Aaving Social Security; Tim Rutten on “birthers”; gay students at Christian colleges

Buying into Social Security

Re “Worth fighting for,” Opinion, Feb. 14

The talk of Social Security being part of our deficit problem is as mistaken as the talk of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was. Sen. Bernie Sanders is absolutely correct: The major portion of our current deficit is a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, tax breaks for the rich and the Wall Street bailout.

Social Security is a very successful government program that must be protected. It has helped reduce poverty among seniors from more than 50% 75 years ago to less than 10% now. It has been a stabilizing force in our economy. It has always paid for itself fully and will continue to do so until at least 2037, and even much longer with a higher cap on taxable income.

The Social Security Trust Fund was built with the hard-earned money of our average citizens. It should not be used to bail out the failed policies of the political class.

John D. Kelley

Santa Barbara

Sanders would have us believe that when the time comes, Social Security can just take its IOUs to the Treasury and trade them for cash.

Even under better conditions than today, the Treasury won’t have ready access to that kind of cash. It would have to raise the required funds by either taxes, borrowing or printing money. The public will bear the full brunt regardless of the method.

Ralph Coffin

Altadena

Sanders’ Op-Ed defending Social Security as

the “most successful social program in history”

exposes his paper-thin understanding of economics and capitalism.

In short, Social Security is an income-leveling social welfare program. A model of economic brilliance it is not, and the ultimate financial returns to the retiree are pathetic by any standard.

Helping the poor is a good thing, and I am all for it. Just don’t put lipstick on this pig.

David Korte

Yorba Linda

Can someone explain to me why Social Security is labeled an entitlement? I have been working for more than 30 years and paying into Social Security, and when it comes time for me to retire, I certainly want the money I put into it back.

Or is this simply a way for the federal government to “retire” trillions of dollars it “borrowed” from working America?

I’d surely love to see the media start calling Social Security what it really is — a fully funded long-term savings plan.

Brett Armstrong

Simi Valley

Roots of the ‘birthers’

Re “Behind the ‘birther’ blather,” Opinion, Feb. 16

Tim Rutten doesn’t mention the likelihood that questioning President Obama’s birthplace is thinly disguised racism. It’s not acceptable to make derogatory comments about the president’s race, but apparently his legitimacy is fair game.

The effects of this conspiratorial thinking on public policy need to be examined. The politicians who enable the “birthers” also think that global warming does not exist but is instead a conspiracy of several thousand climate scientists scattered around the globe. Evolution is a fantasy to them, easy to dismiss as unproven. The economic meltdown is the fault of mortgage holders and Fannie Mae, not rapacious Wall Street investment bankers.

Given this political milieu, how are we supposed to construct rational public policy?

David Hurwitz

Calabasas

Some Republicans believe the president is a Muslim who wants to impose Sharia law.

I believe the Republicans are doing their best to impose Sharia by fighting to close Planned Parenthood clinics, disrupting reproductive health services and disabling Roe vs. Wade.

Gloria Roth

Sherman Oaks

Gay students at a Christian college

Re “Gay alumni’s open letter unsettles Christian college,” Feb. 16

As a student at Westmont College 20 years ago, I was “out” to all my friends and several professors, and no one had an issue with it.

Even so, I sent a letter to the school’s president pointing out the unfairness of singling out gay students. He expressed agreement and said he would send my letter to the board of directors. That this is still an issue is baffling.

It’s past time for the school’s leaders to accept that the biblical verses that appear to condemn gays carry as much weight as those that have been used against women or to condone slavery. I am 100% confident that Jesus is over the “is gay OK” question and that he’s waiting for his followers to join him.

Erich Miller

San Francisco

The article mischaracterized Christianity Today’s recent editorial on Christian colleges’ standards for student sexual behavior.

The editorial did not “criticize collegiate bans on homosexual behavior,” as The Times claimed, but rather asked for the same standard for gays and straights.

From what The Times reports, Westmont does indeed hold all students to the same standard of no sexual relations outside marriage. Because California is now one of a handful of states where marriage could be taken to include permanent gay relationships, the school has recognized its need to exclude those relationships from its fundamentally Christian understanding of marriage.

David Neff

Carol Stream, Ill.

The writer is editor in chief of Christianity Today Media Group.

Like Egypt?

Re “Egypt exports inspiration,” Column, Feb. 15

I share the exuberance that Sandy Banks seems to feel over the monumental movement that Egyptians of all classes and interests have created to throw off the burdens of an oppressive political culture. I hope that they will be able to successfully complete their revolution.

For Egyptians, massive unemployment, political cronyism and lack of civil rights became so oppressive that they couldn’t hold back any longer. Haven’t we Americans had enough of the same? Why aren’t we demanding an end to the theft of our national treasure and the pillaging of our lives by the corporate interests that so obviously own the country now?

Alan Myerson

Culver City

Real justice

Re “Keeping justice’s scale in balance,” Column One, Feb. 16

L.A. County Public Defender Ron Brown no doubt deserves the credit for his hard work and success. At the same time, maybe he should reexamine his contradiction with his statement, “When you get a guy acquitted, there’s nothing better,” and his belief that offenders should be held accountable.

That’s what’s wrong with the system. Many are not held accountable as they should be, and defense attorneys are still looking for that loophole to get them off. Why trouble yourself if your client is guilty?

Truth of the matter, guilt or innocent, responsibility, debt to society — they’re just hollow words.

Loren Farell

Castaic