Letters to the editor: Mass healthcare in L.A.; leaving Iraq; free speech for teachers

Mass clinic’s success

Re “Prevention a new goal for mass clinic,” Oct. 21

Add another achievement for the free clinic.

Many of the healthcare providers and helpers may have wished for a chance to go on a Third World mission to help the medically needy. Now they can provide such care here at home.

How many “first world” countries can provide that opportunity?

John Sheehan

Redlands

U.S. withdraws troops from Iraq

Re “Clinton defends troop withdrawal from Iraq,” Oct. 24

The Republicans who are criticizing President Obama still cling to the illusion that out of the ashes of Iraq will arise a democratic society serving as a model for the entire Middle East. It just needs a little more time.

For hundreds of billions of dollars, more than 4,000 deaths of our finest soldiers and thousands of others scarred horribly for life, we replaced a secular head of a state that acted as a buffer to Iran with a Shiite-dominated regime that will be cooperative with the Iranians next door.

The decision to invade Iraq will go down in history as the foreign policy debacle of the 21st century, and the sooner we leave the better.

Bob Constantine

Placentia

Obama’s reason for bringing the troops home from Iraq is disingenuous. He wanted to keep at least 10,000 troops there starting in 2012 but failed to reach an agreement with the Iraqis.

Obama said he is keeping a campaign promise by pulling the troops out of Iraq. What he should have said is that Iraq is keeping his promise.

They are throwing us out!

Ernest Salomon

Santa Barbara

A teacher fired over remarks

Re “Free speech — within limits,” Editorial, Oct. 20

The Times supports the firing of an L.A. Unified School District teacher for anti-Semitic remarks she made off campus that might “intimidate” students. A better approach would have been to let students come forward with evidence of relevant classroom behavior. If there is none, then the district has no business policing what she says in an interview, disgusting as her words are.

Would The Times also support firing any teacher who openly advocates atheism or Islamic prayer, which many Christian students would find intimidating?

Geoff Kuenning

Claremont

L.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy is to be commended for acting decisively and quickly to terminate the substitute teacher who made these reprehensible anti-Semitic comments. He showed himself to be a man of fine character and superb judgment.

The most important qualities for a public policy leader are great values, excellent character and outstanding judgment, and those of us who had the pleasure of working with Deasy when he was the superintendent of schools in Santa Monica know that he possesses all of these characteristics.

Harley Frankel

Santa Monica

I am appalled by your rationalization that it was acceptable to fire Patricia McAllister because of her anti-Semitic comments. As contemptible as her remarks and ideas are, firing her for expressing her opinion crossed the line.

Your rationalization that her “ability to do her job was fatally compromised” is not supported by the facts you present. At no time do you indicate that she has been observed as unable to deal impartially with the children under her supervision. Only a direct violation of her job standards while performing her duties is valid grounds for termination

Freedom of speech is one of our most cherished rights and should not be violated casually. We must be ever vigilant that we don’t surrender it, no matter how unpopular the opinions expressed.

Ed Clarke

Sherman Oaks

Questioning Kadafi’s killing

Re “How Kadafi died isn’t clear from before-and-after clips,” Oct. 21

Who cares how King Kadafi died? Let the rights activists wonder until doomsday. Did they wonder why and how innocent men, women and children fell from the sky in Flight 103 over Scotland? Do they wonder about the $200 billion stashed away while 6.5 million Libyans, about one-third of the population, lived in poverty?

Viewing Moammar Kadafi’s corpse in the commercial meat locker, one can remember the words of English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley: “‘My name is [Moammar Kadafi], king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’” / Nothing beside remains. Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare / The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Pray that Kadafi’s “wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command” be forever covered by the “lone and level sands” of Libya, stained by the blood of its freedom fighters.

Tom Kaminski

Pasadena

Why have anonymous, targeted killings from thousands of feet from our planes and drones become accepted practice, no questions asked, but the up-close and personal killings of Osama bin Laden and Kadafi are met with criticism?

Just wondering.

John C. Nelson

Los Angeles

In the path of high-speed rail

Re “Bullet train plan would leave path of destruction,” Oct. 23

In France I rode the high-speed TGV between Lyon and Paris. It was fast and quiet, and there were no vibrations. It was also nearly empty.

So how many people would ride a bullet train between San Francisco and Los Angeles? We really need high-speed trains between L.A. and San Diego, where Amtrak pokes along at about 40 miles per hour. Another route that could use better trains is the Riverside-Temecula-San Diego corridor, where weekday traffic moves at a crawl.

Beyond that, perhaps just fast non-bullet trains should be added to the mix, which cost much less.

Roger Newell

San Diego

Kittens. The Times forgot to mention the millions of fluffy kittens that will be killed by the California high-speed rail project.

Mark Bisaha

Los Angeles

Fixing healthcare

Re “Real-world healthcare fixes,” Editorial, Oct. 20

While your suggestions for improving our fatally flawed healthcare system are laudable, you state the real solution here: “Those companies have seen healthcare costs rise faster over the last decade than many of their other expenses. That’s a problem not faced by their competitors overseas, where workers’ health insurance costs are typically covered by all taxpayers, not just by employers.”

If U.S. companies really wanted to be internationally competitive, they would be pushing for national healthcare, just like our economic competitors.

Scott Herbertson

Burbank

Heroes at work

Re “Order amid the chaos,” Column One, Oct. 20

Firefighters truly are our unsung heroes. While they’re trained in numerous skills, this story showcased the pain first-responders must confront as they attend to victims.

The fact that Seal Beach firefighter Ed Hooper took the time to cover a survivor’s head with a towel so she wouldn’t see the carnage speaks volumes. You don’t learn that in an academy.

Firefighters deserve our recognition, admiration and unwavering gratitude. Thank you to all who serve.

Ellen Chris

West Hills