Letters to the editor

Heroism is in eyes of the beholder

Re “ ‘Hero’ rings hollow,” Opinion, Aug. 3

I have long felt that the term “hero” has become victim of the tendency by politicians to create jingoistic phrases that play well with the public. I was a reserve police officer for 20 years and never felt that just showing up for a work shift was a heroic act. It was simply what I chose to do to as a contribution to the community. The term has become devalued in my view. If everyone is a hero, then no one is.

Cliff WeissTorrance

Bravo, Rosa Brooks, take a bow. The misuse, overuse and cynical manipulation of the word “hero” exemplifies the erosion of language that dumbs a media-saturated, news-as-entertainment-fed public even further down the road of “everyone’s a winner.” It is sad to consider how the acceptance of an inappropriate term can be so readily embraced by a populace that is spoon-fed a feel-good-at-any-price dose of daily cant.

Lawrence J. PippickLos Angeles

Brooks’ take on our current lexicon is alarming. Heroism should not need to equate to extreme acts, no matter what the dictionary reads. In its ideal, it’s a quality of character to which every human should aspire; in its practice, it most certainly does apply to most anyone. Who is Brooks to denigrate the terming of “hero” to any who serve, sacrifice or suffer in the mundane? Does Brooks want to inform the struggling parent of a cancer-stricken child that he doesn’t cut the mustard? That the local hospice volunteer is not doing anything of import? And just to clarify, merely joining the military, fire or police force is most assuredly heroic; the very basis of these professions is to potentially give your life for another’s.

In my opinion, we can’t have enough heroes in our world, even if the application of the term doesn’t live up to Brooks’ lofty expectations.

Dana A.S. RakoczyRancho Cucamonga

What planet is Brooks from. Here on Earth, we recognize that our military as well as our public servants are heroes. They are serving a higher cause than themselves. They put their lives in danger every day to make life safe for others. Brooks’ comment that a soldier killed while sleeping by an IED is not a hero is a slap in the face to every soldier serving our country.

Charles J. DeryLa Crescenta

Electoral electronics

Re “39 counties’ vote systems in question,” Aug. 5

I would like to thank California Secretary of State Debra Bowen for fulfilling her promise to review the voting machines in use in California. Fair voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and Bowen’s efforts will ensure that California voting reflects the will of the voters. I would think that all county registrars of our state would support her decision -- ensuring accurate voting should be the focus of every registrar, and if there is any possibility of fraud (which was confirmed in a University of California report before Bowen’s decision), then the necessary steps should be taken. Those registrars who disagree with her decision should perhaps work as lobbyists for the electronic voting machine industry rather than represent voters.

James TherrianSan Diego

Bowen did something very irresponsible by decertifying electronic voting machines so shortly before the February 2008 primary election. Yes, Bowen campaigned on skepticism of electronic voting machines because the base in the Democratic Party was afraid that the voting machine manufacturers delivered the victory for President Bush in Ohio.

No voting method is perfect. From paper ballots to electronic voting systems, there will be ways by which elections can be manipulated. If we want to step toward the future, perhaps California needs to adopt open-source standards in its voting technology. We should look to the Australians in how they run their electronic voting machines.

Matt MunsonOntario

Note to California’s county registrars: Sorry to inconvenience you, but that’s why we elected Bowen -- we had faith that she would investigate the security of our voting systems and let the chips fall where they may. Don’t sue. Instead, comply and join her in restoring our confidence in the integrity of our electoral process.

Sarah TamorSanta Monica

Bravo to Bowen! If more of our elected officials had her courage and intelligence, the public good would be in much better hands. Unfortunately, too many of our leaders at the state and the national levels are easily bamboozled by lobbyists. How refreshing that Bowen can look them straight in the eye and just say no.

Ellen SwitkesSherman Oaks

Water: It’s a matter of taste

Re “Bottled water suckers!” Opinion, Aug. 2

Patt Morrison’s article about bottled water reminds us about the benefits of good old-fashioned tap water. Bottled water guzzlers are also missing out on the healing effect of tap water. The city of Los Angeles optimally fluoridates its water, meaning that every time you take a swig of city water, fluoride works in concert with the natural minerals in your saliva to heal microscopic damage done to your teeth. Some, but few, bottled waters contain fluoride. So that bottled water can cost you a lot more than you think over your lifetime -- a single filled tooth costs about $2,000.

Jennifer Holtzman

Los AngelesThe writer is an assistant professor of clinical dentistry at USC.

Tap water is certainly cheaper, more environmentally sound and just as clean and healthy as bottled water. But our nation’s public water and sewer infrastructure is old and, in the coming years, will need billions of dollars of investment to maintain and further improve treatment, storage and distribution. Unfortunately, 35 years after the Clean Water Act, federal funding for clean water has become an annual political battle. Congress should ensure safe and affordable public water for future generations by creating a trust fund that provides a stable funding source. It’s time for Americans to take back the tap.

Wenonah HauterWashingtonThe writer is executive director of Food & Water Watch.

I would like to know if Morrison tested for herself the local tap water and the various bottled waters. I’ve known for quite some time the impurities in my tap water are much higher than in bottled water. My water tester ranks Aquafina at the top.

And has Morrison taste-tested the various waters? Tap water tastes like chlorine, not to mention other unpleasant flavors. In comparison, Aquafina tastes wonderfully fresh. So what if Aquafina comes from tap water (yes, bottlers should label that information); they’ve done a great job of cleaning it up.

When it comes to something as important as the water we drink, Morrison should have done a little more research before criticizing those of us who prefer bottled water. It’s always a good idea to put your money (invest in a water tester) where your mouth is.

June CullenClaremont

Closing ward would hurt patients

Re “Mental ward may be closed,” Aug. 2

The stigma of a state hospital should not be attached to children who, like all children, derive and develop their identity from their environment. But shuttling these children to a privatized version of a mental health facility is not the cure; it may be just the opposite.

Private for-profit mental healthcare organizations that are often selected because they submit the lowest bid to the state are not held to the same standards of patient care found at state hospitals, nor are they scrutinized by outside agencies as often as state mental health agencies.

These combined facts are a recipe for neglect and exploitation of children. I pray that the state chooses a decent alternative for these children and doesn’t just warehouse them into a cheap, jerry-built mental healthcare system.

Mark Alan TackettAnaheim

The closure of the juvenile wing of Metropolitan State Hospital is but a continuation of the de-institutionalization process that began in 1969 with the passage of the California Community Mental Health Services Act. The philosophy was to provide for services at the local level so that people with mental disabilities could be treated in the community. Although the act passed, the funding never followed. The closure of yet another state facility will further exacerbate a problem that has been long acknowledged and long neglected.

We have not really de-institutionalized our mentally ill, we have simply relocated them. You will find them on skid row in Los Angeles, in the Los Angeles County Jail, in our state prisons and juvenile correctional facilities. It now appears that we will even have more of the seriously mentally ill in our juvenile facilities, and this is particularly distressing to me because I run those facilities.

I am not advocating a return to institutionalization for the mentally ill, but the return of some humanitarian approach to the way we care for them. It is inappropriate for the state to simply shift this responsibility to local government without adequate funding or resources.

Robert B. Taylor

Chief, Los Angeles County Probation DepartmentDowney

Law enforcement ties may aid tribes

Re “Beyond the law,” Opinion, Aug. 3

I have had considerable experience in dealing with law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over reservations. That experience suggests that establishing a working relationship with local law enforcement may be the key. That sometimes gives gaming tribes an advantage. Often tribes hire former law enforcement personnel in a security force, or in the tribal gaming commission that regulates the casino. Such individuals typically have established relationships with the county sheriff’s office or local police. As a result, crimes committed at the casino (and against the tribe) can and, in my experience, have been prosecuted. Moreover, many tribes with economic resources support local law enforcement.

Unfortunately, poorer tribes may not have the structure or resources to have established such relationships. The resulting disparity demonstrates that economic as well as racial factors may play a part in the reactions of law enforcement to crimes committed on reservations against Native Americans.

That disparity between the richer and poorer may be a tragic reality of modern society.

Gene R. GambalePalm DesertThe writer is an attorney who has represented tribes from the inception of major tribal casino gaming in California.