Readers of the North County Times

Letter writer's facts on Israel incorrect

Dolores Wiener's letter of April 28, "No theft occurred in Jerusalem" stated: "Arabs are not the 'original' occupants of the land" and they are only there because of the Muslim conquest in the seventh century.

The "original" inhabitants of the Holy Land are, of course, lost in time. The Bible mentions Amalekites, Jebusites, Canaanites and Israelites living there 3,000 years ago.

Today's Palestinians are a synthesis of all those drawn to this cultural crossroads through the centuries. Zionism introduced a new element into the mix. Jewish ingenuity and Jewish unity have brought about a miracle: a Jewish state speaking resuscitated Hebrew.

But Israel has an existential dilemma: Most of the world's Muslims do not want it to be there! For instance, before 1967, the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa were visited by pious hajjis on the way to Mecca; now, of course, impossible. The Palestinians are being sorely oppressed, controlled and made desperate by their occupiers due in part to these existential fears.

My daughter and I just returned from two weeks in Jerusalem. Israel is a vibrant, productive First World country with a vivacious folk. Now, however, it probably could not survive without the patronage of Yankee Imperialists.

Ron Hardin

Escondido

Diaz is a lady with some common sense

The crazies that run this community have run amok once again. Aha! A beautiful Marriott hotel to join the city-subsidized Center for the Arts. Exciting news for this blue-collar small city.

One more white elephant. Oh, if we were only able to clone Olga Diaz, the lady with common sense.

Jacqueline Redfield

Escondido

The first 100 days of Obama, with no spin

Seven bad judgments:

1. The worst and most dangerous: outing of interrogations. Places terrorists above the safety of the country. Polls show people don't approve.

2. Trillions in debt that our children and grandchildren have to carry: $360 billion in one month; $515 billion to be borrowed in July.

3. The pandering to Europe and South America. What did Obama gain? Chavez is touting the fact that he's responsible for the U.S. becoming socialist. Germany and France think Obama is weak.

4. His gaffes and use of TelePrompter, without which he is boring.

5. His choice of people in his administration â€"â€" and lack thereof. Two bad choices: Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security, and Robert Gibbs, the worst press secretary ever.

6. Flying Air Force One (over New York City) for photo ops, using fuel and costing us plenty. And the debacle of flying the plane over New York City with two F-16s trailing behind, scaring people in high rises.

7. Slow in rescuing Captain Phillips. …

Jean Carroll

Carlsbad

Honor an accomplished person in VUSD

Re: "School board trustee wants to honor Miss USA runner-up," April 29: The news that Vista Unified School District Trustee Jim Gibson wants to make June 1 a special day honoring the recent Vista High School graduate who was runner-up in the Miss USA Pageant made me think that if this young woman, who has never really done much of anything important in her life except for giving her opinion, can have a day in her honor, why can't my three now-adult children â€"â€" who've actually accomplished something â€"â€" have a day in their honor?

My son has two college degrees and was sitting behind the controls of a jetliner for a national airline as a first officer by age 23. My oldest daughter is a U.S. Marine proudly serving our country in these perilous times, and the youngest is in college. My three were raised to think freely and be all-inclusive when dealing with life's diversities, qualities missing in many people these days.

Conversely, this immature Miss USA runner-up is just another mindless "conservative Christian" robot sent out into the world to think like she was told to think. There's no honor in that. …

Carl Desserich

Vista

Palomar should keep history requirement

On May 12, the Palomar College board will be asked by its administration and others to remove American History and Institutions (AH&I) as a degree requirement for a segment of the student population. Should the board agree to this request, it would represent a profound change in the graduation requirements at Palomar. It attacks the very foundation of our democracy, an enlightened citizenry. A people who do not know their history and institutions have nothing â€"â€" nothing! It will, at best, be a shameful legacy.

The board and Palomar are being threatened by the national nursing accrediting organization. Our very successful and outstanding nursing program's accreditation will be revoked if we do not accede to their demands. By any other name, this is blackmail. Their demand appears to be discriminatory and arbitrary. Other accredited community college nursing programs have the AH&I requirement.

The purpose of education is education, not the issuing of sheets of paper with the word "degree" written on them. Should the board cave in to the dictates of the nursing accreditation agency, it will indeed be a night that will live in infamy.

Charles Hanlen

Escondido

Letter writer is the problem with country

In the letter "Tea parties not based on facts," May 4, writer Margaret Liles is disgusting! She pulls the race card … using the term "lily-white" to describe the people at the demonstration.

… I went to this tea party, not knowing anything about or ever hearing about the Minutemen! If Ms. Margaret Liles doesn't like America, she can leave. Pulling the race card is the most unintelligent action the media and writers can express when it's totally wrong. I will for sure tell others about the choice of not editing.

The tea party was about the mismanagement of the bailouts and the over-taxation now and to come due to these bailouts! What planet is Ms. Liles living on? And she's wrong about this nation of Americans being based of a Christian society. I can see that she wants to destroy our Constitution. She and all the others like her are the problem with this country!

Bryan Cooper

San Marcos

If suspicion exists, a report is mandatory

In response to Kim Oakley's "Safe to call 911?" May 3: As a former emergency responder and most currently a health assistant with the school district (working with special-needs children), I have to say that I am grateful for the work that the men and women in our fire service provide. I am sure that it was with a heavy heart that the captain had to make a decision to contact the agencies that aid in protecting children.

Please know that emergency responders (and a long list of others) are mandated by law to report if a reasonable suspicion exists. I am not in a position to pass judgment; however, the protective action may be of positive benefit to families who may require additional services to aid in alleviating stress of the caregivers. My heart goes out to her and her family!

Gene Norman

Oceanside

Applause for high school jazz ensembles

Whistles and screams greeted the six high school jazz ensembles that entertained Friday night at the El Camino High School auditorium. And rightly so. The talent displayed by the six high schools rocked North County.

We are the very lucky recipients of such awesome music from these talented teens. My kudos to the musicians and the bandmasters.

Ruth Gaertner

Oceanside

Thanks for Marine band performance

If you could put smiles on 800 children's faces, would you do it? Or let more than 2,000 friends and their families practice community togetherness by clapping until their hands were raw? Or see, up close and personal, the Marines' version of a drum line? They came, and once again the members of the 1st Marine Division Band played their collective hearts out in three free concerts at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

Did you miss it? Not to worry â€"â€" they are already on the schedule at the Center for next April. Do you prefer the Navy Band? They will be here in the fall for a free concert guaranteed to put a smile on your face. How wonderful we have the venue and the opportunity for Escondido and all of North County to enjoy these concerts!

Thanks to the city of Escondido, the North County Times and others who donated in-kind services as well as money to defray the rent and personnel expenses, we were able to help make it happen. The military concerts are a wonderful opportunity to give back to Escondido, and we hope to be involved for many years to come.

David and Lynn Tagge

Escondido

Why is hotel more important than water?

Escondido's City Council should explain why it's important to subsidize a hotel developer rather than to correct the inadequacies of the city's only water reservoir.

We live under severe drought conditions, and mandatory water cuts are being imposed. We're told there is less water available and that which is available is getting more expensive. Check it out. Look at your water bill.

Knowing that and knowing further that the dam at Lake Wohlford, our only water storage facility, does not meet current seismic standards, makes it imperative for us to know why a hotel is more important. This is particularly interesting when we read that Lake Wohlford is only at 47 percent of capacity, as the last addition to the dam is legally useless. The cost to fix the dam has been estimated as between $19 million and $30 million.

Escondido has sequestered $17 million to $19 million toward inducing development of a hotel next door to the Center for the Arts. Please tell us why it is more important to resurrect a questionable hotel deal experiencing financing difficulties than it would be to fix the dam and double our water storage.

Sid Colquitt

Escondido

Potpourri du jour

The recent nationwide, nonpartisan tea parties were a grand success with more to follow. Want your country back? Then www.912project.com is for you. Go to www.YouTube.com and type in "Thomas Paine." Millions have watched his wildly popular and inspiring "We The People Stimulus Package" and "The Second American Revolution" videos. The best-selling book, "The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World," by W. Cleon Skousen is a must-read for all freedom lovers.

Coming soon: catastrophic credit card defaults; soaring unemployment to surpass 10 percent; municipal bonds becoming unattractive; stocks will sink after bear rally, and commercial real estate will melt down. The consumer-driven U.S. economy is a house of cards: It's three-card monte!

Fact: White House staffers regularly employ social scientists, behavioral psychologists and sales experts on how best to propagandize, manipulate and sell Americans on their deleterious/avaricious agendas.

Please, vote no on Propositions 1A-F.

Why did Ms. Napolitano's recent Department of Homeland Security edict single out "whites" as potential terrorist threats, while failing to mention the ubiquitous and virulent ethnic gangs terrorizing Americans, and the escalating drug wars and terrorism (daily torture, beheadings, etc.) in Mexico, which is on the verge of collapse? Mexican bailout, anyone? Watch!

Gary Walker

Escondido

Keeping your children safe on busy streets

I am a crossing guard at Richland Elementary School in San Marcos. We are at our posts from 8 to 8:45 a.m. and then again from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Our goal is not to inconvenience you, the driving public, but to see that your children cross busy streets safely.

Most drivers understand we are not traffic cops, but do our best to keep traffic flowing reasonably and the children safe. However, we have been cursed at, flipped off and almost run down as drivers talk on the phone, drink coffee and try to make turns to get to the schools and drop off children.

Recently, I was cursed at in Spanish by a young woman in a black SUV because she had to wait for children to cross the street. What a stellar example she was to the children she had just picked up.

Please be patient with us and the children. We are all doing the best we can. If you will be inconvenienced by a few minutes' wait, please keep in mind the times the children are crossing and take another route.

To all the drivers who do care and are patient with us, I thank you.

Juanita Bradbury

San Marcos

Cemetery's flower policy is insensitive

Wednesday would have been my husband's and my 45th anniversary. I bought a low, foot-long planter and filled it with a variety of flowers to acknowledge the day. I took the flowers up to Eternal Hills Cemetery about 4:30 p.m. A sign was posted that flowers would be removed from the graves on Thursday. I told myself if I waited to place the flowers, it would not have the same meaning, so I left the arrangement, believing the workers would leave them until the next week.

When I visited the gravesite the next day, the flowers were gone. I sat down and cried. I knew it wasn't important to anyone else, but it did ruin my day. It seems that as the flowers are being removed, the obviously fresh ones could be left for the week.

Well, now that I have vented my frustration, I feel better. Eternal Hills is also the final resting place for my daughter, father, father-in-law and will be mine as well. It is a beautiful, peaceful cemetery and we are blessed to have it.

Agnes Goddard

Oceanside