Letters to the Editor 11/30 | San Luis Obispo Tribune

Sense of control

Tribune readers have enjoyed submitting their views on differences between Republicans and Democrats, but there is actually a lot of scientific research in that area.

Last year, the very credible and not at all conservative Pew Research Center published a study comparing Republicans and Democrats. They found that compared to Democrats, Republicans are much happier, have more money, have more friends, are more religious, are healthier, are more likely to be married, like their communities better and have more of what they value in life.

One of the key differences found by Pew was what psychology calls locus of control. Republicans are more likely to have an internal, as opposed to an external, locus of control. This means that you believe that most of what happens to you is due to your own efforts, not chance or luck.

When Republicans see a homeless person, they say “do something to improve your situation.” When Democrats, with their external locus of control, see a homeless person, it’s a matter of social injustice. The homeless person is homeless because of luck or chance, so it becomes OK to take the gains of the successful person away to give to the unlucky homeless person.

Laura Freberg San Luis Obispo

True representation

I’m sick and tired of my Democrat representatives in Congress constantly pandering to the Republicans! Enough is enough. We made you the majority so that you would finally be able to make the right decisions and get them passed. Stop bowing down to the Republicans and start doing the job you were hired to do, like representing the people who voted for you in the first place.

How many Republicans do you think voted for you the first time and how many do you think will vote to keep you in office? If you want to keep your jobs, I suggest you start listening to the people who hired you in the first place. Otherwise, as Donald Trump so aptly says, “You’re fired!”

Hillary Klein Arroyo Grande

Where’s the band?

For some time I have noticed the complete lack of halftime band performances at major college football games. I’m sure I’m not the only person who is dismayed, disappointed and even disgusted with this situation. It would be interesting to know what caused the demise of halftime entertainment by the various bands whose teams are represented on the field.

I would submit that those bands probably put nearly as much time into preparation for their show as does the team on the field. And following football season, which lasts no longer than four months at the most, the bands keep rehearsing for various events throughout the school year. As a long ago member of a Big Ten university band, I find this situation perplexing.

A possible solution might be to require all bands to limit their membership to the female gender, whose uniforms could consist of hot pants and T-shirts, both snugly fit. That may even attract some sponsors of the endless halftime reports, who apparently get great glee out of telling the viewer about not only the game they are witnessing, but of every other game that has been going on that day. That’s not counting commercial time.

Jeff Jeffries Los Osos

Smoke and mirrors

I have been following the current health care reform debate through many of the letters in The Tribune. This helps to give me a no-spin analysis of “the people’s” views out there.

I have seen more than one letter that quotes some poll that says that a majority of Americans want universal health care, and some letters also add that the universal health care they’re talking about is a single-payer system.

While I don’t doubt that these polls are true, polls are only as good as the questions being asked.

If the question is “Do you believe that all Americans should have a single-payer government-run health care system even if it means that your taxes will go up considerably,” I guarantee that the yes answer goes way down.

We Americans are a funny bunch. We still want the “filet mignon” health care system for the price of the Costco hot dog.

For those of us who want all Americans to be covered, we need to be honest enough to say that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Any other talk is just smoke and mirrors.

Alfredo Zavala Paso Robles

Talk about sexism

The picture of Sarah Palin on the cover of Newsweek magazine sporting a pair of running shorts has stirred a great deal of controversy and charges of “sexism” in the media.

Some are dismissing it as no big deal while others are deeply offended by what appears to be a blatant attempt to capitalize on the picture of a scantily dressed politician to sell magazines. One has to wonder what has happened to the 1960s feminist movement that sought to curtail gender as an issue, particularly in politics.

Apparently, sexism is not just an issue on the national stage. I was stunned to see that a local candidate, Ian Parkinson, is using a blatantly sexual approach to raise money for his campaign for sheriff. His Nov. 19 fundraising event was entitled “Girls’ Night Out” and offered an opportunity to spend an evening with hunks like Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Parkinson.

Whether he is uninformed or doesn’t care, Parkinson’s fundraiser is offensive to anyone who believes that bias in any form is unacceptable in our society. I question his ability to be unbiased in dealing with our diverse county if he can’t see the sexism in his scheme to fund his campaign.

Cat Krum Grover Beach

Indecent behavior

Last month, President Obama and his wife hosted a Halloween event at the White House for local school children and military families. Unfortunately, the event was exploited by Code Pink demonstrators who dressed as zombie soldiers and killed-in-combat ghosts and carrying signs reading “Pentagon Blood Money,” “Wick-ed war,” and “Hillary Clinton is Lady MacDeath” parading before the children as they and their families waited to enter the White House grounds.

A press release by Code Pink prior to the demonstration recognized the attendance of the military families who were specifically targeted for this demonstration, just as our wounded soldiers and their families were the targets at Walter Reed Army Medical Center when the Code Pink demonstrators carried signs that read “Maimed for a lie.”

A Reuter’s reporter covering the Halloween event witnessed a demonstrator who approached a young child and chanted, “more pretties to die in my war.” The reporter observed that the protesters seemed to be taunting the children. Once again, the women of Code Pink have subjected military families, including their children, to their cruel, misplaced and indecent behavior.

Dave Aldous Paso Robles

The public option

Please keep the public option as part of health care reform. Otherwise, there will be no reform. Don’t give in to the insurance industry. I would be willing to pay more taxes in order for there to be a public insurance option for people.

Lisa Ankenbrandt San Luis Obispo

Have compassion

Now the Senate is prepared to debate health care reform. I want to caution seniors who want to voice an opinion and who, like me, are on Social Security and Medicare.

Before you decide to oppose a public option that will give low-cost medical care to the millions of currently uninsured Americans, please ask yourself whether it is not hypocritical to deny this option to your own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews while enjoying full benefits for yourself.

And before you argue that “rationing” of health care will be involved in any new program, ask yourself whether rationing is not already being done by the private insurance industry in denying health care to those who have pre-existing conditions or to the millions of those who cannot afford health care.

Please be consistent when you voice your opinion, but above all, be compassionate to your fellow Americans, including your own younger relatives who may be struggling to pay for their health care costs in this difficult economy.

Laurence Houlgate San Luis Obispo