Letters to the editor

Future black mark on U.S. history

Re "Guantanamo closure not an easy prospect," April 14

Having just watched the better part of the "John Adams" series on HBO, and having a basic knowledge of the Constitution, it seems to me unlikely that our founding fathers would have stood behind the Bush administration's assumption that offshore detentions at Guantanamo can be justified without sufficient evidence to bring charges.

At some point, our detention policies will become too much for the American public and judiciary to stomach. We now see individuals, some taken in their teens, who have spent five years in prison without a trial. When that becomes a decade, it will be a glaring affront to our basic sense of justice. These indefinite detentions without prosecution will end up in the history books alongside the Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment of Japanese Americans and the McCarthy era -- huge black splotches on our record for upholding individual liberties.

Maria Matan

Novato, Calif.



The Times elucidates the complex legal and moral deficit the Bush administration happily wills to the next president. Although the article notes the logistical hang-ups, the moral questions U.S. officials will face also must be posed. In the prosecution and sentencing of detainees, will the courts take into account the years these men have already served without charge, in harsh and inhuman conditions? As for the detainees released, will the United States simply send them to their home countries, where they could be at risk of torture or ill treatment? Will anyone be held accountable for gross violations of domestic and international law?

It is no surprise that damage control of this magnitude will be no easy task. How the United States closes Guantanamo is just as -- if not more -- important than how it was operated. But the buck needs to stop somewhere. The next president has no other option than to shutter the detention facility and handle detainees with humanity and due process.

Larry Cox

Executive Director

Amnesty International

USA, New York

Speaking the same language

Re "Español on their tongues," Column One, April 14

How nice that City Council members have joined business and government agencies in using Spanish. Perhaps this will help Caucasian Americans finally understand what it feels like to be part of a minority.

Elliot Rosenthal

Fullerton



Finally, we have a city councilwoman giving up and learning Spanish in order to fulfill her job. Throughout the history of our country, we have accepted immigrants from all over the world. The immigrants immediately went to school (often at night) to learn the language of their new country to prepare themselves for getting good jobs and making sure that their children spoke English so they too could succeed.

Today, a large part of our population doesn't understand English. What L.A. Councilwoman Jan Perry is doing is a great political tactic, but maybe she should -- together with the other council and school board members -- devote time to solving the major problem of educating immigrants and their children. Our schools would improve, the lives of the Spanish-speaking community would improve, and we would no longer have to print instructions in Spanish on everything from buses to ballots.

Bruce Fane

Encino

Spotlight on the Catholic Church

Re "Pope's U.S. visit begins with remarks on abuse," April 16

One of the first statements that the pope made on his journey to the U.S. was that he was saddened and troubled by the sexual scandal that has occurred in the church and that he will do everything in his power to see that it does not happen again. Translation: Nothing will be done if all that is suggested is for the clergy to take their celibacy vow more seriously. There is no discussion of how important sexuality is as a component of a balanced personality and its contribution to a happy life, even as it pertains to the clergy who are human, sexual beings. Conclusion: papal rhetoric and medieval mentality.

Joe Sevenliss

Corona



Re "Benedict the diplomat," editorial, April 15

The writer of this editorial should learn the difference between wielding the sword in defense of one's faith and wielding the sword in evangelizing one's faith, as Muslims have done for hundreds of years. On three occasions, in the Mediterranean, in France and at the gates of Vienna, if the Muslims had not been repulsed, most of us would be Muslims now.

Frank Myers

Downey



The Catholic Church is back in the national spotlight with the pope's U.S. visit. And, of course, the media are serving up a steady diet of stories about conflicted parishioners with poor attendance and other problems.

Never mind the extraordinary unity of essential doctrine that millions of us have shared around the world for thousands of years.

And I can understand the omission of any stories about the church's vast array of social, medical and educational services that are available to everyone. After all, it would be hard to report on all of these ministries because there are quite simply too many to mention in a single newspaper or magazine.

Joseph Carducci

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Time behind bars

Re "U.S. receiver presses state on prisons," April 15

Looks as if our legislators have painted themselves into a corner. They tripped over each other to pass more tough-on-crime laws and supported three strikes, which metes out life sentences to shoplifters and drug users. Now they get the bill and don't want to pay for their mistakes?

They can form a sentencing commission and review thousands of outrageously long sentences for petty crimes and bring California in line with the rest of the nation. Wake up, Sacramento! It is time to be smart on crime.

Francis Courser

Escondido



Loyalty and the Clintons

Re "Why this Bill didn't side with Hillary," April 12

It is not easy to decide a national issue without letting long personal bonds be a factor. Friendships and even feelings of obligations too often sway critical decisions. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson rose above that challenging scenario and chose what he believes is best for the nation. He probably lost valuable friends in the process.

Edward Mulvaney

Pasadena



How startlingly ironic it is that Bill and Hillary Clinton and their hangers-on should decry Richardson's endorsement of Obama so vociferously with charges of disloyalty. This from a couple hardly distinguishable for loyalty.

Recall the fates of attorney Lani Guinier and Surgeon Gen. Joycelyn Elders, two brilliant African American women with sensible, but moderately controversial, ideas: gays and lesbians in the military sent to the closet of "don't ask, don't tell"; and rank-and-file union members sacrificed on the corporate alter of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Yes, the Clintons are loyal -- to themselves and each other. Groups and individuals currently loyal to the Clintons had best keep their expectations low.

Michael H. Weinberg

Pasadena



Supposedly, Richardson's "endorsement had been highly coveted, due largely to his stature as one of the country's most prominent Latino leaders." Only on paper. He did poorly in all the primaries in which he participated. His appeal to and following among Latinos has been grossly overrated.

Marco-Antonio

Loera

Inglewood

Why don't cops get tickets?

Re "Some are more equal," editorial, April 14

In your editorial, you decry public officials who have confidential vehicle registrations and believe they are immune from toll charges and parking tickets. But a confidential registration is not necessary for our public servants to insist that they are bound by different rules than taxpayers. On any weekday, dozens of Los Angeles police cars park illegally near the downtown courthouses. They park in no-stopping zones, and they block lanes intended for freeway access and buses. There is no shortage of legal parking -- the drivers are simply too lazy to park a few blocks away. The Los Angeles Police Department knows who is driving, and illegally parking, these police cars.

This problem has existed for years, as documented by The Times, but officers believe they are able to get away with these violations because the Los Angeles Bureau of Parking Enforcement doesn't issue them citations. It is easy to think the rules do not apply to you when those in charge of enforcing the rules ignore them. But, as Police Chief William J. Bratton's "broken windows" theory shows, it is from such small malfeasance that greater problems grow.

John Hamilton Scott

Sherman Oaks