Mailbag: Council shouldn’t back barbaric sport
I must have been snoozing — I didn’t realize that the ordinance prohibiting professional boxing matches in Glendale had already been amended by the City Council (“Council lifts boxing ban,” April 8), now allowing matches on an ongoing basis.
So even though I’m writing after the fact, I strongly believe that the council was wrong and senseless to allow a “sport” whose sole purpose is for one individual to try to hurt, bloody and knock another senseless. I can’t deny that to compete, boxers must be superbly conditioned athletes and have super reflexes, but it is still a barbaric sport, more attuned to Roman times.
The trial period apparently showed that matches could be held in Glendale without serious law and order issues, at least during the intense scrutiny of the trial period. It is also understandable that the council wants to provide more revenue for the budget-hurting Civic Auditorium, but the moral price is the OK of a bloody, barbaric sport.
Let me suggest additional ways to significantly increase city revenues: dog fights at Brand Park, cock fights at Verdugo Park, bear baiting in Montrose Park, and best of all for revenues, bull fighting at the Glendale Sports Complex.
Of course, these revenue-source suggestions are all nonsense and barbaric too, but at least they usually don’t end with a bloodied and sometimes unconscious human being with possible brain damage.
Please, City Council, rescind your OK for professional boxing; there are more important human values than increasing Civic Auditorium and ancillary merchant revenues.
ROBERT MORRISON
Glendale
City is throwing its money away
I was reading the Glendale City Views newspaper and would like to take issue with two articles:
First, the City Council agreed to hire two companies to create a “community brand and marketing strategic plan.” This is to “spark an image when Glendale is mentioned.” This “brand will be an expression of a compelling, unique experience that Glendale offers.”
What spin doctor wrote this drivel? I cannot imagine the hundreds of thousands of tax dollars that will be wasted with this, in addition to creating a “graphics manual” etc. Throw in some more phrases: environmental graphics initiative, marketing branding ideas, marketing platform, branding opportunities, etc. With all of the important demand on the city budget, how can the City Council blow our precious tax money on this junk? This isn’t Madison Avenue. I think police, fire, schools and libraries outrank spending money on this fluff.
Secondly, most of the above applies to this. The existing street signs are fine and easy to read during the day or at night. Leave them alone. How much is it going to cost to replace the hundreds of signs in Glendale? Why?
Why is it that the city government always has money to waste, but never enough to balance the budget?
RICH JESSUP
Glendale
Tips on feeding kids healthy food
Recently, I was reading through the June 3 column “I’m Just Sayin’: Too much salt, fat in school meals” by Sharon Raghavachary. I 100% agreed with everything she had to say about school meals.
I too watched “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” and was shocked by the food provided to students in the West Virginia school system. Then, in the article, I read the line “I know I could send food every day and avoid the school lunches altogether, but it’s very convenient for me, and the kids like to get the hot lunch once in a while.”
School lunch programs are in dire need of revamping across the country. However, our state is also facing a huge deficit in the budget, and I can tell you, they are looking for the cheapest option rather than what is in the best interest for the student and their future health.
Therefore, parents should take control of what their children eat. It is, by design, a parent’s responsibility, and what is “very convenient” for a parent is not that convenient for their child’s future health.
In addition, the article mentioned that the family is vegetarian. This is even more of a reason to take control of their children’s lunch. When you make a life decision, such as not eating meat, you cannot depend on others to properly nourish your children since others, out of ignorance, do not understand how to provide a balanced meal without meat.
Ultimately, you have to take responsibility for what your child eats. Take control of your situation and make your child’s lunch. Or better yet, teach them how to make their lunch and help them understand what a proper balanced meal is.
That way, when they are adults, they can make the right decision about what they put into their mouths. I’m just sayin’ . . .
KRISTEN SHADBURN
Glendale