Shamu show ends: SeaWorld spectacle will be missed by many

Regarding “SeaWorld bids farewell Sunday to Shamu show” (Jan. 7): I just want to thank SeaWorld for all the years it gave us joy by seeing Shamu and Baby Shamu shows.

It also gave joy to my sons and daughter, and grandson and granddaughters to see these beautiful orcas. Thanks to SeaWorld for rescuing a lot of ocean wild animals through the years.

Jesse Espinoza

National City

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy.

• E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com
• Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191.

You can also leave a comment below

Palestinians have been a big obstacle to peace

Sunday in Israel, another terrorist attack by Palestinian terrorists. This as I read the letter by Steve Gelb (“U.S. is right in opposing settlements in Israel,” Jan. 9) who claims that there is no greater obstacle to peace than settlements.

Incitement to murder, teaching kids in school to hate and kill Jews, terrorist attacks by Palestinians, refusal to recognize the Jewish state of Israel and the refusal of the Palestinians to negotiate with Israel are indeed the greatest obstacles to peace — all ignored by Gelb.

Dan Burland

San Diego

Charter schools put burdens on public ones

Regarding “Charter schools offer parents another option” (Jan. 5): Charter schools offer no relief from what pain some parents are feeling about the education of their children.

Normal public schools do not run on a competitive model, as Mark Powell wants to assert. No, charter schools merely take funds away from otherwise deserving public schools and waste taxpayer money. The media and the extreme conservative movement will highlight over and over again how public schools are failing. Public schools are not failing. Public schools supply our colleges and universities with the best and the brightest students. Public schools are still the best deal in America.

The last time I looked a Ford Focus can still safely take you from San Francisco to New York City. Customizing a Focus to look like a Bentley is just funny.

John H. Borja

San Diego

Legislature’s hiring of Holder is a bad decision

I see where our all-knowing and wise legislators have now hired Eric Holder (Covington & Burling).

Our current state Department of Justice has only 4,300 employees and an annual budget of only $830 million. They are obviously not competent to defend our state against the federal government’s attempt to enforce our nation’s laws on immigration, human trafficking, gun running, drug smuggling, etc.

I realize it’s only taxpayer money, but hiring Holder (at only $75,000 a month) does seem a bit ludicrous even for our state’s notoriously inept and incompetent legislators.

If the attorney general and his staff can’t handle it, maybe it’s time to cut back or eliminate the California Department of Justice.

Gordon Cress

Carlsbad

Supervisors should heed words of wisdom

Your editorial “Will supervisors torch their reputations?” (Jan. 9) may be one of the finest I have ever read.

It is concise, cogent, powerfully written and convincingly argued. Well done. It may be quixotic to hope that your editorial will influence how these four termed-out politicians will vote on their pay raise, but if your words do not shock them to their senses, I fear nothing can.

My suggestion for the lead in your next editorial if the supervisors vote in favor: “Have you no sense of decency, sirs and madam, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

Michael Quinlan

Oceanside

Libraries also serving as our music venues

Great interviews with area musicians and artists in the U-T last Sunday. I want to respond to Joshua White’s point (“Music: My wish for 2017 is ...” Jan. 1) about the disappearance of music venues in San Diego.

He is spot on. Your readers should be aware that many of the city and county libraries have stepped up to fill this void.

For example, the Rancho Bernardo Branch Library added a monthly jazz series to its long-running chamber series. The Joshua White Trio will be performing there on May 10, as will Gilbert Castellanos on April 12. Jory Herman has been one of dozens of musicians from the San Diego Symphony to perform there.

Working with donations only, this service is a boon to both the audience and the musicians.

Harvey Levine

Rancho Bernardo

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.