Conservative activists arrested at senator’s office; the Toyota recalls; remembering J.D. Salinger and Howard Zinn

A real case of deja vu

Re “Conservatives criticize activist after his arrest,” Jan. 28

I find it troubling that three of the four Republican activists arrested for illegally entering the office of a U.S. senator in New Orleans ran conservative newspapers at their respective colleges.

None of these young men was a lone wolf with a grudge. None was an anonymous Average Joe plotting a crime.

These presumably were the cream of the young Republicans, the best their party has to offer for the future. And yet they were seemingly ready and willing to re-create Watergate.

That’s sad, to say the least.

Tracy Culp
Valencia

Litmus test or not

Re “Leave out the litmus test,” Editorial, Jan. 29, and “Republicans reject party litmus test,” Jan. 30

The Times is rightly critical of the “litmus test” approach to the reformation of the GOP, which begets narrow, divisive, partisan politics that are bad for the GOP and the nation it attempts to serve.

It is good that the GOP has detached itself from this approach, which requires adherence to a religiously inspired agenda, marginalizes the party and prevents the development of a broader coalition of conservative and moderate Americans.

If Republicans hadn’t rejected the litmus test, they would have remained a political minority, able to win an occasional election but unable to govern in the long term. Americans simply do not want religion mixed with their politics.

Fritz Mehrtens
Irvine

Your sly call for a diverse Republican Party would increase voter frustration by combining a Republican with a Democrat. Voters deserve to get what they pay for. What does a candidate offer the party if he cannot affirm Republican principles in exchange for an endorsement and financial assistance? Either the candidate is a Republican, or he is a donkey with a trunk to be filled with endorsements and money.

Bill Brock
Agoura Hills

Pedal problems

Re “Pedal maker for Toyota denies fault,” Jan. 30

The public and Toyota drivers are struggling with gnawing uncertainty over what has caused the sudden acceleration problems in so many of Toyota’s vehicles -- and threatens to do so in many more before the company does what it will take to fix the problem.

But two things are certain: First, Toyota failed to anticipate and forthrightly address the implications of that uncertainty on the public psyche.

Second, as a result, its reputation and therefore its sales are poised to suffer significantly. A number of large companies have learned the public relations skills necessary to contain the anxiety generated by such uncertainty and restore confidence in those companies and their products. It is sad that Toyota has not benefited from this experience.

Roger Schwarz
Los Angeles

Who is Toyota kidding? If you are driving along and the car suddenly accelerates at full throttle, the supposedly sticking accelerator pedal was not at fault. The fault is the computer that controls engine speed. Toyota has a real problem.

Bill Simpson
Rancho Palos Verdes

Let me say what an honor it is to live in this city, with a newspaper that does fearless, tenacious journalism that has a material impact on automobile safety.

Thank you for your series. It raises the stature and the profile of the city, in addition to your own.

Avanidhar Subrahmanyam
Los Angeles

More than one approach

Re “Fostering foster care,” Editorial, Jan. 27

I applaud your endorsement of Assembly Bill 12, which recognizes that children for whom the state has responsibility should not be cast off when they turn 18.

You make a mistake, however, in lumping all foster children together. Children in foster care are a heterogeneous group, ranging from extremely bright to developmentally delayed; normal emotional functioning to psychotic disorders; and affability to extreme aggression.

When you describe group homes as outmoded, you fail to differentiate between those programs that offer intensive residential treatment and those that don’t. Though most foster children should remain in the community, many do need specialized residential services.

One approach does not fit all. We need a continuum of care.

Andrew Diamond
Los Angeles
The writer is CEO of Aviva Family and Children’s Services, which runs a residential treatment center and outpatient mental health services for at-risk youth.

Touched by a column

Re “Medicine, hope and managing death,” Opinion, Jan. 28

I was moved by Meghan Daum’s article about her terminally ill mother. It brought back the terrible memories of my mother’s agonizing fight with cancer. Daum poses difficult-to-answer questions about the “value” of expensive, aggressive therapy offered to add a few months of life.

Reflecting on our nation’s healthcare quandary, Daum writes, “We’ll never figure out what we want from our doctors and insurers and our government and even ourselves until we figure out what we’re talking about when we talk about hope in the face of death.”

She discovered, painfully, that there are no clear answers.

I, for one, am pleased to live in a society in which we may choose alternatives of care, or no care, or seek additional opinions. I fear that as our nation “fixes” healthcare, our choices may diminish. But for many, lack of choice in selecting medical care would be a welcome relief. The anxiety of dealing with freedom of choice can be unbearable.

Howard Krauss, MD
Los Angeles

A free press

Re “Campus paper defended,” Jan. 28

At a time when journalism is being questioned nationwide, it is disturbing to learn of the censorship and economic pressures being put on the Los Angeles City College student newspaper, the Collegian.

I am a former editor in chief of the Collegian. During my term as editor, I received no interference from any member of the administration -- no budget cuts, no quashing of stories, no intimidation of reporters. Then-college President John Lombardi had a hands-off, open-door policy for the Collegian.

It troubles me that a college president cannot see the value of a free press. Hopefully this situation can be resolved in the best interests of LACC students.

Ken Johnson
Crestline, Calif.

Remembering two giants

Re “J.D. Salinger, 1919 - 2010,” Obituary, Jan. 29, and “Howard Zinn, 1922 - 2010,” Obituary, Jan. 28

In an era and city slavishly devoted to maximum publicity for greater and lesser talent alike, may the passing of J.D. Salinger remind us of the dignity of reclusiveness that this truly sublime talent displayed to the end.

Robert Ouriel
Los Angeles

I find it disturbing that a man who has been hiding in the woods for 50 years receives accolades while a man who helped lead the civil rights movement and the peace movement for 50 years is practically ignored.

Howard Zinn’s contributions, including “A People’s History of the United States,” have rewritten history for many of us. Zinn cast a long shadow across this country, inspiring generations of Americans. He will be greatly missed.

At 87, he was still active and vital. Salinger hasn’t been relevant for two generations.

Jack Cummings
Bakersfield