Gallegly Bully or Just Doing His Job?

The truth is that Elton Gallegly was on a crime detection mission with the Police Department of Simi Valley, looking for gangs and people afoul of the law (“Gallegly Joins Police, Border Patrol Raid,” Jan. 24). It is true that he has worked hard at the request of his taxpayer constituents to relieve this state of the burden of excessive taxes to cover the welfare and crime associated with people who have broken the lawto begin with when they entered this country illegally. Unfortunately, all too often you refer to “the immigrants” and totally ignore the fact that they are illegal.

The picture you printed could very well have been misinterpreted, but there is no reason to imply that he was enjoying inflicting pain on that or any other person. He is a very compassionate individual and you will find (if you bother to) that he has gone out of his way to assist a family to legally enter this country.

You can’t please ‘em all, but for my money, he is doing exactly what I voted for him to do.

MARY G. MEYER, Ventura

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When a convicted criminal requests probation, he or she promises to abide by the rules imposed by the court as part of that probation rather than go to jail. The rules often prohibit the possession or use of alcohol, drugs or weapons.

To assure the court that the rules will be obeyed, the convicted criminals (or their parents if they are minors) invite law enforcement agencies to come to their home any time to make sure that the rules are being obeyed.

Congressman Elton Gallegly has “ridden along” many times with law enforcement agencies in his district. He has always been a “hands-on” elected official so it is not surprising that he asked to accompany the police on a probation investigation.

The fact that several illegal immigrants were discovered in the homes of those on probation only points out how porous our borders remain. Gallegly has spent 10 years supporting legal immigration and fighting illegal immigration and for that, we owe him a vote of thanks--which we give him every two years.

Like Gallegly, I look forward to the time when illegal immigration is no longer a significant crime or a political football for the media.

BOB LARKIN, Simi Valley

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The publicity stunt that U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly staged with the INS and the Simi Valley Police Department was deplorable and smacked of demagoguery, not to mention scapegoating.

The alleged illegal immigrants portrayed in the news accounts are being exploited by both the politicians of Gallegly’s type and unscrupulous employers, without whom the problem of illegal immigration would not exist. These immigrants are coming to this country to seek a better life, not to take jobs away from Americans, much less to go on welfare. In this respect, they are no different than the other immigrants who have come to the U.S.

RAMON RODRIGUEZ, Chairman, North American Civil Rights Organization, Fillmore

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Congressman Elton Gallegly is good at bringing down the full force of the law on the heads of the weaker and more vulnerable members of our society. It’s interesting that his burning commitment to the law does not apply to wrongdoers who are powerful--particularly those of his own political persuasion.

Gallegly demonstrated this when he joined the fast Republican shuffle in voting to reelect Newt Gingrich as speaker of the House of Representatives before the House Ethics Committee issues its report.

By all accounts, Gingrich appears to have violated federal tax laws. Certainly he violated House rules, lied to the Ethics Committee and obstructed its investigation. For all of this, Gingrich receives a reprimand, which is meaningless, and a fine which will probably be paid in full by wealthy contributors. And he retains the high office that he has disgraced.

Gallegly doesn’t get it: It’s Newt who should have been evicted.

MICHAEL BRILEY, Ojai

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The picture on Jan. 24’s page B1 is very disturbing. Until told to the contrary, I shall believe the picture to be representative, and not a successful ploy by the photographer. The facial expression and the posture of Elton Gallegly depict scorn. The picture tells me that Rep. Gallegly has contempt for illegal immigrants as human beings--they simply should not exist.

As long as our economy draws and supports them, they will exist. To consider them a scourge is wrong. It is morally wrong, and, in the attendant foreclosure of intellectual attention to underlying causes and problems, it is foolish.

GILBERT S. BAHN, Moorpark

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Bravo to your photographer for his portrait of Congressman Elton Gallegly, as he scowls down on a weeping woman who has just been caught up in a Border Patrol raid. The immigrant status of the woman is immaterial to the more compelling message of your picture. That is that Gallegly is a political bully boy who never misses an opportunity to boost his career with a little immigrant bashing.

This hypocrite claims that what drives him with a vengeance against immigrants is the desire to protect social services intended for those who live here legally. Anyone familiar with Gallegly’s voting record knows that he has as much contempt for social services in general as he has for the woman in the picture.

Gallegly epitomizes public mean spiritedness, and your picture provide’s graphic proof of it.

DAN RILEY, Thousand Oaks

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Perhaps now some nice, hard-working American family can take over the day laborer jobs for $5 per hour and move into the garage that was vacated by the 12 people. But, we all know that isn’t going to happen. Until the situation in Mexico changes, people are going to continue searching for a better life. As a first world country, America has been and will continue to be a place of opportunity.

Think about it, Rep. Gallegly. Then perhaps your expression will change from vigilante hatred to compassionate understanding.

LESLEY TIBBITS, Ventura