Letters to the editor

to lift Islamic oppression

Editor,

Keith Kreitman’s column ("The peddlers of fear” column in the March 29 edition of the Daily Journal) was a thoughtful and balanced appraisal of the challenges and opportunities facing our country in the years ahead. In a similar vein, many Americans are of the opinion that dealing with radical Islamic terrorism throughout the world is not simply a matter of unilateral military action and attempted nation building in Iraq but is more properly a process of working with our known and trusted allies internationally to use our combined economic power, diplomatic pressure and moral authority in every part of the globe to bring about freedom from oppression and a higher standard of living for all. It is hoped that whoever is chosen by the electorate in November to assume the mantle of the presidency and the role of commander-in-chief has a similar view of world affairs and the vital role that our country, historically dedicated to the peoples’ right to self-determination, is destined to play in the 21st century.

Michael Traynor

Burlingame

Radical Islamic serious threat

Editor,

Keith Kreitman’s response to my criticism that his head is in the sand regarding threats of Islamic terrorism is to bury his head further in the sand ("The peddlers of fear” column in the March 29 edition of the Daily Journal). He claims that Islamic terrorist attacks have occurred in "pathetic bursts, only ten major ones in ten years, including 9/11.” Kreitman’s cavalier attitude is displayed when you couple these attacks with Radical Islam’s avowed threats to destroy the Great Satan, the United States, plus the increase in lethality and impact as terrorists gain experience.

Kreitman sets up strawman requirements of what a terrorist takeover of the U.S. involves and then argues that since Radical Islamists don’t have the resources to meet his requirements, we really don’t need to worry. This hubris ignores that the terrorists can obtain the resources by stealing or hijacking them and also ignores a myriad of other attack scenarios that could bring the U.S. to its knees. Even if Kreitman is correct that these attack scenarios may not result in a classic command and control takeover by the terrorists afterward, that will be small comfort to surviving Americans as Radical Islamists laugh at our plight from their caves in Afghanistan.

The radical Islamic threat is much more tangible than Kreitman will admit. Kreitman’s above-it-all attitude is downright dangerous.

Larry Yelowitz

Sunnyvale

Good-bye sweet Peninsula

Editor,

Uh oh, "Coyote point has an interesting history.” ("Coyote Point has an interesting history,” March 17 edition of the Daily Journal). Poor Coyote Point may have received its death notice with that headline. What? Look around fellow Peninsulans, everything with "a varied and interesting history” storied history, respectable history, any kind of history will condemn it to the potential wrecking ball.

Coyote Point, pretty prime real estate on the bay, perfect for development. Airport, bayfront, golf course, hotels, restaurants, shopping, you name it, Coyote Point’s got it. See the glossy sales brochures now.

Marine World Africa USA, Circle Star Theater, family entertainment once upon a time on the Peninsula, gone. We keep driving outside of the county to spend those entertainment dollars. Bay Meadows Race Track, there’s an interesting, storied and respectful history, we don’t need that family entertainment anymore either. Besides, it’s historical, at least that’s what the powers that be say (although in denial about that for several years) now that final approvals are near, suddenly Bay Meadows is historical and they want to pay hypocritical historic homage to it.

Now it appears that the good old Cow Palace, where working class people with middle incomes can still afford a wide variety of shows and entertainment, may be faced with years of political debate pretending to be interested in what the public has to say, only to sentence it to demolition and development in the end.

Looks like our salt ponds will disappear too if Cargill gets their way in RWC. We should be frightened, very, very frightened. In "history” our lands were plundered and pilfered by men with weapons in coats of armor, now it’s done by men with money in suits within the walls of our city halls.

Good-bye sweet Peninsula.

Linda Slocum Lara

San Mateo

Questionable candidacy

Editor,

Millbrae Mayor Gina Papan’s sometimes disregard for the public trust and accountability questions her candidacy for California Assembly. She has voted for known factually wrong service rates. Incorrect staff work has been accepted without question for accountability. She voted to purchase police cars, wasting thousands of dollars because an available competitive state police car contract was not used.

Better police service and staff stability are being called for. Utility rate concerns continue to surface. Money and staff time are wasted to replace good, drought tolerant landscaping at Skyline Boulevard with an irrigation system and new landscaping while a park remains brown and weeds overtake areas. She justifies refusing to meet to discuss city problems saying she is too busy. Perhaps running for the Assembly is taking precedence over mayoral duties. I think we can do better for a state Assembly person.

Lou Sandrini

Millbrae

Correction about

famous Eagle Scouts

Editor,

Correction to your March 26 "Know it all” column about Eagle Scouts. Once earning the Eagle rank, a boy scout is then an Eagle Scout for as long as he is alive, so the correct verbiage is that President Gerald Ford was an Eagle Scout and all others listed are Eagle Scouts.

Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!

Jim Latimer

San Mateo

The letter writer

is an Eagle Scout, 1973

and Scoutmaster, Troop 156