What’s next for Egypt; the saga of Lindsay Lohan; Ramona Ripston steps down at the ACLU

Now, Egypt’s future

Re “ ‘Hope for the future,’ ” Feb. 12

What is the future for the Egyptian people?

I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin’s response to the woman who asked him as he emerged from the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, “What do we have?” He replied: “A republic, madam, if we can keep it.”

That will now be the challenge for the Egyptian people. America has survived many challenges, wars and even a civil war. The democracy we cherish can get pretty messy at times, yet the Star Spangled Banner still waves, the hope lives on and the dream has never died.

May it be so for Egypt.

Phil Wilt

Van Nuys

The Egyptians have every right to be proud and celebrate their victory. The (unarmed) people have prevailed. By sheer numbers, determination and bravery, people from all walks of life united to overthrow their government. It is remarkable what they have accomplished in a short time.

Now comes the more difficult task of writing a constitution under which they can achieve their goals of more individual freedoms and transparency and honesty in a truly representative government.

For too long significant portions of Egypt’s population have been prevented from their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Gretchen Hays

Pacific Palisades

This is a golden opportunity for the United Nations, with American leadership, to ensure that this remarkable event has a successful conclusion. Egypt now needs the vital basics of a free Western society: utilities, jobs and a solid educational base. We should offer to help with these needs without conditions.

This peaceful people’s revolution is just a flower beginning to blossom. America can’t decide what the people want, but we can influence their feelings toward us and give them an understanding of our democracy and how it protects freedom.

The people of Egypt ultimately may not create a copy of our democracy, but they can, with our help and the world’s help, create their culture’s version of a democracy.

Irving and Eleanor Burg

Corona Del Mar

Re “Iranians cheer Egypt uprising as they mark 1979 revolution,” Feb. 12

I like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reasoning that the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak by the citizens of Egypt was the next step in creating an Islamic Middle East. Apparently something got lost in his translation of events.

Would he care to explain how the Christian Egyptians I saw on television — who helped make this almost bloodless revolution — created an Islamic victory? Or maybe he has coined a new religious term: Islamic Christians.

Lloyd A. Fradkin

Newhall

Re “Israel is split on how to address events in Egypt,” Feb. 12

The Obama administration must not be railroaded by the Israel lobby into pressuring Egypt’s emerging government to satisfy Israel. This would be self-defeating and would build Arab and Muslim resentment against the United States. Rather, the United States should pressure Israel to make peace with the Palestinians and Syrians for its own good.

Samir Twair

Los Angeles

One tiny actress, lots of coverage

Re “Lohan’s tiresome act,” Editorial, Feb. 11

The only thing sadder than the taxpayers having to pick up the cost of another round of Lindsay Lohan’s antisocial behavior is that those same taxpayers will draw the wrong conclusion from the episode.

As every overworked and underappreciated public defender knows, whenever a person is arrested and prosecuted for a new offense while that person is, like Lohan, on probation, it is common practice for the prosecutor or the court to seek to revoke that person’s probation and remand the person to jail while the new charge is pending. But this is apparently not true for celebrities because this defendant is out on bail and still on probation. It’s not that money buys you better representation but that being a celebrity gets you a better result.

Perhaps, when this current “misunderstanding” is resolved and Lohan ends up on probation again instead of in jail, a condition will be that she must provide free autographs to anyone in the courthouse who wants one.

G Edward OBrien

Los Angeles

If the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank can pledge to give up writing about Sarah Palin, why can’t The Times give up covering Lohan? We realize that covering her is easy and cheap, but enough is enough.

June Maguire

Mission Viejo

No fire here

Re “Taxes buy pricey ad,” Feb. 12

Lew Uhler of the National Taxation Limitation Committee thinks the Super Bowl anti-smoking ad is an example of “the excesses to which this kind of uncontrolled spending can be taken.”

Perhaps he should remember that the people of California approved the cigarette tax specifically to fund efforts to curb smoking in our fair and enlightened state.

This is not taxation without representation; it is taxation of the people, by the people and for the people, aimed at making our state a better, cleaner and healthier place for the people to live and work. I am a citizen of California, and I approved this tax and this message.

Mark S. Faulkner

Irvine

Changing of the guard at ACLU

Re “Passing her civil rights torch,” Feb. 13

The old Negro spiritual, “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” refers to the constellation of the Little Dipper, which contains Polaris, the Northern Star of the current era and, hence, the path to freedom for escaping slaves. Ideals are eternal, and no organization has followed the drinking gourd better than the ACLU, nor has anyone led it better in that direction than Ramona Ripston.

A good leader is a good follower, however, and leaving headquarters, in her case, can only mean a return to the field.

Ronald Webster

Long Beach

So the ACLU is finally rid of Ripston? Now if only it could rid itself of the unfathomable and indefensible idea that anyone who enters our country illegally is somehow entitled to many of the programs and privileges of a legal resident or citizen, it would really be on to something.

Just dreaming.

Hugh Smart

Goleta

I am touched by Ripston’s accomplishments. Thank you for featuring human rights victories on the front page.

Jan Sway

Burbank

Vote on taxes

Re “Give Gov. Brown points for killing sale of state property,” Column, Feb. 10

George Skelton suggests that Gov. Jerry Brown should break his campaign promise to let Californians vote on any tax increase.

My vote was cast for Brown because of this promise.

Because this is the reason I voted for Brown, Skelton wants not only to negate my vote but also to take away my voice altogether.

Bill Remy

Walnut

Join the ‘party’

Re “Patriot games,” Editorial, Feb. 11

I find myself in the strange position of agreeing with “tea party” members of Congress who oppose the Patriot Act.

Our Founding Fathers did the future generations of America a great service in creating the Bill of Rights. We do a disservice when we undermine these rights out of fear.

Carl Swallow

Manhattan Beach