Reflections on the Fourth

Observing Independence Day, I reflect on the state of our union. Our society, once the hope of the world, has gone the way of other nations in history; we the people are a means to an end for the powers that be. The lust for power, wealth and empire â€"â€" the very evils our Founding Fathers fought against â€"â€" has enveloped us.

Republicrats benefit the campaign donors they work for. Think tanks spew out pseudo-studies of misinformation for the sake of unbridled greed. Health insurance companies exist to accumulate wealth over health. Christian institutions speak on behalf of this earthly kingdom in the name of God.

Militarization, the bastard hybrid of corporatocracy, exists in the name of freedom. Our court system is concerned with legality over justice. A government of, for, and by corporations. We have become a post-industrial plantation.

Here in San Diego, we aren't allowed to personally use fireworks to celebrate our "freedom." The people of Russia lived behind an "iron curtain." Here in America, we live behind a curtain of irony.

I could elaborate, but I am told I can't go over 200 words.

Neal Tomblin

Vista

Is senior center really for seniors?

I went to the opening of the El Corazon Senior Center in the Rancho del Oro Oceanside area. It is certainly a beautiful center. I take exercise classes through MiraCosta College Community for seniors and hoped I could continue them at El Corazon Center. Instead, I receive information that shows that a private group will be teaching for a $10 signup fee, month to month $17, six months $30 and 12 months $120.

They also handed me a list that shows classes such as belly dancing ($46 for six weeks), yoga ($60 for six weeks) and senior group fitness for $50 for 5 weeks. There were more classes too numerous to mention here.

Why does our Senior Center have private groups teaching classes when we have MiraCosta College Community classes for no charge for seniors? Is this Senior Center really meant for seniors who are on a fixed income and have to watch every penny?

I am shocked and dismayed by this.

Connie Gentili

Oceanside

Wise up, Obama (if he can!)

When are the prez and his lemming followers going to realize that he has become the laughingstock of the rulers of such countries as North Korea and Iran with his wishy-washy "shame on you" mealy-mouthed admonishments of their inexcusable human rights violations and paranoid threats of atomic warfare?

Face it, all of Obama's goals involve enhancing his own personal aggrandizement.

He is on an ego trip, which is a "careless" attitude against any profitable United States company and hard-working citizen who doesn't rely on him and his socialistic bureaucrats for their income.

And, of course, if anyone questions his actions, they are immediately subjected to derision and investigation.

Miranda rights for terrorists? Only U.S. citizens have these! Stupid!

Not allowing U.S. naval vessels to inspect North Korean ships that may be carrying nuclear products? So let them bomb us! Stupid!

Believing that North Korea and Iran will "cooperate" with us in eliminating atomic development? Naivete at its extreme!

The list of his inane domestic and international policies is endless!

His "brainwashed" followers better wise up, or they will face the socialistic destruction of our democratic republic.

God help the United States! Obama won't!

Merrill Brown

Oceanside

Condensed version

Re: Gary Walker's eloquently written letter of June 30: Here's a condensed version for those who still don't get it: Isn't it time to stop crapping up the only home (planet) we'll ever have?

Elli Blauman

Rancho Bernardo

Do MediCal cuts apply to everyone?

I wonder if these benefit cuts to the poor and elderly also apply to the millions of illegal immigrants in California who have been receiving these and many other social, health, housing and educational benefits at the taxpayers' expense?

This is the wrong way to solve the budget crisis that the Republicans and Gov. Schwarzenegger have created for the state of California.

MediCal will no longer pay for these benefits and services for most adults (there are some exceptions): dental services, speech therapy services, podiatric services, audiology services, chiropractic services, acupuncture services, optometric and optician services (ophthalmology â€"â€" doctor services for the eyes â€"â€" will continue to be covered), psychology services (psychiatry services, and all services through county mental health programs will continue to be covered) and incontinence creams and washes.

Louis Bajkai

Carlsbad

Life is not so simple

What a wonderful world it would be if love was truly as simple as J. Howard Crews claims (Letters, June 20).

Truth is, love often comes with many twists and turns and can be very complicated. He wrote that "Love has no bounds, permeates all nature, and should be celebrated however it flowers … " but will J. Howard stand by his opinion if one little twist is added such as consenting adult incest?

As most people can see, playing the "love card" doesn't automatically make everything all right.

Bill Lane

Escondido

Oh, joy! A new federal agency

I read the president's comments ("Those ridiculous contracts â€"â€" pages of fine print that no one can figure out … ") and thought he was talking about the stimulus bill. But it turns out it was just his pitch for what the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency will be.

Just what we need â€"â€" a new bureaucracy. I feel safer already!

William Gillespie

Bonsall

Two health questions

Two questions: 1. What is the value added of putting insurance companies (profits) between doctors and patients? 2. Why are we afraid to take care of ourselves (each other)? What we have is health care rationing, and it needs to change.

If you have "Cadillac coverage," you are set (Cheney and Congress). If you have regular insurance, you get rationed health care with huge co-pays, and you risk being dropped and/or denied (for a pre-existing condition) after you get sick. If you are uninsured, you get an astronomical bill.

We pay twice as much per person as Canada, and there, everyone is covered completely with no risk of bankruptcy if you or anyone in your family gets sick or injured. Two-thirds of all bankruptcies in the United States are directly related to medical bills (read that again).

Get sick or your child is injured and you lose your house? Only in America.

Nathan Wesley

Solana Beach

Don't be fooled by recall tactics

Our mayor, Jim Wood, wanted to put Shari Mackin in his vacated position on the City Council without an election by the people of Oceanside. He lost then, and Jerry Kern was ultimately elected by the people of Oceanside for Mackin's council seat in 2006. This time around, Mackin and Wood's method is to recall Kern, the choice of the people.

Mackin and Wood are persistent, fellow citizens! I went to Ralph's to purchase groceries and out front was a table with a recall petition. The sign read, "Housing for Veterans and Seniors." A little heart-touching!

I asked who they were recalling on their petition.

"Kern, our councilman," was his answer.

I asked why wasn't Councilman Kern's name on the sign.

"It appeared on the petition."

"A little sneaky," I thought, and told him so.

"I only get paid to get signatures," he said.

They are a determined group, fellow citizens of Oceanside. Won't stop at much. Don't let them fool us. Are unions involved? Could be, folks. Are they looking for three on the Oceanside City Council to get an advantage to them? Could be. Don't be fooled, fellow citizens.

Cora Frolander

Oceanside

One more important belief to add

Re: "Don't say it after he's gone," Letters, June 21: I'm sorry I left out one important belief: A woman's right to choose.

Harry Titus

Oceanside

If it is written, it must be true

In response to "Historical roots connect Zionism, Fascism" (Sean Sheeter, Letters, June 29), if something is written, then it must be true! Wow, I guess because Lenni Brenner said Zionists and Nazis collaborated, it must be true. Interesting that he was a Rabbinical student when he was an atheist at age 12 by his own admission.

Dr. Raymond Bernard also said that giants, aliens and trolls live in the center of the earth, which actually is not full of molten lava but an inner sun and atmosphere in his "fact-based" book "The Hollow Earth." I find that it is an interesting read, but that does not mean it is the gospel truth.

On a side note, I find it strange again that Sean Sheeter, Daniel and Patricia Lynch, Eric Parish, William Dreu and Chris Pulse all live in Vista. I guess Sean must be the new member. Congrats on the induction.

What kind of a group do they run out there? Are most of them actually the same person or do they have a coalition of simple-minded folks in the "group" with the same sad beliefs? Either way, it's tragic. #…

Brandon Webb

Carlsbad

Real news ignored for Jackson coverage

We are being threatened by North Korea, accused of interfering with Iran's election, fighting two wars and suffering from an economic meltdown, but what does the media concentrate on? A pop singer's death. It's been the lead story on every television channel, newspaper and radio station for the past week.

Let's face it, Michael Jackson was a man/boy who mutilated his face, sang and spoke like Mickey Mouse, overused prescription drugs and might have abused children. With the media coverage of his death, one would think a head of state had passed.

Farrah Fawcett fought so valiantly to stay alive, whereas MJ hastened his demise seemingly by his own hand. She was unfortunate enough to have died on the same day as he, but was, pardon the pun, buried in the back pages.

People who have contributed more to science, education and the arts than Jackson have died and barely receive a column in the obits. This continuing fascination with "freakish" celebrities is ridiculous. There are far more serious events happening worldwide than the passing of an "entertainer."

Jack Strumpf

Escondido

Palestinians are not interested in peace

Sorab Gandhi (Letters, June 28) re-hashes the old lie that Israel doesn't want the two-state solution. That flies in the face of Israel's repeated attempts to give the West Bank back to the Palestinians for them to create their state in exchange for peace. But the Palestinians have rejected all of them.

The real problem is that (the Palestinians) are not interested in peace. They want to replace Israel in full. They want it all and thus have no room for concessions. In other words, they are the ones who reject the two-state solution, not Israel!

As for the settlements, they are a red herring. Israel has every right to annex the entire West Bank if it wanted to (but it doesn't) because it conquered it as a result of a defensive war imposed on it by its Arab neighbors. There is no "Palestinian land" because there has never been a "Palestinian state" to date.

But the longer the Palestinians wait to get serious and make peace in good faith, the more land they will lose for good, whether they claim it falsely as theirs or not. It's their call.

Jean-Jacques Surbeck

Encinitas

Congressman needs to be consistent

This week I received an e-mail from Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, saying it is imperative to protect the doctor/patient relationship and not have government come between them.

Does this mean he has experienced difficulty in receiving his health care (all Congress members have a government plan)? If so, I would like to hear about any problems he has had accessing health care. If it is not working for him, would he give it up and save us taxpayers a bunch of cash? If he is content with his socialized health plan, why would he deny it to his constituents when all we ask is the same plan he enjoys? How can it possibly be right for Congressman Issa to enjoy a benefit that he refuses to accord other worthy citizens?

I challenge him to give up his coverage and persuade others in Congress to do the same if he insists that it is too expensive and inefficient. Either it works and is good for all or it does not and should be closed down. Be consistent, Congressman Issa.

Beatrice Shushan

Oceanside