Dear Editor,
If Mr. Stajich has a message I am afraid it is lost in his obvious prejudicial views and vitriolic attack on those with whom he disagrees.
At least it is a relief to know that the people protesting at the town hall meetings are only “hillbillies and unemployed people and that they can be paid off “with a weeks worth of beer and cigarette money.” I am all for requiring lobbyists to wear name tags or arm bands to separate them from citizens, although I believe that was tried once before with disastrous results. God knows lobbyists can’t possibly be citizens.
And as for calling this “affordable heath care” I have listened to hours of political discussion on this health care reform bill and I have yet to hear anybody on either side of the issue that either knows a thing about the bill itself, how it will be implemented or what it will finally cost. Workable? Affordable?, The jury is still out.
I hope no hillbillies, unemployed persons, cigarette smokers or beer drinkers have been offended. The lesson being if you happen to find yourself in any of the above mentioned categories you have no right to express an opinion in a manner contrary to Mr. Stajich and even if you do express your opinion it is worth no more than that of a “shill and paid fake.”
I invite Mr. Stajich to lead by example and be the first in his neighborhood to wear an ID bracelet and name tag. We wouldn’t want any out of towners expressing their opinions in our local paper without properly identifying themselves first.
Ps: Not necessary to divulge your smoking or drinking habits.
Sincerely,
Jack L. Allen, Santa Monica
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Dear Editor,
I’m in complete agreement with Paul Cummins’ excellent article about the U.S. involvement in the American Vietnam war. We should never have started the war in the first place. The following statement by Cummins, however, is incorrect: “…the little girl burning with Agent Orange running naked up the dirt road…” It should read as follows: “…the little girl burning from a napalm attack running naked up the dirt road…” Agent Orange was used to defoliate trees and affected human beings indirectly.
I spent three years in South Vietnam during the war–from 1962 to 1973. While there during 1972-73, I worked as a staff officer for the National Academy of Sciences study of the effects of Agent Orange.
Joe Carrier
Pacific Palisades
