Monday's Letters to the Editor

<p class="bold allcaps">Spend wisely<EL-2><QA></p> <p><MC>EDITOR: We are all aware that programs and services are being cut in the state and in our county due to the severe financial crisis we now face. In light of these cuts, I sincerely hope that I will not see any dollars spent paving over a creek trail (Fulton/Willowside) that is already in use by walkers, runners, hikers, strollers and cyclists. Don<ac146>t throw money down the drain on a paved trail when one already exists. Govern wisely. Spend what we have left on services that need it most. A new paved trail isn<ac146>t one of them.</p><p>DIANE HILL<QR><QA></p><p><MC>Santa Rosa<QR><QA></p><h3>Seeking peace<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: Peace. Salaam alaikum. Shalom. As our president seeks to mend ties with the Muslim world, I find Thomas Friedman’s opening remarks in his June 4 column (“Obama on Obama’s address in Cairo”) quite disturbing. Friedman shares his favorite Middle East joke of the pious Jew named Goldberg poking fun at Jewish faith. Must one bash the Jew to reach out to the Muslim? I think not. </p><p>I like President Obama’s response to Friedman’s joke. “We have a joke around the White House. We’re just going to keep on telling the truth until it stops working — and nowhere is truth-telling more important than the Middle East.’”</p><p>The plight of the Palestinian people is deplorable, the poverty staggering. They desperately need a home. Yet with the sole exception of Jordan, not a single Arab state has granted Palestinians citizenship.</p><p>In the summer of 2000, Israel offered the Palestinian Arabs 97 percent of the land they claim to be fighting for, making Israel the first and only country ever to offer the Palestinian Arabs a homeland. This offer was rejected with no counter-offer from the Palestinians.</p><p>Israel’s recent withdrawal from Gaza hasn’t brought peace. Would its withdrawal from the West Bank?</p><p>LOIS STEWART<QR></p><p><MC>Santa Rosa<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Justice for Bush<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: The documents released recently by the Obama administration prove undeniably that former President George W. Bush and his cohorts violated the Geneva Convention in the name of the American people. If we do not repudiate this crime and prosecute all those who have had anything to do with it, we will be telling the world that Bush and his neo-con gang did it with the American people’s blessing.</p><p>The guilty parties, as a matter of fact, do not deny that they used torture as a means of extracting information from detainees. They are trying, however, to justify their criminal actions by insisting that it was a necessary means to achieve their ends in protecting the American people. This, incidentally, was the same rationale offered by numerous war criminals of World War I and World War II who were hanged despite of their professed patriotism. Patriotism, as always, is the last refuge of scoundrels.</p><p>If Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney sincerely believe that they are not war criminals, I challenge them to go to Spain. Two Spanish courts have announced plans to investigate and potentially prosecute them.</p><p>ANTONIO R. SERNA<QR></p><p><MC>Rohnert Park<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Exaggerated story<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: After reading Staff Writer Bleys W. Rose’s Thursday article, it’s hard to believe we attended the same hearing (“Dutra hearing stirs strong passions”). As a two-term former city councilwoman, I attended many divisive, vitriolic public hearings, and this one, by no stretch of the imagination, qualified as such. This article was inflammatory fabrication. It created a grossly exaggerated impression of a normal debate dynamic. </p><p>Yes, some people were annoying, tiresome and untruthful when trying to give their position extra validity. Yes, a few others were sarcastic, immature and melodramatic, but nothing truly abusive was said. The crowd wasn’t huge, unruly or terribly rude. At worst the hearing was tiresome and wearing. </p><p>I saw ordinary people on both sides working hard for something they thought was extremely important to their well-being and future. This article is a distortion and creates the impression of, even lays the groundwork for, ugly antagonism, which was not the overall tone at the hearing.</p><p>It would be great if people would always communicate from a deeply respectful and conscious place. It would also be great if The Press Democrat applied higher journalistic standards of integrity when reporting about issues of such concern to our community.</p><p>JANE HAMILTON<QR></p><p><MC>Petaluma<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Worth the risk?<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: One day recently, I was driving down E Street in Santa Rosa. As I approached the intersection of E and Third streets, where the library is, the light turned yellow. I slowed down and stopped. The driver next to me stepped on the gas and blasted through the intersection and a crosswalk. To my horror, a pedestrian had stepped off the curb and was about 10 feet out in the crosswalk. The pedestrian had the right of way. The driver, still with a foot on the gas, nearly hit the pedestrian in the crosswalk. It was a terrifying moment. To all who are in such a hurry, is saving a few seconds really worth it?</p><p>PIA HAMILTON<QR></p><p><MC>Santa Rosa<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>What about cars?<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: No smoking in or around public parks in Petaluma? (“Park smokeout?” Thursday.) Can I suggest we also ban cars and buses from driving around the parks as well? Because I don’t feel it’s fair we have to breathe their exhaust either.</p><p>DANIEL WALLER<QR></p><p><MC>Petaluma<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Legal clinics<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: I am writing to commend the legal professionals in our community who provide valuable services to our homeless clients at COTS. </p><p>For several years, we’ve been lucky enough to have the Sonoma County Legal Services Foundation provide us with one-hour workshops on a variety of topics. Our volunteer attorney presenters have included Evan Livingstone, Jim Bergman, Ron Cassells, Rod Moore and Charlotte Creaghan. </p><p>Additionally, the Sonoma County family law facilitator has been travelling to Petaluma four times a year to help our clients straighten out family-related issues, including divorce, child support and visitation.</p><p>In recent months, paralegal Mara Zaharin and Petaluma attorney David Gardner have been helping interested clients prepare paperwork for bankruptcy court. Petaluma attorney Michael Healy has been helping two clients in complicated, long-distance inheritance cases. Each of these three has donated dozens of hours for our clients.</p><p>Finally, Sonoma County Judges Ken Gnoss and Gary Nadler, Deputy of Court Operations Michael Cline, District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua and Public Defender John Abrahams have agreed to pilot a Homeless Court in Sonoma County on June 24. The court will be an opportunity for our clients to address their past offenses and move forward with their lives. </p><p>We feel fortunate at COTS to be living in a community that acts on our shared belief of “justice for all.”</p><p>JOHN RECORDS<QA0></p><p><MC>Executive director, COTS<QA0></p><p>Petaluma<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p>