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Letters President was acquitted, but not exonerated
The acquittal will stand as a monument to the saying, "Hypocrisy is the homage that politics pays to principle."
This story was reported on a San Francisco radio station recently: While the impeachment process was concluding in Washington, a sky writer hired by a Florida company flew over the D.C. airport and wrote a message. When he landed, he was arrested, searched, fingerprinted and detained for some time, charged with having violated air-space security.
He had not. A skilled pilot who has been flying since he was a teenager, he had a map of the area and did not violate air-space security. What he wrote in the sky is what they didn't like. "This is God. Convict or else."
In the sensational trial of the president, equal justice under the law has been subverted by partisan politics.
Mr. Clinton has been acquitted. But not exonerated. And his first order of business should be to return Lt. Kelly Flynn to her former rank and status in the Air Force; pardon all who are serving time in federal prison for perjury; and rewrite the Uniform Code of Military Justice to eliminate perjury and adultery as court-martial offenses.
Unless this happens, "Equal Justice Under The Law" should be removed from the building on which those words are engraved.
Vern Hansen
Los Gatos
DeCinzo cartoon showed stereotype of the homeless
I hope you receive a flood of protests about the DeCinzo cartoon in the Feb. 24 issue of the Weekly-Times. Depicting a homeless man of the worst possible character feeds into the most prejudiced and ignorant stereotype.
I assume that most of us already know that homelessness is very complex, that many good people are on the streets for reasons ranging from injuries to illness to lack of affordable housing, and that every individual out there has a unique history, a heart, and value.
I've had the privilege of knowing hundreds of homeless people, most of whom are intelligent, caring, and trying hard, and many of whom are employed! Because they have no financial cushion, a small setback (a minor illness, loss or unexpected expense) is enough to foil their best plans to get re-established in housing.
Who knows how many of us are just one paycheck away from homelessness? I sincerely hope that no one in this community wants the small-minded attitude of that cartoon to represent the perspective or values of Los Gatos.
Count me as one more citizen in favor of the showers and opposed to the continued publication of the DeCinzo cartoons in our paper.
Janis Baron
Los Gatos
DeCinzo confuses good satire with mean-spiritedness
In his cartoon in the Feb. 24 issue of the Weekly-Times, cartoonist Steven DeCinzo is confusing satire with mean-spiritedness, and humor with out-and-out viciousness. I preface my statement with this: I am not a member of any homeless coalition affiliated with any local church. I do have the capacity to show compassion and humanitarianism toward those less fortunate.
This clearly is not a position the Weekly-Times represents by publishing Mr. DeCinzo's cartoon. At whom will the next "cartoon" be directed? Catholics, Jews, African Americans, Hispanics, the consumer of designer coffee?
After Mr. DeCinzo has run short of minority targets, will you publish his Fourth Estate twaddle directed at your weekly publication?
Before moving to Los Gatos, I lived in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose for many years. I have lived in the Santa Clara County since the early 1960s. I have seen this valley grow and change. I watch with dismay the disregard people have shown toward the less fortunate as demonstrated in Mr. DeCinzo's cartoon stereotyping these people as irresponsible and nothing more than the scum of the earth.
Actually, they are your sons, daughters, mothers and fathers. They are professionals and they are the blue-collar workers. In other words "they" are you and I. Many are mentally and physically disabled, yet, Mr. DeCinzo would draw his trite little cartoon in a fashion which would lead to belief they are all drug-crazed, irresponsible threats to you and our families.
As in Willow Glen, here in Los Gatos you see an affluence which, in most cases, I assume to be well deserved. I also see, I am sorry to report, the same attitude toward those less fortunate. Not so much in the average citizen, but rather the Decinzos of Los Gatos, cheap imitation of satire. Mort Sahl is satire, George Carlin is satire. Mr. DeCinzo's cartoon reeks of hypocrisy and racism.
My suggestion for Mr. DeCinzo is: as you sit meditating, because it makes you feel good, perhaps you could encourage yourself to help with the problem instead of drawing a cartoon of hate. Try adding to, instead of degrading and perhaps we can make some progress as a society. If we, the public, endorse your trite vindictive, we are all in a sorrowful way.
Now I realize this letter will probably never be published. I do hope that it might dissuade Mr. DeCinzo to think of what he has written. I also do not expect much, as it is hard for a leopard to change his spots, but it can happen. Here is a quote by Albert Einstein I came across this very morning: "Ours is a society that has perfected its means yet neglected its meaning."
Alan Bennett
Los Gatos
Several paychecks separate homeless from many here
I am really disappointed in the cartoon you published on Feb. 24 about the showers for the homeless. How could anyone be so heartless as to begrudge someone a hot, soapy shower?
If this cartoon is supposed to be indicative of the homeless population in Los Gatos, DeCinzo really missed the mark.
I have intermittent contact with several homeless people in Los Gatos. Most of them are mentally ill. They do not have the good fortune to have family to take care of them. Some of them are alcoholic (and so are some of the folks in the big estates), and some are probably addicted to drugs. Sounds a lot like the general population to me.
I haven't seen the fights or vandalism to which DeCinzo alludes. I have seen people who are grateful to be treated with dignity and recognized as human beings. Many of my friends and I know that "but for the grace of God go we," and we do what we can in a small, anonymous way to be kind.
I think the human connection is as welcomed as the couple of dollars, a cup of coffee, or a warm jacket.
I don't have a church affiliation and I am not connected with any social services, but I do have the understanding that many families in this valley are only a few paychecks away from being homeless and if they have no friends or family to help them, they will be out on the streets and sleeping in a car (if they have one left).
There's a story in an old Book that many people profess to read and follow. It says in part "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me." I don't think providing a place where people could clean up is contrary to these principles.
Maybe the problem is that putting showers in place would make homelessness in Los Gatos a reality! People would have to move beyond denial and that's not very comfortable.
Just remember that when you see someone in dire straits, if it was your child, or one of your parents, wouldn't you want someone to be kind to them?
Pat Gallagher
Los Gatos
Website helps us picture what the boulevard can be
In his commentary about his North 40 website in the Feb. 24 issue of the Los GAtos Weekly-Times, Mark Brodsky paints an appealing vision of what the North 40 could be--actually the North 60 since he covers both sides of the north end of Los Gatos Boulevard in that vision. More of Los Gatos and less strip mall/urban sprawl.
Like Mark, I too participated for many years in the Boulevard Vision process, and this is the first concrete, complete, integrated concept I have seen come out of it, beyond general planning goals and design guidelines, since the design charette several years ago.
Actually, Mark has synthesized the best of the creative ideas born in the charette exercise and subsequent public planning meetings into a very appealing and doable vision.
Of course, it is at this point one man's vision, but it can serve very well as a starting point for community dialogue. One issue in particular that will need to be nailed down is that we must be sure to develop a design and land-use pattern for La Rinconada de Los Gatos (I like that name Mark referred to better than North Los Gatos) that will not compete with Los Gatos' downtown, but rather complement it to the benefit of both areas of town.
I am convinced that can be done, but we must be conscious of it as the dialogue proceeds.
Mike Abkin
Los Gatos
Mark Brodsky's website is at www.northlosgatos.com--Editor
Marcia Jensen will be missed
I was sad to hear of Marcia Jensen's retirement from the Los Gatos Planning Commission. During her 10-plus years of service, she has consistently been a clear, articulate and thoughtful voice for the town. I want to express my gratitude for her hours of study and willingness to serve our community. Her capable and strong leadership will be missed.
Elizabeth C. Smith
Monte Sereno
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
