California’s carpool lanes; Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip; abortion in the U.S. military

Their solo days are done

Re “Hybrids? In the past lane,” July 2

Some drivers have the misguided impression that a carpool lane is “the fast lane,” and they routinely break the speed limit. I don’t, and I don’t care for the aggressive driving of those who do.

Recently one driver was able to bully me (by tailing me) all the way up to 85 miles per hour before I was finally able to exit the lane and let him blow past. Had I kept increasing my speed, I have no doubt he would have matched whatever I did and kept the same dangerous distance from me.

Speed-limit enforcement has been very lax in recent years, and if the state were serious about its budget woes, increased enforcement would be an ideal place to start generating more revenue.

Michael J. Walsh

Garden Grove

As I crawled along in the “fast” lane of the 134 recently, I noticed how many passengers were in the cars and trucks whizzing by me in the carpool lane. Fully more than half had just a driver.

Evidently, drivers of trucks, SUVs and cars with dark windows believe they can get away with this.

How can these drivers ever be pulled over? Any Highway Patrol officer in the thick of traffic would need to suddenly merge into the carpool lane to chase the offenders. This is impractical and dangerous. Catching the scofflaws could bring us much-needed revenue, but I don’t see it happening.

Judi Birnberg

Sherman Oaks

For the hybrid owners who are feeling carpool lane withdrawal, I suggest getting a qualifying electric, natural gas or other alternate-fuel vehicle. I drive an all-electric Nissan Leaf with a white carpool lane sticker and a green parking sticker.

Linda Tcimpidis

Granada Hills

Blockading the Gaza Strip

Re “In defense of a Gaza blockade,” Opinion, July 1

Amos N. Guiora defends Israel’s attack on the flotilla that was carrying humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip, killing nine people aboard. He questions why the ship didn’t deliver its cargo to Israel for transfer to Gaza.

He ignores the fact that Gaza is an open-air prison, with Israel controlling access by land, sea and air, resulting in much suffering by the Palestinian people. The people are struggling to survive.

The current flotilla, carrying many American citizens, is trying to sail to Gaza to call attention to the plight of the people. Our government should encourage Israel to let the flotilla reach Gaza safely.

Ruth Shapin

Orange

Guiora repeats something many pro-Israel writers ask: What’s the need of the flotilla when Israel can drop some aid into Gaza?

Why is it so difficult to understand that this is an issue about freedom? Palestinians deserve the same freedom as people in Israel, which includes the freedom to use their ports, handle imports and exports, and the freedom to travel.

Having such freedoms is not even anything unusual, yet it takes people like Alice Walker to risk their lives by joining the Gaza flotilla to make this simple point.

Amir Kureshi

San Jose

I would like to praise Guiora for his excellent article. We must remember that our emotions have nothing to do with maritime international law.

As an Israeli who supported the disengagement from Gaza in 2005, I too was hoping that would be the beginning of a new era. Unfortunately, Hamas took over and the blockade on Gaza was imposed in 2009 to prevent weapons smuggling.

Americans must think what they would do if weaponry smuggled by sea was to be used to murder children. Something tells me they would demand exactly what Israelis are demanding, and that the U.S. would do exactly what Israel is doing.

Smadar Bakovic

Tel Aviv

Guiora, a retired Israeli Defense Forces lieutenant colonel, writes, “For the blockade to be lawful, the contraband must pose a danger to the nation-state.” However, as he noted, “the American contingent acknowledged that its boat would carry no goods of any kind for delivery in Gaza.”

If the American vessel is not carrying contraband, then how can blockading the American ship be legal? Why is Israel so afraid?

The answer may be that in defiance of international expectations, Israel refuses to permit the creation of the state of Palestine.

Arch Miller

Arcadia

Speaking of the Founding Fathers

Re “In the founders’ words,” Editorial, July 4

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if celebrity right-wing Republican politicians such as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann stopped giving their twisted and incorrect view of history and our Founding Fathers’ true beliefs and learn what they actually wrote?

It makes the majority of us knowledgeable voters yearn for the days when we always tried to elect the best and the brightest.

Jerold Drucker

Camarillo

In your introduction, you state that “Benjamin Franklin’s views on taxation and private property would sound downright Marxist if Karl Marx hadn’t been born after they were written.” Actually, some of them sound consistent with a conservative view of things: “He can have no rights to the benefits of society who will not pay his club for support of it.”

Hence, the plethora of welfare programs designed to care for people from cradle to grave are a scam. Entitlement programs are poverty enablers. Franklin knew this more than two centuries ago.

Steve Beck

Glendora

Innovation at the airport

Re “Rolling bags cost airports millions,” Business, July 1

It’s still much easier for a traveler to negotiate an airport terminal with a cart, even if the passenger has wheeled suitcases.

But the Smarte Cart initially cost a buck at LAX. Now it costs $5. For many people, that’s too high a price.

Tom Ogden

Hollywood

Hooray for Northwest Airlines pilot Bob Plath for coming up with the idea of rolling baggage in 1987. How long did it take for us to come up with an invention that has made travel so much easier? Maybe if we had more creative ideas like this, our economy wouldn’t be in trouble.

How long did it take for someone to invent the upside-down ketchup bottle? I’m sure there is more innovation potential out there.

Ehrhardt Lang

Lompoc, Calif.

Abortion rights

Re “An out-of-step military,” Opinion, June 30

As a provider of comprehensive women’s health services, I applaud Lawrence Korb for pointing out that military insurance won’t cover an abortion unless the soldier’s life is endangered.

For my patients who have been raped, access to safe and affordable abortion care was crucial to their ability to start rebuilding their lives.

In the military, a woman can’t have an abortion at her base’s hospital, even if she pays for it herself. In countries where abortion is not safe or legal, rape survivors must fend for themselves.

Members of the military risk death to keep us alive. We owe them the human rights they would enjoy in the United States had they not chosen to make this generous sacrifice.

Rachel Steward, MD

Los Angeles

Future shock

Re “China feels like No. 1 with a bullet,” July 1

This line says it all: “Beijing has demonstrated time and again that it’s willing to spend massive amounts of money to ensure that it has the infrastructure to move the country forward.”

Our infrastructure is crumbling. While our politicians puff themselves up by looking backward, the rest of the industrial world looks to the future.

Barbars Bucsis

Newbury Park