Public Comment
Web-Only Letters to the Editor
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OUT TO LUNCH
Editors, Daily Planet:
Barbara Gilbert’s op-ed opposing Bush’s impeachment is out to lunch. She revealingly writes that it is “not doable or justifiable.” Excuse me, not justifiable? Bush has gotten us into a bloody, interminable war in Iraq that has made us less safe and has routinely given Israel blank checks to do whatever it pleases, as the current military assault on Lebanon demonstrates.
I’m sorry, Gilbert, but your crappy local planning issues pale in comparison to the ongoing crimes, foreign and domestic, of the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld axis of evil. If that landmark preservation ordinance hadn’t been so grossly abused they wouldn’t have had to change it.
Here in Oakland we have the opposite extreme—a development driven mania orchestrated out of City Hall that is now condoizing everything in sight, and this in an already oversaturated market! Our trouble is that we have too many of these “sensible” Perata Machine “centrist” Dummycrats who can’t see beyond their noses, or is it wallets? Hopefully, our incoming Mayor will start to reverse the disastrous policies of Jerry Brown, who is thankfully preparing to leave Oakland. Goodbye and good riddance! Impeach Bush should be on every city council agenda in the U.S.A.
Michael Hardesty
Oakland
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DIVORCE
Editors, Daily Planet:
Many young children face the hard consequences of homes broken as a result of divorce or separation. They feel emotionally insecure. They have suddenly lost a space where they are cared for by both parents.
Young children feel love and warmth for both parents. They don’t understand the reasons for the absence of one parent. When their parents separate many children lose the power to focus and concentrate. They often imitate the insulting language and rough behavior of their fighting parents. They become sad and full of anger.
In our culture we emphasize fulfillment for the individual partners in a marriage but we do not emphasize the need young children have for a pleasant, peaceful, secure and loving environment. We do not teach partners in a marriage ways of resolving conflicts so that children can continue to count on safety at home.
Let us parents learn the healthy ways of compromise. Let us learn non-violent ways of resolving differences. Let us bring down the divorce rate for the United States.
Speaking as a provider of early childhood education I want to say: a divorce or separation is disastrous for children. Young children should be made happy at home. In order to serve the development of children, we should try to educate the parents about the benefit of togetherness and love.
Romila Khanna
Albany
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CUT THEM OFF
Editors, Daily Planet:
Israel is receiving nearly 3 billion of our dollars a year to fund their military. Look what they are doing with it. Israel is using it for airstrikes and targeting civilians!
Cut them off!
This raw aggression is inexcusable.
Cut them off!
We are paying for these atrocities in more ways than one. I am heartsick by the death of innocent civilians, innocent families, women, children—and I am indirectly funding this? I am outraged! Sickened!
There IS something that we can do. Cut them off!
Maybe this will open your ears: There are innocent Americans stuck there who can’t get out—children who’ve never heard bombs before in their life, in fear of their own lives now who can’t get back home.
This loathsome Administration could care less.
Congress has the power to stop the flow of money funding this nightmare.
Cut them off!
Mrs. Jennifer Brass
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AGRESSION OR TERRORISM?
Editors, Daily Planet:
Hezbollah is not the nation of Lebanon or the Lebanese people, just as the terrorists who orchestrated and executed 9/11 were not the nation of Afghanistan or the nation of Iraq. However, it seems, after an attack, both the United States and Israel, who have the most powerful armies in the world, can blindly “counterattack” whomever they want to, violate UN treaties and not give a damn about civilians. It’s amazing how much U.S. and Israeli aggression parallels terrorism.
Wendianne Eller
Oakland
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A GROSSLY
DISPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE
Editors, Daily Planet:
The recent Israeli military actions in Lebanon are a grossly disproportionate response to the capture of two Israeli soldiers. While the capture of the soldiers was indeed worthy of condemnation, killing scores of innocent Lebanese civilians and destroying critical civilian infrastructure is a completely unjustified and immoral act.
As one of Israel’s long-time allies and staunchest supporters, I believe the United States has an obligation to speak out about these atrocities. The United States should demand that Israel stop this violent response, and should withdraw its support for the Israeli government should they persist.
James von Behren
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GENOCIDAL CAMPAIGN
Editors, Daily Planet:
Stop Israel genocidal campaign in the Middle East. This “God-chosen” people have become, with the help of our tax money, their own worst enemy.
Stop the Bush administration support and perpetration of genocide in the Arab world now.
Peace,
Jose Francos
Oakland
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IT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED
The Israeli government has totally given more punishment than the kidnapping warranted. Israel’s policy seems to be to kill all Arabs, including women and children, that live anywhere near their borders. This needs to be stopped!!
Dan Regan
Alameda
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STOP THE WAR THERE AND HERE
Editors, Daily Planet:
Please call or write Congress immediately and demand that we do something non-violent and peaceful to stop Israel’s bombing of civilians!
We need to demand that Israel and all other aggressors stop bombing now or else we will cut off all military aid to Israel. Our tax dollars and suicidal governmental policies are responsible for feeding Israel’s giant military machine.
Please note, that there are many Israeli, as well as Palestinians and many others, who are sick and tired of this war, and desire only peace. We might as well end the Israel vs. Palestine war in these Berkeley Daily Planet op-ed pages, too!
Linda Smith
