Prop. 8 changed you

It is frustrating to hear the bigotry and intolerance of "No on 8" supporters.

On Nov. 4, I stood up for what I believe is right. I did not rip anyone's rights away. I didn't aid in the oppression of a minority. I did not try and shove my beliefs down anyone's throat. I voted for what I believe is right.

Since Nov. 4, I have seen nothing but hate on the side of the homosexual community. It's sad to see a group of people become so angry and spiteful when the beliefs that I have don't mesh with their agenda. Hasn't their motto always been to love and accept all types of people, even those who have different cultures and beliefs? Well, I guess it's different when what I believe affects their life.

Don't they think that if Proposition 8 had not passed, it would have affected mine? I understand where they are coming from, but I just can't say that I agree with them. I know that they won't agree with me, but at least understand that my position is not one of hate. Please, "No on 8" supporters, stop the hypocrisy. Be tolerant of my beliefs.

Brett Switzer

Escondido

Veterans not deserving to be honored?

Regarding the letter from Joseph Oppenheim on Nov. 15: I'm a Vietnam veteran. I served in Vietnam as a platoon medic in 1968. I lost some men, but was able to save more than I lost. I'm very proud to have fought when my country called me.

Was Oppenheim ever in a war? … Did he ever see a buddy lying there dying or dead? What we did was no different from what was done in any other war. We fought to save our buddies and ourselves. Why was the Vietnam war immoral? We were asked there by the South Vietnamese government, and the Gulf of Tonkin incident really did happen.

Vietnam veterans deserve the same respect that any other veterans receive. After all, we went to a war that no one wanted and were ridiculed, spat upon and cursed when we came home.

To all you Vietnam vets out there, I'm proud of you, brothers. You all have my deepest respect. Thank you for your service.

Gary Rutledge

Fallbrook

University students devoid of sense

I noticed on the news that the students at UCSD were upset and protesting against the passage of Proposition 8 by a majority of California voters. It's a shame that today we have to have a vote to clarify what marriage is. A waste of time, effort and precious money!

Today's youth are so liberal with sexuality that they want to redefine the word "marriage" in the dictionary. Seems to me the majority of these youth had grandparents, in addition to their own mothers and fathers â€"â€" all male/female. What don't they understand? If this is a sample of the type of logic emanating from our state university system, it is indeed a very sad example of our education system and its educators.

I've voted to fund the California state university system for the last time. I consider the results of today's teaching totally devoid of common sense. It's a failure! As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to see the homosexuals … move en masse to Connecticut.

S. Robert Polito

Valley Center

Post-election litter

It seemed that prior to the election, Nick Liebham was the most aggressive at plastering the highways with hundreds of his signs â€"â€" often only a few feet apart. Now the election is past, yet as I drive along Coast Highway and El Camino Real in Carlsbad, I still see multitudes of "Nick Liebham" signs. I think leaving the signs shows poor sportsmanship and contempt for the citizens of our community. Are you just going to leave 'em, Liebham?

Michael Sergent

Carlsbad

Impeach both Bush, Cheney

For this administration to pardon itself for its many transgressions of law and failures to uphold the Constitution, as they all swore to do, would be to undermine the rule of law even further. Please do not permit this as a presidential precedent. Impeach George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to clarify that we do not live under a dictatorship of the executive branch.

Mary Pomerene

Poway

Obama must attend U.N. meeting

President-elect Barack Obama can take a powerful first step as leader â€"â€" not only of the American people but also people around the globe â€"â€" by attending the United Nations Climate Meetings this December in Poland.

The planet needs a new, powerful international climate treaty, and the U.S. must take the lead and reverse the shameful record of the Bush administration that failed everyone by denying science and refusing to participate in the Kyoto Protocol.

We see Obama as a leader graced with wisdom and courage, one who is not afraid of difficult decisions, one who is a champion of justice and the environment. The entire web of life is in peril. Please demonstrate to the world that American is indeed a leader of nations for the good of all. Go to Poland!

Karen Holmgren

Oceanside

Homosexual behavior is abnormal

Scott Harris, ("Prop 8 and the churches," Perspective, Nov. 2), believes the Bible is one of the two most important documents in the history of mankind.

Too bad he also states it's written by "flawed men" and uses this half-truth to justify homosexual behavior. The truth is, humans are flawed, but if God is perfect, God helped men write the Bible.

For example, every Scripture … is inspired by God. All of them useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting and training for a life that has God's approval.

Since God's word doesn't approve of practicing homosexual behavior, why force millions of … believing Mormons, Jews, Christians and Muslims to accept this behavior?

Homosexual behavior isn't the only abnormal behavior. Imagine habitual adulterers, murders and thieves marching in the streets, demanding civil rights? Refusing to admit wrong? Mocking laws and moral codes? What a mess.

Kim Oakley

Valley Center

Vietnam vets deserve our praise, too

A letter by Joseph Oppenheim in the Nov. 15 paper has really upset me, and I'm sure many others of the Vietnam vets. He states we should not be proud on Veterans Day of what the Vietnam War veterans did over there.

His attitude brought tears to my eyes, because our son died there during the Tet Offensive in 1968. He was only 21. He was there because he was drafted, there was no choice unless he wanted to run away to Canada, as so many did.

But most young people in those years were raised to love their country without question, no matter what their government asked of them. As we know now, that war was a terrible mistake, and so is the present "war" in Iraq. So many lives lost on both sides with nothing gained that is permanent.

Every Marine we know is proud of having done their duty for the USA, no matter where or why. It's called patriotism!

Beverly Jean Courtemanche

Fallbrook

If Obama seeks 'change,' why insiders?

Barack Hussein Obama, the man of "change," is now forming his Cabinet and choosing his advisers. Old-time politics are out, change is in!

So why did he choose Rahm Emanuel for his chief of staff? They don't get anymore "Washington insider" than Emanuel! His reputation for "thuggish" is even more extreme than the Republicans' "Hammer" Tom DeLay.

Obama's stated goal was "change," a new direction; so why has he chosen 31 out of 47 advisers and confidantes from the Bill Clinton era and now is flirting with the chance of choosing Hillary Clinton for his secretary of state? He may feel the wrath of Michelle for this choice. [Be careful] … Catering to the Clintons is like admitting that Bubba really was the first black president.

Junious

Montgomery

Carlsbad

People need to 'wake up'

A few weeks ago, congressmen and senators voted to bail out the financial sector … with embarrassing results and no accountability. Now it's the auto industry.

When are the people going to wake up and start demanding that the people we elect represent our best interest?

After 34 years in this country, I'm beginning to lose hope; I always was an optimist that I made the right choice moving here. Lately it's very hard to keep that optimism.

We must contact our lawmakers and make them accountable for their failed leadership (or lack of it!).

Gabriel Castano

Fallbrook

San Diego should lead in green power

It is time for San Diego and the nation to loosen our dependence on nonrenewable energy resources and put in place the infrastructure to support renewable energy production.

San Diego has been a leader in the development of high-tech and biotech for the nation and could become the same for developing a new energy infrastructure. The challenges are substantial but the minds to tackle them are here in San Diego.

The combination of university and business knows how give this region the edge in what is the nation's next frontier: energy that meets our needs without causing further harm to the environment.

Kim Bess

Carlsbad

Beliefs will not stop nature from creating gays

Bravo, bravo, bravo. Finally, 100 top military are asking for the overturning of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." One of the military is a father of a homosexual child, and until this [was revealed] to him, I am sure he thought, like all others, it was a choice.

It takes a loving, compassionate, intellectual parent to "get it" when their child comes to them and says, "Dad, Mom, I have to tell you I am gay." Now, the parent sees the child just the same, and is confused.

"You mean you are attracted to your same sex?"

"That's it, it changes nothing else about me. I love you, God, the dog, hate spinach, love helping the poor, like my job, and everything else you have known about me is still the same."

Over time, the parent gets comfortable with the idea and soon it becomes second nature, except for the parents who are intellectually challenged and use the Bible to hid behind their bigotry.

The Bible is not a medical or science book, but the foundation of the ancient … Hebrew religion, and nothing will stop Mother Nature from producing homosexuals, heterosexuals, transsexuals, bisexuals, Down syndrome, dwarfs and geniuses. It's just the way it is.

Peggy Hart

Carlsbad

Thanks for your votes

Thank you to everyone who voted for me for the board of trustees at MiraCosta College. I am honored by your trust in me.

I will work with all of the other trustees and with all those who have an interest in MiraCosta to make sure that our college serves its students and the community at large in the best way possible.

MiraCosta's educational standards are of the highest quality and I will make every effort possible to ensure that they remain so.

George McNeil

Oceanside

Unions need to give up benefits

The United Auto Workers union had the people earning $30 per hour, plus all insurance benefits and a full pension. Our sheriff's or police officers don't get that.

The CEOs are getting too much, and all above is why they are in trouble.

If we are going to bail them out, the union leaders need to bring down the insurance benefits, no more full pensions and etc. This applies to our government also.

They want us to spend more money. How can we, and pay our bills, when our stocks have tumbled and we just keep helping the illegals and helping countries that hate us?

Linda Setter

Vista

Gays, lesbians are like spoiled little children

To the homosexuals and lesbians: There are two states in this nation that will allow you to marry. For heaven's sake, get off your soapbox and go get married.

Your behavior puts me in the mind of the mother who takes her child into a candy store. When the child was told by the mother it could not have candy, down on the floor it went, kicking, screaming at the top of its lungs, causing those around this spoiled child to want to leave the store.

We have all seen that picture, and now we are seeing it in so-called adults who can't have their way in a lifestyle that kills. Only difference between you and the other child, your behavior is becoming dangerous to all the rest of us. Like the child in the candy store, you will continue to throw your ungodly behavior around, hoping we will change our minds. We won't. …

This lifestyle, if given over to, would bring this nation to an end morally. Many nations in history died that way, dying from the inside out. As it is today, everyone knows someone who has a loved one living in this lifestyle (including me). … Marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Peggy Stanley

Fallbrook

Marriage is between a man and a woman

This is a letter to all people who are upset by Proposition 8: I was a yes voter on Prop. 8, but only for one reason. Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman.

I sincerely believe that gays should have all of the same rights and privileges of people who are straight. I believe that they should be able to legalize their union if they so choose. I do not believe they have a right to call that union "marriage."

Marriage, as it says in the Bible, is between a man and a woman and it has always been that way.

So come on, guys, get creative. Come up with your own word. Be it one word for any relationship between two people of the same sex or it is one word for a relationship between two men and one word for a relationship between two women, that is your choice.

Write a proposition and put it on the ballot the next time we vote and, in my opinion, it will pass overwhelmingly. From a yes voter who cares about you.

Carolyn Wilt

Oceanside

Repeal the Federal Reserve Act

A simple majority in both houses of Congress is all that is needed to repeal the Federal Reserve. Section 31 of the Federal Reserve Act states that, "The right to amend, alter or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved."

The Constitution of the U.S., Article 1, Section 8 says, "The Congress shall have the power to coin money, regulate the value thereof of the foreign coin, and fix the standard and weights and measures."

The Federal Reserve is not part of the U.S. government. It is a privately owned central bank that lends money to the federal government. …

That $700 billion bailout Congress just passed was really a loan application. The Fed will lend it to the government at a high interest rate. And what did the Bush administration tell you it was going to do with the money? It's going to give the money to the banks. It's a round-trip ticket from the Fed privately owned by the banks â€"â€" back to the banks â€"â€" at a high interest rate.

Such a deal! Isn't it time to end this scam?

The Fed controls the money supply. The Fed controls prices. The Fed controls the value of money. The Fed creates inflation. The Fed creates deflation. The Fed creates bull to bear markets! The Fed has flooded the market with paper dollars, reducing their value.

Charles Bagwell

Vista

Wars, not veterans, are 'immoral'

In response to Joseph Oppenheim's letter of Nov. 15 and those of like thinking, it is agreed that wars are usually immoral. However, to single out veterans of the Vietnam War as immoral is not factual.

Wars are declared by the powers that be: dictators, presidents, etc., who rule. Soldiers obey rules.

Example: Hitler was elected by a majority and he declared war for his own purposes, including the killings of Jews and gays. Other rulers responded to the attacks.

Bush declared war on Iraq under false pretenses; Cheney declared the Iraq war was not about oil.

It took years for Rome to fail with its armies all over the world. Under the Bush administration of eight years, the U.S. has a good start on failing.

I'm 78 years old, and now it's a problem for younger people. Can you turn it around?

Joseph Eichstaedt

disabled veteran, Escondido