Letters to the editor

Belmont City Council

Editor,

Upon hearing of adoption of the most stringent anti-smoker law in the history of this country, I felt compelled to write to the members of Belmont City Council to express my sincere dismay at their decision to abrogate their primary responsibility as American elected officials. To wit, their obligation to preserve the rights and freedoms of their constituency. Their effort to deny fellow citizens the right to make their own choices for what they consider to be their own good is a betrayal of the fundamental principles of this country.

Further, their attempt to hide behind the patently ridiculous pretense that a burning cigarette in a million square feet of open air represents an existential threat to human life, or that the inhabitants of multi-family dwellings must be protected from ETS as it can magically penetrate ceilings, floors and walls in its unquenchable desire to kill non-smokers instantly, would be laughable if it wasn’t so profoundly un-American.

Contrary to what they obviously believe, the founding principle of this country is not "your freedom ends where my nose begins,” but is the understanding that the only true guarantor of liberty is the commitment of all of us to defending the personal freedoms of each other (even the ones we don't like).

Their actions show that they are American neither in character nor spirit. Therefore, on behalf of the people of the United States, I implore them to vote to secede from our country at their next council meeting. I suggest they then seek political union with another nation where their contempt for the personal sovereignty of their countrymen can be expressed purely and without the base alloy of hypocrisy. Cuba, perhaps, would be a good choice. Best wishes and happy holidays.

Michael J. Tepedino

Deer Park, N.Y.

Fight against child labor

Editor,

There are estimated 250 million children engaged in child labor around the world and about 171 million work in hazardous conditions. Of the 250 million, approximately 70 percent work in agriculture. The children, ages 5 to 14, began their days early in the field. They work long hours, baking in the sun and exposed to pesticides. Their bodies can grow awkwardly from the positions they must perform to pick the fields. Many are enslaved and abused. Much of the child labor is in Asian and Pacific regions, with 19 percent of the 240 million working there and Africa with 48 million child workers. Of the 48 million, a reported 284,000 children between ages 9 and 12 work on the West Africa cocoa farms. The cocoa farms are important to many U.S. coffee and candy companies, such as Starbucks and M&M/Mars. With about 43 percent of the world’s cocoa produced just on the Ivory Coast, it is frustratingly difficult to imagine the number of children slaving away in fields as we enjoy a handful of M&Ms or a cup of Starbucks.

Though the number of children working in agricultural produce is alarmingly higher than children who work in mines and other areas, there has been little done to help them achieve better living standards. However, the best solution to the problem is Fair Trade. Since cocoa-reliant companies love how inexpensive it is to receive cocoa shipments from Africa and the producers do no have to pay high wages for labor, Fair Trade guarantees producers the income they need, pays their workers a fair salary and provides consumers the knowledge no forced or abusive child labor was used. The unfortunate thing is that many leading candy and coffee companies will not buy or sell much of the Fair Trade products, since it is slightly more expensive.

If you could be the voice for the children and inform the public of their hardships and the best solution to the problem, Fair Trade, you would help to save lives and give those children the opportunity to an education and a childhood. You have the chance to turn heads and make people aware of what they’re doing when drinking that cup of Starbucks coffee; they are unbeknownst to the fact that they’re contributing against the cause.

Alison Yee

San Mateo

Old tricks

Editor,

I have been looking for some reaction to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s latest maneuvers, as reported in the Daily Journal.

I would think that there would be loud cries of "I Told You So” by his opponents who were not misled by his recent conversion to being a nice guy. The Journal indicated that instead of battling the special interests, as promised, he seems to have embraced them. Instead of saving the taxpayers’ money and disbanding the agencies he said were unnecessary, he continues them, appoints his fired staff to run them, and as a reward pays them more money then they were making before. Wouldn’t it be in the public interest if the Journal would follow up on this and see if we can make Schwarzenegger reform?

Jack Haber

Redwood City