March 15 Letters to the Editor

Bishop's intentions

EDITOR: When a 5-year-old's mother tells him not to play in the street, he wails, "you don't let me do anything. You hate me." An adult should know better.

I'm deeply saddened by the recent attacks on Bishop Robert Vasa. I am not Catholic, but I have talked to him, and I am convinced he is motivated by love, not hate.

He criticizes the homosexual lifestyle not because he hates homosexuals but because he knows their lifestyle will not bring happiness and risks eternal damnation.

He, and I, protest abortion not because we hate women who choose abortion but because we love those babies, and the women who deny themselves the joy of knowing those children, and the society that will lose the contributions of those children.

Parents who love their children make rules to protect them and bring out the best in them. God loves sinners, and that includes all of us. So He makes rules, to protect us and bring out the best in us.

We who speak out do so because we love people enough to risk their anger. Disagree; ignore our advice; but please don't judge our motives.

JEAN GRANT

Santa Rosa

Developmental Center

EDITOR: It seems to me that state Sen. Noreen Evans' bill, SB 1428, is pretty thin soup ("Push for preservation," March 8). Rather than requiring state officials to "confer and co-operate" with "public and private" entities in any redevelopment plan for the Sonoma Development Center's publicly owned land, the senator should be working aggressively to maintain the public ownership of this land.

Inviting co-operation with "private entities" suggests that some kind of compromise, i.e. only selling half of it, as an option. It shouldn't be. Evans could just have easily submitted a bill to give the land to the open space district.

Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin also misses the mark when she refers to the state as being "just like any other private owner." The state is not just like any private owner. It does not have a self-interest. It is supposed to pursue what is in the best interests of the people. Period.

THOMAS GLYNN

Santa Rosa

Animal cruelty

EDITOR: I'm on the advisory board of Project Coyote, a national coalition of scientists and ranchers working to foster coexistence between people and wildlife. I also volunteer at the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue. I was stunned to read that the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors supports a bill to allow the hunting of bear and bobcats with hounds ("Push to lift ban on hound hunts," Wednesday).

Hounders argue that the county should decide its policy, not people from San Francisco or Los Angeles. I live in Petaluma, but I had always assumed it was a good thing that most people care about animal cruelty, regardless of where it occurs.

And what about those tourist dollars hounding will supposedly bring in? Compare the tiny fraction of hounders with the thousands of birders, hikers, campers, photographers, etc. who visit Mendocino County to enjoy wildlife, and it's obvious that a live bear is worth far more than a dead one.

I have suggestions for the hunter who wanted "something to do." He could pick up trash, volunteer somewhere, read a book or play any number of sports that don't involve the torturing of animals.

Californians banned hounding for the same reason we banned dog fighting - because we don't believe in torturing animals for human entertainment.

KELI HENDRICKS

Petaluma

Hitler and Putin

EDITOR: I was intrigued by Charles Lane's analysis of Vladimir Putin's actions ("Examining Putin-Hitler analogy," Monday). The Adolf Hitler analogy is definitely an overused one, but I think that it is justified in this case. Although Putin's actions might seem minor right now, Hitler's actions probably did too, at the time. Putin certainly isn't motivated by the kind of radical idealism that Hitler was, but that doesn't mean he has no intentions of expanding.

It's easy to look back on history and point out all the signs, but at the time, it was harder to tell. How many people knew in 1930 what Hitler would become? Will people ask the same question about Putin 70 years from now?

EMMA GIBSON

Santa Rosa

CalPERS costs

EDITOR: John-Scott Forester ("CalPERS pensions," Letters, Thursday) wrote that he and other CalPERS retirees contributed to their retirement. He further stated that three out of four dollars that they receive in pensions come from investment earnings on those contributions. Why can he not understand the anger that comes from the taxpayers who foot the bill for that one additional dollar that he receives but did not earn nor contribute?

THOM MEREDITH

Santa Rosa