I thoroughly enjoyed [the article by Carl Heintze on Dec. 3] about the Donner family and its sad chapter in California history. We own a family place at Tahoe Donner and know of the campsite that he referenced. We have been there many times and always try to imagine how it must have been. When we are snug in our mountain home with the snow falling in huge amounts, I sometimes go out on our deck to get a feel for the cold. Of course, nothing that we can do would give us a true feeling as we are well fed and can come inside at any time or leave for the valley.

—Mary Ann (Hogan) Shirhall, Rocklin (formerly of Los Gatos)

ALL event was a big success

The Alive ... And Loving Life initiative wants to thank all the people who made our Nov. 15 event at the Town Plaza a success: the Town of Los Gatos Department of Parks and Public Works, Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department, Los Gatos High School, Los Gatos­Saratoga Joint Union School District, Leigh High Key Club, Los Gatos­Saratoga Community Education and Recreation Department, A Place For Teens (The Outhouse), Fisher Middle School, CASA, Pizza My Heart, Los Gatos Lion's Club, Los Gatos Kiwanis Club, Buckles-Smith Electric of San Jose (who lent us their equipment), Los Gatos Meats, Friday Night Live, Kinko's, Westwind (for making our banners), Eastfield Ming Quang, Safe Rides, the Media Advocacy Group and the Under 21 Club team.

The entertainment was great, so thanks to Los Gatos Music.org for inviting the Los Gatos Dance Team, and local bands: Out Of Fiction, Indra Fumunda, and the Silent Attack. Thanks to the many teens from Los Gatos High, Leigh, St. Francis, and Fisher who, in spite of the rainy weather, came to join us. We give a special thanks to Passions in Music for partnering with us.

There are so many individuals to acknowledge here because so many have joined the ALL effort. Something special is happening in our town. Adults and teens are working side by side to create a vibrant, safe and inclusive community. All together we are making Los Gatos a community we want to celebrate.

—Sandy Decker, past Mayor of Los Gatos

—Trudy McCulloch, Principal of LGHS

—Cindy Ranii, Superintendent of Los Gatos­Saratoga Joint Union School District

—Scott Seaman, Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Chief

Ms. Pak and Mr. Pfagler, are we living in the same world? I'm out here on the frontlines of the war on terror and seeing horrific violations of rights and liberties, and Ms. Pak and Mr. Pfagler are playing semantics game and slicing the Constitution with the surgeon's knife of skepticism. I wonder if they think that Jihad is a kid's game or the very real holy war being waged against the U.S. and the free nations of this world?

Terrorism has become a global threat, its only comparison is to that of the black plague. We've seen the rage of terrorists in the last two years, including the Sept. 11 events in New York City. One does not fully grasp the horrors of people like Saddam Hussein until you see their work—I've seen the graves in Iraq and the war mongering in Liberia.

What is it that I'm seeing that they miss? Do they know how to spot terrorists or a terrorist act? Do they expect to see a man with a ski mask and assault rifle whenever someone mentions a terrorist? Or will they realize that terrorists blend into their environment?

Putting politics aside, how do they think we can stop global terrorism and protect American citizens and America herself? When they can answer that, I'm likely to listen. Otherwise, I will continue to fight terrorism and keep it from reaching our shores, even if it means I must lay down my life for those who do not appreciate fighting men and women of this nation.

If you have answers, expose them. If not, learn more about how terrorists act and develop defensive mechanisms, not skeptical rhetoric. Sooner or later, you're going to need it. The Patriot Act helps protect us, and you should turn their thoughts to protection not skepticism. Semper Fidelis is not only a motto for the Marine Corps; it's our way of life.

—Tom C. Ferguson, Lance Corporal, United States Marine Corps


Praising efforts of defenders of liberty

1984 was required reading in our son's sophomore year, so he's quite familiar with it, Mr. Pflagler. Perhaps you have confused Washington with the Muslim extremists who rant on global domination of their extreme views through terrorism and killing innocent victims and grant no liberties nor freedom. Your one-liners are for comedians, not serious defenders of freedom and liberties.

And thank God there are those like our son who have the courage to defend those liberties and rights so those who want them but don't know how to defend them can have them.

—Bill Ferguson, Monte Sereno


Take a look around— '1984' is here

Those that are wringing their hands over the loss of privacy due to the Patriot Act need to take a breath and look around their own backyard. The idea that somehow we all share a shield of privacy is simply living in a dream world.

Do you own a home, have a credit card, use a cell phone, pay taxes, drive? Home ownership records are public and you need permission from your local government to cut a tree down on your own property. Credit card companies know and keep records of everything you buy, everyplace you travel and many more intimate details of your life. If you constantly carry your cell phone around, your exact location is readily available due to the signal your phone is broadcasting. Our most intimate financial details are forwarded to the Feds and the state in the form of tax returns.

Those are just a few examples of how we willingly, or unwillingly in the case of taxes, surrender personal information (privacy) in exchange for a product or service. The Patriot Act is narrowly aimed toward terrorism. It seems logical that we must employ new and creative ways to effectively fight the war on terror. Unlike any other war in history, this one is not being waged against a country or regime but a worldwide organization of terrorist bent on the destruction of the "infidels," which happens to include all of us.

Some would suggest that terrorists are garden variety criminals and should be accorded all the rights of generic criminals. To believe such is to believe garden variety criminals' most cherished goal is the destruction of the entire western world, as opposed to, say, stealing your lawnmower.

The Patriot Act certainly contains some provisions that are worrisome and if, or when, the Act is used to prosecute non-terrorist activities, it will assuredly be taken to the courts. The courts exist for the very purpose of protecting the citizens from overaggressive legislation. To this point in time, the Supreme Court has not so much as received a request of a hearing on a Patriot Act abuse or violation.

Until there is rampant abuse of the Act, it might be more productive to concentrate our efforts on preserving privacy in the area of our state and local governments and their complicity in the loss of our basic rights. Our state and local politicians are the ones that regulate every nuance of our everyday lives.

Have you noticed the ubiquitous use of video cameras on most every street corner? Believe it or not, George Bush didn't put them there. Of course, the local government says they are for "safety" reasons but that doesn't dilute the fact that each and every one who goes through that intersection is video taped. The intrusion into our private lives is most always originated on the local level and concerns about privacy and property rights should be squarely trained on the local bureaucrats who control our lives in a most personal way.

Many have claimed the Patriot Act is "Orwellian" (mostly for partisan reasons). Make no mistake—George Orwell's 1984 arrived long before the Patriot Act.

—Martin E. Kavanagh, Saratoga