Letter

In response to Sonny Shear's Jan. 3 letter, “Baffling letter was full of inaccuracies,” and in defense of Francis Adams. In my view, it comes down very hard on an 87-year-old who has experienced life for a lot more years than I wager Mr. Shear has and who, like the rest of us who write letters, expresses his views and opinions. We are not journalists or reporters. We cannot be held to those standards. I hope that if I live to be 87, I will still have the interest and ability to be involved in issues affecting our community and country.

Regarding Francis Adams' recent letter ("Glendalian is not in Kansas anymore," Nov. 11), first of all, us "no-brain Californians" actually fought off a Republican from buying the governorship for roughly $141 million of her own money. If you can remember two weeks ago, the mud-slinging went both ways, but our governor-elect actually voted for the last 28 years. The bright spot for us will be that someone will actually be looking out for the middle class again. Adams' memory seems to evade logic since it was the Republicans that put this country in the financial mess that it finds itself, with the Bush administration policies of the last eight years.

This is in response to Dan Kimber's May 4 letter re: Bryan Griem's response to an In Theory question about people of different faiths marrying. Kimber rebuts Griem's viewpoint and makes a number of other erroneous observations as to what the Bible says. Kimber obviously has in his all-knowing response overlooked the biblical passage of II Corinthians 6:14, which states that Christians should not be “unequally yoked,” the meaning of which is open to much interpretation but is certainly very supportive of Bryan Griem's point of view.

I am writing concerning a letter which was titled “ Antidepressants are to blame for violence ” in your Jan. 30 issue. I believe the writer has made some false cause-and-effect conclusions. Does he think that the people who committed violent acts were just fine before they took the antidepressants, and then went off? They were taking medications because they were having some mental health issues. Television ads for some antidepressants caution about possible suicidal thoughts for the person taking the medications or their family to be alert to any problems.

I read the recent letter to the editor in the News-Press, “GCC should dispense with its empires” (by Trent Sanders, Sept.18), with great excitement. As the new staff development officer at Glendale Community College, it seems, according to Sanders, that I head an office “with scads of costly 'programs' to make life comfortable for the teachers and administrators.” I wish I knew where they were hidden. Our current budget to provide training for all faculty, staff and administrators from July 1, 2012, to June 31, 2013, is $19,200.

Last weekend, a reader noted in amazingly fine detail (“Film's R-rating was well warranted,” Jan. 14) all the gory parts of the movie “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” that earned it an “R” rating. While I agree with her assessment of the reviewer, I am also glad I saw the movie on Friday, before our astute reader gave up all the good parts. The letter should have had a “spoiler alert.” As the movie was mostly static, the violence seemed all the more shocking and I felt it enhanced the movie's complexity.

Francis Adams' letter printed on Dec. 27, “A witness to history and change in America,” may be an example of freedom of speech, but it is so loaded with inaccuracies, generalizations and contradictions, that I am baffled as to why it was printed, unless it was to show the readership what kind of nonsense pervades our society. A good example is the conviction she has, along with all the people that purchased record numbers of guns (reported the same day in the Los Angeles Times)

Calligraphy, the art of designing letters, can be traced back as far as the 10th century and the inherently artistic Ottoman Turks. With today's technology and available theme font selection at our fingertips, it is easy to forget that these artistic interpretations of the alphabet have been designed by someone. Burbank's Creative Arts Center Gallery hosts an exhibition titled "Expressions — Images from Our Pens," a showcasing of the best work, from all skill levels, of the members of the Society for Calligraphy.

After reading Paul Carney's letter, I was sick to my stomach. As an Armenian American, I honor and support human rights. I recognize all the genocides that have occurred in history and those that are still going on. The issue here is this: Does the News-Press actually care about all the issues that are going to be raised from this letter? The letter clearly shows the News-Press supports Mr. Carney, and that's why it was published. It also reveals discrimination not only toward the Armenians but toward all minority groups in the United States.

The letter from Pat Tomlin regarding flag etiquette is probably the best letter with a solution that I have read. In addition to the City Council and mayor, I believe all citizens of the community should have a copy of the book, "Your Flag, Everything You Want To Know About The Flag Of The United States of America." It seems to me, the Armenian community feels you are antiArmenian if you disagree with the lowering of the flag on Armenian Genocide Day, which is not the case at all. The book should be read by all newcomers to our country and our city.

This is in response to Dan Kimber's May 4 letter re: Bryan Griem's response to an In Theory question about people of different faiths marrying. Kimber rebuts Griem's viewpoint and makes a number of other erroneous observations as to what the Bible says. Kimber obviously has in his all-knowing response overlooked the biblical passage of II Corinthians 6:14, which states that Christians should not be “unequally yoked,” the meaning of which is open to much interpretation but is certainly very supportive of Bryan Griem's point of view.

Maybe letter-writer Dean Briggs (“ Thoughts on reaching across the aisle ,” April 17) needs to reread the actual In Theory question about interfaith marriage that was asked to the panel. It was not whether we should have contact with or help our fellow human beings regardless of religious or spiritual convictions, but whether marriage can survive and grow when there is such a difference in thoughts and beliefs. I found his letter to be obnoxious and mean-spirited. I enjoy reading Sunday's In Theory section and always look forward to the Rev. Bryan Griem's answers because, unlike most of the panel, he doesn't try to be politically correct or play to the majority of public opinion.

I find it ironic that letter-writer Roberta Medford is upset to see Mike Mohill's posters flourish up and down Honolulu Avenue and elsewhere (“ Not a fan of what Mohill stands for ,” Mailbag, Feb. 13). She states that businesses should not express their politics and that shopkeepers risk turning customers away with partisanship. Where was Medford when former councilman John Drayman, the unofficial mayor of Montrose, ran for office and had posters all over town? Did she object then?

As city manager, I am precluded from advocating for or against a ballot measure. Yet as city manager it is incumbent upon me to help ensure the public has reliable and factual information in voting on such measures. In the case of Measure B, the consideration of amendments to the Glendale city charter regarding generally accepted accounting principles and the charter-authorized General Fund transfer, it is important voters know what is real and what is not. A recent letter to the editor by Harry Zavos on Feb. 20 distorts both the facts and history of the General Fund transfer by GWP Glendale Water & Power.

The Glendale News-Press welcomes letters to the editor on all subjects, including local campaigns. We do, however, adhere to a blackout period before voters go to the polls. So, those who are interested in writing letters related to the March 5 election must submit them by noon on Thursday, Feb. 21, for inclusion in the Saturday, Feb. 23, issue of The News-Press. Please send your letters to carol.cormaci@latimes.com .

Craig Kupka, I appreciate your thoughts about guns (“ Hunting rifles, shotguns are enough ,” Mailbag, Feb. 6), but you are an optimist. If you think owners of illegal guns are going to surrender their handguns and military-style weapons don't hold your breath; you won't live that long. Your thought on rejuvenating the mental health system is a goal we should attempt to achieve. Unfortunately, the mental health system is so fractured it will take years and billions of dollars to reach a meaningful status.

I am writing concerning a letter which was titled “ Antidepressants are to blame for violence ” in your Jan. 30 issue. I believe the writer has made some false cause-and-effect conclusions. Does he think that the people who committed violent acts were just fine before they took the antidepressants, and then went off? They were taking medications because they were having some mental health issues. Television ads for some antidepressants caution about possible suicidal thoughts for the person taking the medications or their family to be alert to any problems.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) on Tuesday called on the U.S. postmaster general to abandon plans to close and sell the historic post office on Broadway in Glendale as part of a nationwide effort to rein in costs. In his letter, Schiff said closing the office at 313 E. Broadway “would mean a significant degradation in services for the community” and do little to achieve the agency's goal. Richard Maher, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, said officials are considering closing the building, but would relocate services to a smaller retail site nearby.

The car-sized rover Curiosity had a clean landing on Mars five months ago. But planetary missions didn't always run so smoothly at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Mariner 3, a probe sent to do a first-ever flyby in 1964, failed to get to the Red Planet during a stressful time at the space agency. Engineers were under intense pressure to beat Russia in the space race. Another spacecraft launched three weeks later, Mariner 4, eventually made it to Mars. It returned the first grainy close-up images of a foreign terrain.

I am grateful for the News-Press letters to the editor, both that the paper provides it and that many people write in. From time to time one hears that newspapers might be on the decline, because of the Internet first and foremost. Yet the News-Press' Mailbag section is robust enough that it makes me think newspapers are still vital. What do you think, editor Dan Evans? Greg Dahlen Glendale Editor's reply: Thanks for the note, and for writing. Though newspapers do have their challenges, the News-Press is in a better position than most because of our unique connection to our community, and the letters page does reflect that.