Puppy beating trial; child welfare; China-funded language classes

Puppy beating trial

Re “Puppy beating brings 90-day jail sentence,” April 3

Jerry Austin, a friend of Glynn Johnson, the man sentenced recently for beating a puppy, was quoted as saying the trial had “dehumanized” Johnson and “humanized” a dog. “That is unfortunate,” Austin said.

That’s a clever way to frame this, but it doesn’t change the facts of the case. The trial isn’t what brought discredit and shame to Johnson -- his own behavior is.

The Times reports that Johnson bludgeoned a 6-month-old puppy at least 12 times in the head with a 12-pound rock. No amount of supportive spin can make that less than appalling.

Paul Grein
Studio City

This article on the horrific treatment of puppy Karley was disturbing to say the least, and I certainly understand the family’s grief and anger.

I was also upset by the remark by Judge J. Thompson Hanks, who expressed shock at the number of letters he received about this case. “I spent 14 years as a prosecutor and 22 years as a judge, and it is unusual to see this kind of outpouring from the community, including in the death of children.”

I am saddened and sickened that our children, some of whom experience such horrific treatment, do not seem to garner the same kind of outpouring in similar situations.

Kristina Howlett
San Juan Capistrano

Fixing the child welfare system

Re “Laws hinder child welfare reform,” April 3

The Times’ report on Los Angeles County’s broken child welfare system paints a disturbing picture of this department’s lack of accountability. It obviously should have been overhauled years ago, when it first came to light that it was not preventing children from being abused and killed due to its limitations and the ambivalence of overworked child welfare workers!

As a public school teacher and mandated reporter of child neglect and abuse, I have been shocked at the incompetence I’ve personally experienced with this department.

How long will we continue to allow people like Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to have oversight of this department when it is clear that his priority is saving money, not lives?

Laure Stack
Glendora

Unfortunately, these tragedies are not isolated to L.A.’s Department of Children and Family Services. I hope that this brings attention to the need for true systemic reform. Instead of criticizing individuals of the system, dedicating much-needed resources to meaningful, quality improvement efforts could make a difference.

Accreditation has been used as a tool for change, and more research is needed to understand and maximize its potential to improve care.

Madeline Y. Lee
Tustin
The writer is a doctoral candidate in social work at Washington University in St. Louis.

A sad contrast

Re “Bearing witness to Nazi horror,” Column One, April 3

I just finished reading the wrenchingly heroic story of an English prisoner of war who witnessed the horrors of Jewish prisoners in Auschwitz by exchanging places with one of them to prove to the world that atrocities actually happened.

And then I think of the Los Angeles County supervisors who know of the horrors inflicted on innocent children in our institutional care and will not move heaven and earth to save them.

Shame, shame, shame.

Phil Bennett
Beverly Hills

The meaning of China’s help

Re “Education aid from China stirs debate,” April 4

A former California school superintendent says no to Chinese government-funded language instruction here because our children “need to be taught Americanism.” Another critic adds, “We don’t need to accept money from a Chinese government.”

But don’t we? Where is the funding for education going to come from? Are we going to take money away from the likes of defense spending to pay for our schools?

Confucius Classroom, funded by the Chinese, is an absolute boon to American learning.

If Americanism means no to taxes for schools -- which it does today -- isn’t it about time it meant opening our eyes to the present and future again?

To the xenophobes in Hacienda Heights: Put up for schools, or shut up.

Andy K. Liberman
Santa Monica

It is sad to hear that Cedarlane Middle School has to accept financial aid from a foreign country to teach a foreign language. That schools at all levels in California are having financial difficulties is not news. What’s news is that some schools need foreign aid -- and that worse, the aid is coming from Communist China, which has no respect for basic human rights.

The Chinese are no fools. They do not give away money without reason. They are engaging in a propagandistic war, using the name of Confucius and the learning of Mandarin to dominate the world. China is a new evil empire.

The public needs to know the true nature of Communist China. The school board needs to show its professionalism, courage and pride. Chinese-sponsored teaching of Mandarin in schools has to be stopped.

Ken S. Huang
Murrieta

Blood donation policy changes

Re “Deadly blood colors debate,” April 4

We believe The Times’ story exaggerates the risk of the proposed policy changes that will ultimately be considered by the FDA, which are likely to be modest, and would suggest that only healthy gay men in certain situations (such as men who are not sexually active or who are in safe, monogamous relationships) will be allowed to donate blood or blood components.

Additionally, improvements in technology in detecting early HIV infections provide another backup system to protect the nation’s blood supply.

We believe the decades-old blood donation policy lags behind science, and our nation is long overdue for a review. Such a review could allow gay men who present no danger to our nation’s blood supply to participate in a life-saving act of altruism and civil responsibility from which they are currently barred.

James Beaudreau
Robert Reinhard
San Francisco
Beaudreau is education and policy director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Assn. Reinhard is a public health consultant.

This article was an attempt to sensationalize the plight of the Gerus-Darbison family. The Times does not report the year that Kathy Gerus-Darbison’s husband received the infected blood transfusion, if that transfusion came from a gay man or when she became infected.

The fact is that nobody really knows the sexual history of an individual blood donor -- heterosexual or homosexual. But let’s not fan the flames with old stories about tainted blood transfusions. It is a disservice to our society to keep bringing up old issues to further a current agenda.

Fernando J. Gutierrez
Woodland Hills

I understand Kathy Gerus-Darbison’s concerns about changing the rules regarding blood donation.

Two of my first cousins, both hemophiliacs, died of complications from AIDS within six months of each other in 1988. They contracted the disease from contaminated blood products.

For me, the issue of donating blood has always been a matter of life or death. There were many times when my older relatives had to run to the hospital to donate directly on behalf of one of my cousins. From the time I was old enough, I began donating blood, and always have encouraged everyone I know to donate.

However, the tragedy of my cousins dying -- leaving their children without a father, and their mother having to bury her sons in the same year, one on Mother’s Day, of all days -- makes me favor erring on the side of caution when it comes to blood donation.

Until there can be absolute assurance that there can be no chance of contamination, chances shouldn’t be taken.

Eric Bender
Oak Park

Reagan and global warming

Re “Backers of climate bill invoke — Reagan?,” April 5

People who believe Ronald Reagan would have been concerned by global warming definitely have short memories!

Reagan gave tax breaks to oil corporations and other fat cats who put him into office, then deregulated them, letting big business pollute the environment at will.

There’s also his famous remark about California’s old-growth redwoods and sequoias: “A tree’s a tree, how many more do you need to look at?”

Thanks for this piece, though it did make my blood boil!

William Utvich
Rosamond, Calif.