MAILBAG - March 7, 2008

Article prompts Lincoln question

In regard to the article, “Revolutionary celebration,” Feb. 19: I would be interested to know how Linda Stone could be a descendant of Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln had four sons but they all died young. Only Robert Todd lived to manhood and has no living descendants.

ROSE DRAKE

Glendale

Traffic stop was an unfair move by police

Last week, as I was returning home having spent a very trying day with a friend in a nearby nursing home and with some sprinkles on my windshield, as it was a rainy evening, I made a left turn from Broadview Drive onto Verdugo Boulevard.

I suddenly saw a pedestrian crossing Verdugo in the crosswalk, and I stopped.

I waved to her that I had seen her and she waved back with a smile.

After she had passed, I continued south on Verdugo and was pulled over by an officer. He said I had not stopped for a pedestrian.

He stated that the law said I had to remain stopped until she reached the opposite curb. Verdugo at that point is a double street with a center divider. The citation said I had failed to stop for a pedestrian. Period!

If such is the case, I believe nearly every driver that does stop for a pedestrian would be cited for not waiting.

I have searched the 2008 Auto Club Manual, and I cannot find any mention of having to wait.

I do not have time to go to court to contest this unfair citation so will simply pay the fine and go to traffic school, all at great expense to me.

FRANCIS ADAMS

Glendale

Council’s say is the will of the people

I couldn’t let the remarks of letter writer Ara Sahak Karamian on Feb. 25 go unanswered (“City Council needs a shift in attitude,” Mailbag).

He took Councilman John Drayman to task for “immediately rejecting” the proposal of Councilman Bob Yousefian to have the absentee ballot application ordinance issue voted on by the citizens of Glendale in a referendum.

Drayman’s argument (which Karamian failed to mention in his letter) was logical and made sense. He pointed out that all five members of the City Council were voted into office by the citizens of Glendale and therefore are the representatives of those citizens in America’s form of representative government.

Just because a group in the city disagrees with the council’s decision on the absentee ballot application matter doesn’t mean that the issue should go to a referendum, as that would be usurping the already representative vote of the City Council.

DON MAZEN

Glendale

Person who stole flag should be put in jail

Regarding “Missing memorial flag sparks curiosity,” Mailbag, Feb. 29: Whoever took the American flag from the Vietnam memorial in Montrose, I got one thing to tell you: You are sick in the head.

Those people on the Vietnam memorial wall died for our country, and some clown just takes the flag, like it does not mean anything to him or her.

My uncle Albert served and died for this country, like our troops fighting overseas.

I hope when the cops find this person, they put him in jail.

PAUL D. CARNEY

Glendale