Portraying the Actions of a Santa Ana Citizens Group

The editorial “Fine, but Not So Fine” (Jan. 10) evaluating the recent actions by the citizens group SAMSON (Santa Ana Merged Society of Neighbors) might best describe the editorial rather than the subject matter addressed.

Once again The Times has written another of it’s legendary fence-sitting editorials about civic issues. Worse yet, as usual the citizens are portrayed as ill-informed, blundering errant children who, were it not for wiser heads, are leading us to unspeakable dangers.

The government, as usual, is portrayed as the wise and benevolent parent stepping in just in time to save all us children from the unspeakable danger posed by the rebels in our midst.

Citizens deserve better than to be portrayed as unwise in wanting to alter the state of affairs and incapable of drafting a useful program.

Consider how The Times would have reported the Declaration of Independence:

“Recently citizens unhappy with actions of the King declared their independence from the crown. While we (The Times) are sympathetic to many of the objectives of the colonists, the document’s brevity and lack of specifics leaves many unanswered questions. We applaud King’s announcement to form a commission to study the concerns of the colonists and redraft the document into a form more appropriate to the situation.” In fact, Tory papers of the day sounded just like the above question.

Well the rebels won, as we know, and did not listen to the Tory papers. Citizens of today should equally ignore the philosophy underlying this editorial as well. Up the rebels, for they are the yeast that keeps our Republic alive and the politicians’ feet to the fire.

GORDON BRICKEN

Santa Ana