Our students in the health and human sexuality classes need to be introduced to the works of the most famous physicians in the entire world who have done scientific research of human reproduction and have found the key to teaching women how to determine, precisely, their fertile and infertile phases and days of their menstrual cycles.

The barrage of Christmas commercials has started even before Thanksgiving in recent years.

I find this practice deplorable.

Christmas and Thanksgiving started out as quiet holidays, when families got together in an intimate setting. A few simple gifts used to be exchanged at Christmastime, to celebrate the Christmas spirit of generosity and selflessness. The gift-giving has been blown way out of proportion, as merchants dangle all manner of “toys� in front of us, so that we’ll buy bigger and more expensive gifts. We’ve let them manipulate us due to our eagerness to show off our material success. We now equate material abundance with contentment and joy.

I’ve been reading The Star’s letters to the editor for months. There are strong feelings about the Iraq war on both sides. I am proud Americans can have differences and not resort to violence. However, a certain amount of hate between the two sides is worrisome.

I grew up in the 1950s. My father was a World War II veteran. I played Army when I was young. In 1969, I was drafted into the Army, spending two years in Germany instead of Vietnam. Later, I joined the National Guard to earn extra money.

In the 1960s, the Oxnard City Council made some terrible mistakes. They welcomed heavy industry to our beaches and wetlands. They courted and approved Halaco, Arcturus Manufacturing, Reliant (formerly Edison) power plant and numerous industrial facilities with dangerous chemicals, noise, drop forge, bright lights, a gigantic slag pile and pollution that blows over our community.

They did not recognize the value of our coastal land.

The history of Huck Estate (Broome Ranch, renamed Rancho Potrero) starts with its 1993 acquisition as “critical grassland for raptor foraging. and the major northern extension of primary, far western, protected Santa Monica Mountains core habitat.� (Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority Project Narrative, 1993 work program).

This scenic property is within a national park. The Angeles District of State Parks and the National Park Service have the stated position that this sensitive viewshed property within the boundaries of a national park should remain as natural open space except for the small portion with the horse facilities at Two Winds.

Thousand Oaks has lost a legend.

Ed Masry was a man of integrity, a man of hope, honor and was a great inspiration for this community volunteer. I remember the way he used to always say to me, “How you doing, young man?� when he greeted me. I was fortunate enough to have dinner with him and to have coffee with him, his wife and our friends at a political function a few short years ago. Not too many people are able to meet one of their heroes, are they?

Re: your Dec. 7 article, “Former mayor’s death a shock�:

I am very sad to hear that Ed Masry has passed away and know that he gave his life, his family, his clients and the people of Thousand Oaks his 100 percent every day he lived. We cannot replace this man.

I pray that the City Council will reconsider and hold a special election so that we can truly select a person who has ideals, values and integrity like Mr. Masry.

O.J. Simpson will forever be found innocent of murdering two people. Stanley “Tookie� Willams was convicted of murdering four people and sentenced to death. We can’t change either one. Deal with it.

— Phil Poulsen, Sr., Port Hueneme

Re: Renee Klimczak’s Dec. 6 letter, “BHP Billiton responds�:

We are preparing to go to war with Crystal Energy of Houston and its liquefied natural gas corporate ally, BHP Billiton.

Why does BHP Chief Executive Officer William Perkins call the proposed siting of a liquefied natural gas import terminal a “remote offshore location�?

There can never be a remote LNG location on the Central Coast. This is an active seismic area with many predictors of a pending future disaster.

Why do English-speaking people insist on using nouns for verbs? That sure bugs me!

— Teri T. Andre, Ventura

As a fiscal conservative, I understand the need for cuts at colleges. But the idea of doing away with college counselors makes no sense at all. How will we progress as a society if we can’t get the needed direction from trained mentors?

Personal experience at Ventura College makes it clear that counselors for students is most necessary.

I know students who have taken a multitude of classes, only to get discouraged and leave because they were not properly guided. They never took advantage of the counselor’s office.

Re: your Dec. 5 article, “Los Altos Middle School may close�:

Unfortunately, The Star did not share the reaction of Pleasant Valley School Board Chair Sandra Berg to the concerns she heard at the parents meeting. Oh, what’s that? She couldn’t give a response, because she wasn’t at the meeting?
 
In fact, none of the Pleasant Valley School Board members were at the meeting to hear the parents’ concerns directly. Instead, they took the cowardly approach of letting their employees face a room full of angry parents and do their dirty work for them.
 

Adm. Michael Mullen tells sailors that the global war on terrorism will last decades.

We toppled the Taliban of Afghanistan in a “war� of a few weeks. We toppled Saddam Hussein of Iraq in a separate “campaign� that lasted a few weeks. Building stable democracies is harder than knocking over set-up dominoes.

Nation-building is a way of life. After all, we’ve been supporting other countries around the world for decades, and I can only see the same support for Afghanistan and Iraq for, well, generations to come. We can do it. Witness our successes dating from about 1865.

I’m getting so tired of all this “politically correct� junk.

I hear about this debacle concerning a “holiday tree.� Let me ask one question: What holiday are we celebrating? Christmas! This “holiday� stuff, “season’s greetings� stuff, “winter break� stuff, politically correct stuff, is completely nauseating!

I’m not a Bible thumper, but a fact is a fact. This country of ours was founded on basic principles of Christianity. I thought we were a free country, able to celebrate our freedoms of religion without fear of persecution. Now, Christmas is being taken away from us. This is a crime.

I have followed the Iraq War “debate� in Washington, and what I have heard is “Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction, “No, he didn’t,� “Did too,� “Did not,� “Did too,� “Did not.�
Does any parent recognize the juvenile characteristics of this “debate�?

You would think 535 of the most powerful people in the world could be more intellectual about a “debate,� or am I expecting too much from our Congress both in knowledge and intellectual honesty?

If only there had been a long-range plan for Iraq when our president decided to barge into Baghdad. What he has is bloodshed — an insurgency hellbent on chaos, thousands of American soldiers killed our wounded. After more than two years of this, neither he nor anyone in his administration can put the “finger in the dike.�

As hard and unpopular as Vietnam was, we may be doomed to the same fate. It’s unlikely Iraq can stand on its own without the United States as a prop. I hope this occurs in my lifetime.

— Gary Traxler, Camarillo

Relative to the pending execution of Stanley “Tookie� Williams, the Bill of Rights says that no person shall “be deprived of life … without due process of law.� Williams has had more than 20 years of “due process.� His victims had none.

If Mr. Williams objects to getting a lethal injection as being cruel and unusual punishment, perhaps he should be shot in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun, the method of execution Williams used on one of his victims.

— Jack Boyd, Ventura

Re: Renee Klimczak’s Dec. 6 letter, “BHP Billiton responds�:

In just five paragraphs, the president of BHP Billiton’s local operation made four major misstatements of facts. Can we believe anything that BHP Billiton claims?

First, the natural gas that BHPB proposes to sell here will be transported and converted from liquefied natural gas in a process that is more expensive than domestic pipeline gas. Once BHPB gets its LNG terminal built, local gas companies will be locked into long-term contracts that will pass that cost through to local ratepayers. It will not be cheaper.

During the Vietnam War, we were constantly told that we had to defeat communism or else all of Asia would fall.  More than 50,000 American deaths later — and probably 10 times that number of Vietnamese — we were defeated, yet the dominoes never fell.

And communism everywhere is in rapid retreat.

Now we are told that the war in Iraq is about defeating terrorism. If the insurgents, or whatever Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is calling them today, are not killed in Iraq, they will be here killing Americans. This is shameful and bogus.

Re: Dan Walters’ Dec. 1 essay, “Pocketbook meets conscience�:

This essay wrongly implied that Children Now’s 2005 California Report Card states that the challenges facing California’s children, particularly child poverty, stem from immigration.

This is not what the Report Card says.

In focusing his article on linking California’s child poverty problem to immigration, Walters shortchanged readers who would have contemplated more complex analyses and solutions to the many issues facing our state’s children, including poor health and education.

I almost became sick to my stomach when I read that Ventura County residents are holding a vigil for convicted murderer and Crips gang founder, Stanley “Tookie� Williams, who is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 13.

How about a vigil for the four people he brutally murdered? Shouldn’t some respect and consideration be shown for the poor families of his victims? What about a vigil for the countless lives that have had havoc wreaked upon them by the Crips gang, which Mr. Williams helped found?

Inasmuch as the rhetoric surrounding our ongoing involvement in the establishment of a pseudo-Jeffersonian, one man-one vote democracy has degenerated into a battle for impressive sound bites, I think the left in America has made a case for surrender in Iraq, which could be translated into a surrender in much less important fights that they have championed for the last century.

If a mere possibility of success serves as a prerequisite for premature surrender, many of the most cherished social battles fought by the left in our nation on issues ranging from poverty to social/racial justice deserve “cease fire� status as well.

Usually, we do not hear of corruption stemming from the Oval Office until years after the damage has been done. This time, we are hearing about it while George Bush is still in office.

We now know that many of our national entanglements in war came about after information that might have averted the violence had been received. This time, we have learned of purposeful misinformation being passed in order to implicate us in the Iraq war. The president was involved in the misconception.

As I looked out the window of a popular restaurant in Simi Valley, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “What the heck happened to little Simi Valley?�

The constant flow of traffic on the streets throughout the city on a Tuesday afternoon astounded me.

I was born and raised in Simi Valley. I went to Arcane before it closed, Berylwood, Sinaloa and Royal High School. I remember a time before the Rodney King trial put Simi Valley on the map, and the population explosion of the last 10 years was only considered population growth.

Let’s get the details very clear and straight.

Stanley “Tookie� Williams murdered four people. He had his day in court, he was found guilty by a jury of his peers and was given the death sentence.

While he sat on death row for 24 years, soaking up tax money and enjoying life, the relatives of the victims tried to find some kind of peace and existence without their loved ones.

Re: Bob Munson’s Dec. 7 letter, “Dirty electricity�:

This letter referenced The Star’s Dec. 2 article, “Battery powered,� in which I was profiled.
Mr. Munson states that “electric cars cause more pollution than gasoline cars� because of transmission line losses. Nothing could be further from the truth. True, transmission of electricity is only 95 percent efficient, but compare that to the 15 percent efficiency of the internal combustion engine.

Moreover, gas doesn’t appear at the pump by magic. Petroleum refining is the single biggest industrial user of electricity in California.

Re: Richard Larsen’s Dec. 6 essay, “Strategy misses the mark�:

I want to thank Mr. Larsen for his continued representation of the mass media on how bias affects our reality.

If Larsen were a football coach, he would complain that the opposing team wasn’t being “specific� enough on their plans (strategy).

He would demand his team and fans deserve to know exactly what plays they are going to run (tactics), and when they’re going to run them (timeliness).

After struggling to understand the new Medicare drug program and keeping one of my daughters on the computer trying to get it right, I’ve come to this conclusion: Whoever stuck us with this thing must hate old people.

So why don’t they just shoot us?

— Clarice Schrader, Ventura

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Dec. 3 commentary, “Hey, it’s the solstice buying season for the secular forces�:

In his rant against retailers who do not specifically mention Christmas in their holiday promotions, I think Bill O’Reilly has missed a bigger issue.

By leaving the birth of a sacred figure, whom many people believe to be their lord and savior, out of the rampant commercialism that has become synonymous with this season, these retailers are, perhaps inadvertently, showing respect to both Christ and Christians.

Re: your Dec. 3 Arts & Living article, “From strict creationist to father of evolution�:

I would like to point out a major and puzzling omission in this article.

The article quotes the last few words in Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,� but omits a part of the sentence that was certainly relevant. The complete quote, with the omission noted in parentheses, follows:

Condoleezza Rice’s torture denial is a bald-faced lie.

The denial must be placed in the context of Vice President Cheney’s effort to exclude the CIA from a law banning all U.S. agencies from conducting cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners and the documented abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.

An article published in the Washington Post and broadcast on Democracy Now! reveals that the CIA Counterterrorism Center maintains a “rendition group� of some 1,200 which roams about the planet kidnapping suspects.

All of us who desperately try to leave our homes using streets that enter Kuehner Drive can hardly wait for more traffic to come our way! But, no need to worry anytime soon, even if this project is approved, since the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation surely holds the record for the longest construction projects known in modern times.

The Plaza Del Sol apartment complex was in progress for close to four years before being occupied, and the 25-home development on Kuehner is just now being framed — three years after grading!

Re: your Nov. 15 article, “Cotton-picking song pulled from concert�:

The article refers to comments and action taken by Greg Montgomery: “It’s mind-boggling that people don’t understand sensitive issues.�

His daughter, China, said, “They were bringing back the memories of how African-Americans picked cotton, and it wasn’t a good memory. It was disrespectful to African-Americans.�

What is mind-boggling to me is that someone will bury their ancestry in shame and ignore the great music that they developed.

To the governor:

Snuff Stanley “Tookie� Williams, who did not give his victims a chance and enjoyed killing them.

— Don Schweitzer, Ventura
(The writer is retired from the Los Angeles Police Department. — Editor)

Re: Tim Hansen’s Dec. 5 letter, “Williams’ execution supported�:

It seems that Mr. Hansen wants to see Stanley “Tookie� Williams executed because of some archaic fundamentalist type of revenge.

The United States is one of the very few civilized countries that still has the death penalty, which absolutely makes no sense when it’s cheaper to put someone in prison for life with no chance of parole, and even less sense since new DNA evidence has cleared so many people who were on death row waiting for the needle. This makes me wonder how many other innocent ones have been put to death already.

Re: your Dec. 3 article, “New rules for baggage� and the accompanying information box:
The article that covered what is now being allowed in carry-on luggage explained  that 4-inch-long pointed scissors are off the forbidden list. The picture of the “scissors� was that of a pair of forceps.

— Laura Snead, Moorpark

Re: your Dec. 2 article, “Battery powered�:

Your front-page picture shows Bruce Tucker charging up his electric car. The caption reads, “Weaning off foreign oil and getting cleaner air and a healthier environment …�

Electricity doesn’t come out of a socket. It comes from a polluting power plant that is most often oil-fired.

Electric cars actually cause more pollution than gasoline cars because there are energy losses when you transmit electricity over power lines.

I was not overly surprised that most of the propositions on which we voted last month were defeated, with the exception of Proposition 73, which would have required parental notification (not permission) for an underage girl to have an abortion at least 48 hours before the “procedure� was done.

Under today’s laws, if I had a 15-year old daughter, she could not legally smoke a cigarette, drink a beer, drive a car, see an R-rated movie alone, or even take an aspirin at school. She could, however, undergo a serious medical procedure which could endanger her life as well as end the life of another human being, without her mother or I even being told.

I have lived in Ventura County for most of my life. I have raised my children in Newbury Park. I have sadly watched as Newbury Park was transformed from a small, friendly and quiet community into a noisy, overcrowded mess. I no longer awake to the sounds of birds, but I awake to traffic noise on Lynn Road.

I used to drive through the Highway 101-23 connector without even thinking about putting my foot on the brakes. Now it takes between 30 minutes and 45 minutes to drive home from work through Westlake and the 23 connector.

Re: Clive Leeman’s Nov. 29 letter, “Williams is innocent�:

In regards to Clive Leeman’s letter asking the governor to spare Stanley “Tookie� Williams’ life, I have to ask if Mr. Leeman has done any research on Stanley “Tookie� Williams’ life? Mr. Leeman did mention that Williams was a “founder of the Crips gang,� which in itself is probably not illegal, but what are street gangs known for? How does one become a member of a gang? It is common knowledge that in order to join, one must commit a crime in front of other gang members (for witnesses). Has Mr. Leeman ever heard of the term “accessory to the crime�? Common law traditionally considers an accessory just as guilty as the principal in a crime and subject to the same penalties. Now tell me Williams is innocent.

Re: Margaret Morris’ Dec. 2 letter, “Priesthood problems�:

Morris is arguing a straw man.

Where did the pope ever say he was barring the entry of gays into the seminary because of pedophilia? The Catholic Church has teachings about the errors of homosexual activity, just as it has teachings against alcoholism. Practicing alcoholics aren’t admitted to the priesthood either. Why is no one crying “Injustice!� over that? Instead, we jump on the politically correct bandwagon to attack an institution that has stayed true to her doctrines since her establishment.

Re: Linda Livingston’s Dec. 2 letter, “Wal-Mart’s problems�:

As Ms. Livingston requested, I have done “a little research� on Wal-Mart.

My sister lives in New Mexico, where the only grocery store not only had very high prices, but was dirty and disorganized. Now, she and her neighbors are thrilled to have a beautiful, clean, organized store with affordable prices — a Wal-Mart.

Why did the California Supreme Court refuse to hear the case of Stanley “Tookie� Williams? The evidence is clear that he did not get a fair trial. Where can he obtain justice? Where can we see justice done? What is our legal system really about? Has this country lost all heart and purpose?

— Marion Rupp Leeman, Ojai

In the media attention about the changes to Medicare, the emphasis has been placed on the impact to seniors. In fact, the new Medicare Part D will impact all Medicare beneficiaries, including beneficiaries with disabilities who are under the age of 65.

Do you use durable medical equipment? What type of prescriptions, if any, are you taking? How often do you visit your doctor? It is the answers to questions like these that will determine the plan you want to choose. It is important that all Medicare beneficiaries take an active role in choosing their plan. Otherwise, Medicare may put them in a plan that does not meet their needs.

With all the rising oil prices and concern over the future energy needs of the United States, I, naturally, tried to put together something of a solution.

As usual, when I contacted the U.S. government with my idea, I was ignored.

Be that as it may, I’m pretty well convinced that part of the solution to America’s future energy needs lies substantially in genetically altering some of the native cactus/succulent (and/or other) plants of the American Southwest so as to render them high-sugar content, robustly growing plants from which ethanol can be economically produced to substitute for petroleum products currently employed as transportation, heating and electrical energy-producing fuels.

Will we still be the country of choice and still be America if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries who came to live in America because it is the country of choice? Think about it.

All I have to say is, when will they do something about my rights?

I celebrate Christmas, but because it isn’t celebrated by everyone, we can no longer say “Merry Christmas.� Now it has to be “Seasons Greetings.� It’s not Christmas vacation, it’s Winter Break. Isn’t it amazing how this winter break always occurs over the Christmas holiday? We’ve gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that I am now being offended! But it seems that no one has a problem with that.