Letters to the Editor

Your 9/16 story, "Coastal Cleanup...," notes that last year volunteers collected 700,000 pounds of trash, including 315,000 cigarette butts, from California beaches on cleanup day.

Sounds pretty bad, doesn't it?

Until you notice that there were 50,000 volunteers out there cleaning for a whole day. Do the math. That means in a whole day of cleaning, each one of them was able to find only six or seven cigarette butts ... or about one or two per hour of cleaning the beaches.

Meanwhile they each picked up about 15 pounds of trash. One ounce or so of which was cigarette butts. That's about 1/2 to 1 percent of the total weight.

The amount of trash and the cleanup are the real story. The information about cigarette butts is just anti-smoking spin. And it's been repeated in various news releases close to a dozen times over the past week or two. Ahhh ... the power of money.

Michael J. McFadden

Philadelphia

Talking to a wall

Editor,

In response to Ross Foti's comments on secular humanism, "Secular humanism is taking over our country" in the Sept. 23 edition of the Daily Journal:

First of all, though secular humanism a specific ideology, it definitely is not a religion.

Second, if the U.S. Government seems to be advocating things which coincidentally fall under the manifestations of secular humanism, that does not mean the government is conspiring to establish Secular humanism as a national religion.

Third, in order for our country to function as a democratic republic, we must allow elected representatives to make decisions which the minority population may not agree with. If U.S. jurisdiction is slowly fading away from Christian ideals, it's because the people don't want Christian ideals. Christians participating in this democratic experiment can, as Foti does, voice their disapproval as much as they want, yet at the same time, it is a bit rude to harp on something nobody agrees with, and nobody is going to agree with, especially when you know it.

If someone doesn't agree with your premise and there is no compromise to that premise, you're basically talking to a wall. I respect Ross Foti's activism - I admire it, in fact. But I hope he comes to the conclusion someday that employing fallacious arguments to recruit Christians is not only dishonest, but a waste of time.

Max Golding

Belmont

Library material in foreign language offensive

Editor,

Our public libraries are a valued resource for residents and I am a regular patron. They are a wealth of information and are staffed by professionals.

They strive to provide information for all of our citizens...from the youngest among us to our newest arrivals in this country. Yet a significant change is occurring now which beckons a response.

After signing-on to the Millbrae library Internet computer, I was astonished to see the "home page" in Spanish. To see the home page in English, it was required to click on the "English" icon! The librarian, when asked, informed me that this is a "temporary" situation to promote their new Spanish content.

As a resident, citizen and taxpayer, I have an expectation that the materials in our libraries be made available in English without conditions.

Sublimating English to a secondary status is objectionable and an inappropriate way to "promote" any other language. Language is too important to relegate to a advertising scheme, no matter how "temporary." The library should discontinue this offensive practice without delay. Other, less coercive methods to publicize their offerings should be considered. http://www.smclenespanol.org/flash.html

Ethan E. Jones

Millbrae

Councilman should be commended not condemned

Editor,

My hat is off to Belmont Councilman Dave Warden who recommended that our national motto, "In God We Trust" be displayed in our new City Hall Council Chamber, as it is in the Senate Chamber and House of Representatives and the Cities of Bakersfield, Delano and Wasco and as it is on every coin and bill in our pockets.

Our Nation was founded by courageous people who demanded separation of church and state but were very outspoken about their faith and trust in God. It was through their wisdom and hard work that all freedoms we enjoy today in America were gained.

I would have liked the Motto of our Nation to have been adopted as motto for our Belmont and feed sad that our City Council took no action on Dave's suggestion. It was as through the rest of the City Council said, "God, you stay out of our Council Chamber. We can handle it ourselves." In little ways like this, failing to speak up for things we believe in, our freedoms gradually go down the drain.

Jim McLaughlin

Belmont

An ode to Tom Lantos

Editor,

Tom Lantos for president!

Please give me a break.

It's much more than our

poor country can take.

The truth behind all

this nonsensical talk

is the fact that he's the

world's greatest war hawk.

Among his tall stories

is he's a holocaust surviva.

If you believe that I'll tell you

that I'm Lady Godiva.

Meanwhile I look forward

to see our greatest day

will be when he's defeated by

the Green Party's Pat Gray.

Arthur J. Ost

San Mateo