May 24, 2008

Letters

Gay marriage

Dear Editor: At our congregation's board of directors meeting on Sunday, May18, we took the following action in response to the recent Supreme Court decision:

"Since Chalice Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) declared itself an open and affirming congregation over a decade ago and have sought to live that out, we, the Chalice board of directors, affirm the California Supreme Court decision of May 15, 2008, which strikes down the ban on same-gender marriages in our state. We call for equal rights of all citizens. We have all been created in God's image and recognize that God is Love. We affirm loving relationships and are happy to join with people of all sexual orientations in celebrating those relationships.

"We realize that there will be many leaders claiming to be the voice of the Christian faith who will decry and denounce the decision of the Supreme Court. Plenty of media attention will be paid to them, as they will be loud and insistent. We strongly feel that the voices of the progressive Christian community need to be heard and recognized in this debate, also. We are glad to offer that viewpoint with this resolution."

Lisa Buck Haley, moderator,

The Rev. Gerry Brague, pastor,

Chalice Christian Church



Bay Meadows

Dear Editor: The newest attempt at harassment by our local malcontents in regard to the closure of Bay Meadows Race Track is just one more gigantic waste of money and time.

During the last race meet that ran from Feb. 6 to May 11, there were 24 races with only four horses entered and two races with only three entries and one of those was a stakes race. This is not unusual and has been going on meet after meet at the Meadows for years. The track has had its day but it's been over for a good long time.

My wife and I have spent many a pleasant day at the track and for our patronage were treated, along with others, to a very fine buffet courtesy of the management for which we were very grateful. That was the track's way of saying thank you to those of us who helped support them as best we could. This self-proclaimed Friends of Bay Meadows group had never gone to the track and let the fan base deteriorate to a mere trickle it once was.

It's time for this harassment to stop and let them get on with the project at hand. This group will have to put their egos at rest and face the facts of life.

Racing in San Mateo is over. Got it?

Phil Everett,

San Mateo



Barack Obama

Dear Editor: Barack Obama's ascent has been unfairly facilitated by a press that colluded with the mass hysteria associated with this messianic figure.

Rather than dampen the enthusiasm and risk the backlash from the enraptured masses, the press played along, conveniently forgetting to mention the views of Mr. Obama's unconventional pastor, Obama's association with the Democratic Leadership Council and Wall Street lobbyists, and the unrepresentative nature of his caucus wins (where fewer votes get many more delegates than in the primary elections).

It will be a tragedy if John McCain wins due to the ill-informed populace voting for a tragically flawed candidate. I just hope superdelegates can contain this debacle and vote for Hillary as the real winner.

Ed Taub,

Mountain View



Gods then and now

Dear Editor: I just returned from two weeks in Egypt, where I saw temples built to the "gods-of-the-day" 4,500 years ago. Those gods were responsible for virtually everything, including "natural disasters that punished the people." Today, we have a GOP politician (Mike Moloney) who still believes that God punishes us with natural disasters. [Letters, Catholic beliefs, May 20] Mr. Moloney tells us that the God that told Bush to invade Iraq and to torture detainees is different from Mr. Moloney's God. How does he know that? In time, when the Greeks invaded and ruled Egypt, the Egyptian gods were replaced by Greek gods, and then Roman gods, and then Coptic Christianity and now Islam. We citizens need to be very wary of electing politicians whose actions are dictated by a god. As we can see from the Egyptian example, gods come and go.

Richard Sutherland,

Los Altos



Measure A

Dear Editor: Measure A, the Palo Alto Unified School District bond, will improve our schools. It will replace deteriorating portables with permanent classroom buildings. Not only does this yield better classrooms, but it will save space. Classroom wings can fit the same number of rooms on a smaller footprint. Another benefit is that new classrooms will be built to be more energy efficient.

Opponents describe new classrooms and facility renovations as "unnecessary," claiming that the facilities are "idle" most of the time. That is not my experience. Our schools are vibrant parts of our community. I live near Gunn High School, where on an evening or weekend, you might find Chamber Singers rehearsing, Robotics Team members working on their equipment, parent groups meeting, athletes competing, or thespians getting ready for the Shakespeare show. Community members run on the track on weekends; kids learn to swim in Palo Alto recreation programs during the summers.

The 1995 bond greatly improved many classrooms and built several new libraries. The facilities not remodeled in the earlier bond, however, are old and outdated. Enrollment is up by more than 25 percent since the last bond. Strained school budgets cannot both provide adequate educational programs, and fund large capital projects. I strongly support investing in better schools. Financing long-term improvements through a bond makes good sense. Although I do not have any kids currently in our schools, I will be voting "yes" on Measure A.

Don Anderson,

Palo Alto