LETTERS FROM READERS

Something that had to be done

Wow. Tuesday’s Antelope Valley Press editorial section had three writers all on the same day who write nothing but what I consider trash. So I bunched up the paper and threw it in the fireplace where it belonged.

Dana Hessler Lancaster

Serious war crimes by Hamas

Jake Pickering states that “the Gaza Strip is the largest concentration camp ever built.”

If it was a concentration camp, it would be the first one with rocket manufacturing factories and personnel to launch them — lately close to 10,000 — at Israel. It would also be the first concentration camp that had a multibillion tunnel complex to hide its fighters and store weapons such as anti-tank missiles.

Where were the jailors when all this took place?

In 2005, Israel evacuated Gaza dismantling 21 settlements, even moved the cemeteries. Since then, there hasn’t been a single Israeli on Gaza land. Israel even left behind a functioning greenhouse complex that it hoped Gaza farmers would use to kick start an agricultural business. The Arabs trashed the greenhouses for scrap.

There are serious war crimes, but the most serious of all is Hamas using civilians as human shields. Sacrificing their own people to keep themselves safe should concern everybody.

Larry Shapiro Calgary

Christianity and immorality

Recently, there was a Veteran’s Day ceremony at Westpark Elementary School where “… the AV Mobile Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was on display for six days.” (“Westpark Elementary Ceremony Includes Mobile Vietnam Wall,” Nov. 14.)

Thanks also to the Southern Kern Unified School District,

Rosamond Municipal Advisory Council and Rosamond Chamber Of Commerce for hosting the AV Memorial. Julie Drake wrote about guest speaker Gerry Rice, who served in the US Army in Vietnam. Mr. Rice spoke about how his marriage and his family being affected upon his return.

Possibly there were no programs available to help with post-traumatic stress disorder. Mr. Rice credited his wife for him going to the Mobile Vietnam Memorial in 2002. Mr. Rice had an “awakening:” “What I found [is] people that understood me,” Rice said. “I found people that accepted me. I found people that embraced me and could finish my sentences. It was remarkable. I couldn’t get enough of it. The wall brought me there and these gentlemen taught me what it was to live better with what I’ve been through, and it changed my whole life.”

I don’t recall any letters written by conservatives helping anybody. Thacker criticizes my previous letters about racism but brings up his experience with racism as a white male. His viewpoint did not exist over 30 years ago. White people that wrote letters expressed how society has declined due to illegal immigrants. Back in 1994, Proposition 187 was passed by California that affected illegal immigrants.

Mr. Rice thrived and “… was instrumental in supporting the founding of the Vets4Veterans and serves as president of the nonprofit organization. … What I learned from Mike and George and Larry is that helping others is where you find healing for yourself.”

In over 30 years of writing to this newspaper, not one conservative has acknowledged the immorality of racism while claiming to be Christians. Mr. Rice exhibited Christianity by addressing/helping others in need. Thacker attends African American churches but writes a letter only of his experience as a white male and has not written nothing about his interactions with African Americans. If he did this, he would address racism.

Isn’t Guy Marsh an atheist who has not attended one church but writes about racism and other immoralities? Christianity addresses immorality. Would like Thacker, Rios, and Smith to address that. What I’ve done as a Christian will be in future letters.

Vincent White

Lancaster

Holidays are still a blast in the AV

As I write this, it’s Thanksgiving again, and you know what that means. More explosions. What, did you think I was going to say turkey?

Remember, in the nightmare that is the AV, every holiday is explosion day. That, and every other day of the entire year.

I know I sound like a broken record, and I’m sure many of you are sick of hearing from me about illegal fireworks, but when you’ve suffered from chronic, prolonged sleep deprivation and anxiety for years to the point where you literally cannot function, nothing else matters. When you’re practically bedridden for days at a time from exhaustion and incapacitating headaches due to being terrorized by explosions night after night, the rest of world’s problems seem infinitely far away.

I know there are bigger and worse problems in the world, and right here in own community, but does that mean that we don’t deserve to sleep? I’ve been routinely criticized for complaining about fireworks from people saying that others in the world have it so much worse. I know others have it worse, but does that mean I should be forbidden from asking my neighbors for compassion until Israel and Palestine are united in everlasting peace?

I’m not asking much. I just need the explosions to stop. Please help this community. Please report everything you can to the new Lancaster police department as soon as it’s up and running. The new police force is the first real hope we’ve ever had.

Matthew Sobol

Lancaster