Letters to the Editor 9/3

Why hate for Beck?

I’m a little puzzled as to why The Tribune finds it necessary to allow columnists, cartoonists and others to harm the reputation of a TV personality known to all of us as Glenn Beck. 

Columnist Kathleen Parker is to be pitied for her commentary (“Glenn Beck’s journey of recovery,” Sept. 1). In trying to expose Beck as a Bible thumper, she wallows in the smears she aimed at him. 

It looks as if Beck has now joined Sarah Palin as a target of frightened, left-wing bigots. They cannot abide honest, God-fearing people. Since hundreds of thousands of people seem to agree with Beck as to where the country is headed, this seems to interfere with the liberals’ agenda of dismantling the greatest country that has ever existed. But then they are far superior to the rest of us.

Joan Le Grand

Arroyo Grande

Demonization

Charles Krauthammer hit a grand slam with his recent column titled, “Last refuge of the liberal” (Aug. 27). It eloquently crystallized the same thoughts I’ve had lately.

In the liberals’ world, no viewpoint other than their own can possibly have the slightest merit or deserve a moment’s consideration.

Want to control our borders? Bigot! Don’t like the president’s leftist agenda? Racist! Oppose the mosque near ground zero? Hater!

This demonization of the opposition makes reasoned discourse impossible. The extreme agenda of President Barack Obama and his cronies, rather than usher in the “post-racial” America Obama predicted, have polarized this country more than anything since the Vietnam War.

And speaking of the mosque, regarding Julie Lynem’s plea for tolerance in her column: Would it be too much to ask for a little tolerance from the mosque builders and some sensitivity toward the majority of Americans who oppose it (“Let’s practice the tolerance we Americans preach,” Aug. 29)?

Think of the good will they could generate for Islam if they said, “We feel your pain. We’ll build elsewhere and invite you over when it’s done.” Their insistence on building at the disputed spot is all too symptomatic of the intolerance of Islam itself for “infidels.”

Bill J. Scott

Nipomo

Can’t play yet

I am stunned after reading the recent editorial about schools and accompanying commentary by the county superintendent (Aug. 22).

I received my California education when it was rated No. 1 in the nation. What was expressed in these two editorials is no longer a princely system, but instead a pauper’s education that is benefiting no one.

There is a concept about tightening your belt to care for priorities and it appears to have escaped us currently. We are downsizing our public school system, we are downsizing our standard of living, so why in the world do we as adults continue living above our means, pretending we don’t have these problems?

New dog parks, new multiplex theaters, year-round wine and food festivals and a half million dollars spent on fireworks to be blown into the sky for a few hours, but nothing left over to get the kids Kleenex and writing paper, much less a warm place to sleep.

The excuse that we need the tourists loses the debate when the community it is supposed to be funding can’t take care of its most vulnerable citizens, its kids. Whatever happened to the societal more, “You can’t go play until the homework’s finished?”

D.C. Harris

Paso Robles

Help needed for POUNCE

Annie is reunited with her owner, great, enough said.

Where was all the public outrage when POUNCE, the little cat rescue in Los Osos, was being closed down by the county and forced to move?

Now only a few volunteers carry on the mission of this organization, struggling to help the many homeless cats and kittens who are brought to us. We, like the other rescue organizations, face mounting problems like raising funds and recruiting foster homes. Even our donation boxes for food and litter have been empty lately.

Let us see some community support. POUNCE has always been there to help county residents who could no longer care for their cats. We have rescued hundreds of feral cats and kittens and had them spayed and neutered. We have taken in abandoned and abused cats and no matter what the situation, we have always tried to help. So now we need public support. Please help!

Alice Stone

Los Osos