We are called to care for our neighbors

I would like to express my appreciation to the North County Times and to Teri Figueroa for the article about our neighbor Ramona Manners ("Friends recall life of longtime homeless woman," May 16). I would also like to thank The Bread of Life Rescue Mission, Brother Benno's, The Elizabeth Hospice, The Women's Resource Center and the countless others, including Ramona's personal friends, who loved, supported and cared for her during her life here in Oceanside.

The article was a reminder that we are all called to treat other people the way that we want to be treated, and that our neighbor isn't necessarily the person who lives next door.

Mary Kloeffler

Oceanside

Answer to carbon dioxide question

Bill Hasty asked how carbon dioxide, with an atomic weight of 40, can rise in the atmosphere (Letters, May 16). This is a great question. Among the numerous scientific institutional responses … Professor Paul Younger says:

"You are right that carbon dioxide is heavier than the two main components of air. If weight was the only thing controlling the position of molecules in the atmosphere, then we'd find a thin layer of carbon dioxide at ground level, overlain by a layer of oxygen, then finally a really thick layer of nitrogen. Thankfully, air doesn't separate out neatly into layers of its component gases like this; if it did, we'd all be dead, as we'd be trying to live in the pure carbon dioxide layer! … Also, the winds which sweep across the face of the earth cause dramatic mixing of different bodies of air, making sure that isolated pockets of individual gases (such as those emitted by power stations) get thoroughly diluted away into the atmosphere as a whole."

My point, Mr. Hasty, is to read the plethora of scientific research available to everyone. I Googled "carbon dioxide earth's atmosphere" and here are a few responses:http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/the-environment/go-green-news/2008/07/08/how-does-co2-fit-into-our-planet-s-atmosphere-72703-21304735/, http://geology.com/nasa/carbon-dioxide-map/, http://www.whrc.org/carbon/index.htm and http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/atmosphere.htm.

Chuck Dube

Oceanside

Tolerance is two-way street

In the seven years I have known Jim Gibson, I have never heard him express, in any way, any venom towards people who are involved in or support same-sex unions, even though he believes marriage is to be between a man and a woman only.

When he penned a proclamation to set aside June 1 as a day to honor Carrie Prejean in the Vista Unified School District, it was because he viewed her as a role model after reading about her many outstanding accomplishments while in high school, not because of the opinion she gave at a beauty pageant.

Despite this, he became the target of an onslaught of vicious, despicable hate e-mails and phone calls punctuated with profanities. I publicly commend Jim for how he addressed the situation at the recent school board meeting. After listening to proclamation pros and cons, he defended Carrie, but most important, he adamantly declared how appalled he was at the extreme intolerance he had been shown by people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, who themselves constantly demand tolerance.

Tolerance is a two-way street. And until there is open dialogue, the accusations, hate mail and misconceptions will persist,and one's true perspectives will continually be distorted.

Eileen Fernandez

Vista

Nancy Pelosi, 'G.I. Jane' and torture

The 1997 Clinton-era movie "G.I. Jane" shows Demi Moore being "waterboarded" as an authentic replication of Navy SEAL training. Since the film was premiered in Washington, D.C., the Democrats probably knew thereafter that American military personnel in real life were being tortured. Did they ever issue a cease-and-desist order to our military leaders?

Or, according to Pelosi and the Democrats, is waterboarding only torture when applied to those trying to killing us?

Fred Schnaubelt

Rancho Bernardo

Wear a red poppy to show respect

A humble request from an old "grunt": Please wear a "red poppy" over your heart this coming weekend. If you don't know what it means, find out! It has nothing to do with a pretty flower. Way too many young grunts will appreciate the gesture and will be watching from a far better place. We all owe it to them.

Dwight Walhood

San Marcos

Tasers save lives

Sunday May 17 marked an anniversary that I might not have had to relive for the past 26 years had Tasers been used in Dallas on that day in 1983. If the Taser were available, it could have been used (instead of deadly force) while a mentally unstable 19-year-old attempted to rack a round in his shotgun before pointing it at me and other officers.

I am sure the boy's family would have wished that the Taser that Ms. Jillings and the other activists are criticizing was available in those days ("Taser use defended by officials," May 18). How easy it is to create issues and then set out on crusades when they haven't worked a day on the beat protecting and serving. These officers and their families want them to come home alive and uninjured each day, and the Taser has helped make that possible.

When statistics show officer-involved shootings are down from 17 to one in a three-year period â€"â€" not to mention reduced officer (and suspect) injuries from other physical confrontations not addressed â€"â€" I think the Taser deserves praise.

… But for activists to want their usage limited, I ask: Limited to what?

Kevin Konczal

Carlsbad

Thanks for help with softball association

This comes from me on behalf of the many moms and dads who have youngsters playing in the Oceanside Girls Softball Association. We are so thankful for the many adult volunteers who administer, teach and coach our youngsters.

Youngsters from 8 to 16 enjoy the game of softball in a wholesome, healthy environment weekly. This past weekend, Oceanside hosted a tournament for teams all over Southern California, and it was a rousing success. Lake Park, on weekends, is a fabulous place to see youth sports at its best.

I particularly want to thank the association's board of directors for their untiring effort. I know I will miss some, but here's a few: Reynolds Terry, president; Damon Peters, vice president; Jim Corcoran, treasurer and Tracey Terry, player agent.

Come out any weekend and enjoy a great sports day!

Tom Shepherd

Oceanside

Jerry Kern's flat learning curve

It is politicians like Jerry Kern who give politics a bad rap. Not only does Kern have a flat learning curve, he is also devoid of compassion for humans and for animals. What is he thinking? Hey, I know, why don't we kill and maim a bunch of unsuspecting animals for fun? What kind of person enjoys watching animals suffer painful deaths when they are injured but not killed by hunters? This is what he calls a fundraiser?

As a resident of Oceanside, I am embarrassed to think we have a person of this caliber on our City Council. Needs to be recalled. … (This) man has no common sense. He puts developers' interests above those of residents. He has to go!

I hope that you will take time out of your busy schedule to attend a demonstration against sport hunting, urging the Oceanside City Council to prohibit this event from going forward, at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, at the Oceanside City Hall, 300 N. Coast Highway.

Leslie Davies

Oceanside

A response to her TEA party critics

To those who criticized my letter of May 4 regarding the TEA parties: "doth protest too much" (apologies to Shakespeare).

They claim that their parties were not "lily white." I watched six different videos, and my impression was that of white faces. If there were brown or black faces, they constituted less than 10 percent â€"â€" as a native Californian, I'm used to seeing at least 30 percent of lovely brown faces in a crowd.

One critic inferred that since I was not an economist, my statement that tax rates haven't been lower since 1931 was not valid â€"â€" look it up, my statement is accurate.

They say they're just protesting the imposition of massive debt on future generations. It was only the massive government spending on WWII that pulled us out of the Great Depression. Nobel-Prize winning economist Paul Krugman thinks we should be spending more. Without this current spending, our children and grandchildren will be living in a Third World nation.

One said that people like me are the problem in this country and should leave.

The majority of Americans agree with me that the country is headed in the right direction under Obama. Perhaps it is my accuser who should leave the country.

Margaret Liles

Escondido

Why call county agencies?

After I called 911 for our children, a disgruntled paramedic (angry that I directed care on scene for our autistic son having a tonic clonic seizure), along with a few group-think-oriented Valley Center Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel, decided it was "odd" our family has two children with epilepsy and called the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team. Other allegations followed.

Subsequently, PERT called Child Protective Services, who called Adult Protective Services, who then triggered a court investigator to audit conservatorship of our autistic son. I hope this never happens to another family. Families of children with autism, epilepsy and other disabilities need to feel it's OK to call 911. Allegations have been unfounded.

I've since contacted the Epilepsy Foundation. In-service training for PERT and Valley Center Fire is pending. Meanwhile, I want the etiology of vicious allegations against us analyzed and investigated. Misguided, bitter emergency responders shouldn't get away with secretly calling county agencies to mess with families that call for help.

Kim Oakley

Valley Center

Bersin the Bumbler is back!

As far as I know, Clinton lieutenant Alan Bersin has been forced to resign from every public office he has ever held. Now I see in the North County Times ("Ex-prosecutor picked for new U.S. 'border czar,'" April 16) that he is the new assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (he is once again our border czar!).

I believe we need to be concerned for our safety/national security with all these Clinton clowns like Bersin back in public office. Is there anyone left in California who sees the danger we face?

Thomas Powers

Carlsbad

$8 billion out the car window

While the media went crazy over Barry and Joe having a hamburger, the White House confirmed on May 5 that the $8 billion in "bridge loans" the U.S. taxpayer has given to Chrysler over the past six months, including $4 billion in bankruptcy financing, won't be paid back. Taxpayers also won't be getting any Chrysler stock in exchange for those "loans." Instead, what's left of Chrysler will be divided up among Fiat, Chrysler's unions and Chrysler's debt holders.

So for all you hope and change (people), your pal just gave away $8 billion taxpayer dollars! Looks like the only people who really made out were the United Auto Workers. They got a nice return on all those political donations to the Democratic National Committee. I can hardly wait to see the "deal" Barry gets with General Motors.

Dan Shapiro

Oceanside

Back to the water barrel

Peaceful civil disobedience for "just" causes has become an American tradition, and no patriotic American would want to push the tradition into the criminal category. I bring this up since some local municipalities are still facilitating sizable development projects, in spite of our impending drought.

If someone were to protest with a six-minute shower instead of a five-minute shower, or would wash their car or driveway in protest of these new development facilitations, it would not bother me. You see, some municipalities are not practicing what they preach (conservation) when they approve these projects. Ponto Development comes to mind as a prime example.

Apparently the large, thirsty project is being given the green light by the Planning Commission. The only way it should be allowed to proceed to completion is with a proviso: that all water needs must be supplied from recycled water or "new source" water. What's "new source" water? Glad you asked. Desalination. Yes, every gallon of potable water to Ponto Development should be charged at the "desalinated water" cost rate. That way our existing rates and water quantities are unfazed by new development, and Poseidon may be more valuable than ever!

G. Lance Johannsen

Carlsbad