Dig It!

Mucho kudos to Thomas Larson and to the Reader for this comprehensive piece on babies born here to Mexican mothers (Feature Story, September 22). I don’t think I’ve seen anything in print on this subject that so thoroughly covers all the aspects of this thorny issue. I especially liked the wrap-up with Maria, the clinic worker, who became a U.S. citizen eventually, after seeing the issue firsthand from different viewpoints.

This is the kind of reporting that makes the Reader worth a few more centavos than its newsstand price and which prompts me to continue to pick it up each week when I’m in the area.

Too bad there isn’t one single clue on the cover that such important writing lies inside. I, of course, realize that the Reader must have a flashy and lowbrow cover to induce the masses to pick it up and thus patronize its advertisers. But the Reader disserves its readers by not at least indicating up front that there is, in fact, good reading inside. I’m not criticizing the choice of putting John, the Swami, on the cover at all. We dig him a lot.

I also dig that the Reader spoofs its readers with “SD on the QT.” I can’t believe that so many bite!

Tom Summers
via email

Trampled By Bullies

Re Thomas Larson’s “Is He a Citizen?” (September 22, titled “On Sixth Avenue…” in the print version of the paper).

As long as organizations like the California Coalition for Immigration Reform (CCIR), William Gheens’s Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), and Jeff Schwilk’s San Diego Minutemen (SDMM) are involved in the illegal immigration issue, there will never be a respectable solution to the problem.

These hooligans of political activism have so tarnished the image of immigration law enforcement advocates that it has become extremely difficult to get serious and committed attention to the issue by our nation’s political governors.

It is no wonder that the Obama administration has seized the opportunity to take advantage of the disarray of so-called immigration law enforcement activists by announcing its planned “delay” (aka amnesty) in court proceedings for the millions of illegal aliens currently occupying U.S. territory.

Although there are many sincere and well-meaning persons involved in the movement advocating enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, they have unfortunately been trampled and shouted down by the Ultra Right bullies of political activism who really are involved in activism only as a means of fulfilling a sick quest for a delusional recognition as the “savior” of America or to carry out sinister racist agendas.

Shockingly, as I look back on my past seven years of activism in the illegal immigration issue, I can honestly say that I have encountered more unethical, immoral, and criminal-minded persons from my side of the debate than I have from the adversarial side of the debate over immigration.

Unless immigration law enforcement advocates conduct themselves in a respectable manner, there is little chance any political representative or candidate will ever take them seriously. Ergo, there is a very high likelihood that U.S. immigration laws will never be seriously enforced and “amnesty for illegals” will be the conduct du jour.

Jim Gilchrist
President
The Minuteman Project

Go Away, Teacher

Re Susan Luzzaro’s piece “The Tyranny of Those Tests” (“City Lights,” September 22). I was caught up by the absence of a suggestion that a disinterested, third-party firm should rate tests without knowing the school, the teacher, or the students’ names. It seems to me that teachers and principals should not have anything to do with testing (so there’s no foolin’ round with the scores). Then credit for good teaching will be accurate. Keep the education establishment out of the testing process. The idea of test-preparation classes should be stopped; know the subject or get a bad score. Lots of people take tests, after which they remember nothing.

Saul Harmon Gritz
via email

Correction

A letter that ran on September 22 written by Nancy stated that her brother’s “girlfriend was on the phone with him” when he committed suicide last year. The sentence should have read, “The 54-year-old guy who died on the Coronado bridge was on the phone with his girlfriend.”

Drink Water, Friends

I’m really disturbed by an ad that you have on page 91 in the September 22 issue. It says “Drink Beers Bitches!” I think that’s really offensive. It’s an ad for Daddy-O’s. I can’t believe you printed something like this.

Dawn Moats
Jamacha

It’s Not All Hopeless

Walter Mencken’s recent post “Is Suicide Painless?” is not only insensitive but potentially harmful (“SD on the QT,” September 15). Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among young adults, takes the lives of almost 400 San Diegans a year, and is almost always a symptom of a mental health condition, usually depression. Detailed descriptions of suicide in the media can often lead to a “contagion” effect. Also, the article does not mention that depression and other mental health problems are treatable and there are many options for help, such as 1-800-273-TALK (8255) the National Suicide hotline. Millions of people each year benefit from mental health treatment. Please let your readers know that there is help and hope for the hopeless.

Jerry Phelps, Ph.D.
University of California, San Diego

Counseling and Psychological Services

Seriously?

Regarding the letters that were written in regarding the “SD on the QT” article “Is Suicide Painless?” As a formerly suicidal person, I found the article quite amusing. If I had come across the article during my darkest days of depression, I still would have found it funny. People in America need to stop taking themselves so seriously and find the humor in any given situation. Granted, not everyone gets or appreciates gallows humor, but in a lot of cases, this is how people (like myself) cope with bad situations. Finding something to laugh at in a bad situation seems to me a somewhat healthier way to deal with bad things than to just mope about it. With people becoming offended at every last little thing, we’re quickly turning into a country where humor of any kind is no longer tolerated if it doesn’t conform to every last little nuance of political correctness. Please, find yourselves a sense of humor — or at least let people like myself and Mr. Mencken enjoy our own.

Christina Rothwell
via email

It’s Just Sad

I am writing about the article titled “Is Suicide Painless? Not Necessarily, Warns County Health Department” (“SD on the QT”), which was published on September 15 by the Reader. It is with great sadness to see a San Diego publication write such an article with the tragedies that have hit our community the last several months. One person dies of suicide every day in San Diego. One person dies of suicide every 15 minutes in the United States.

Your coverage does a disservice to our community and this critical topic. Suicide is a public health issue that is completely preventable. It is preventable only if we work individually and together toward this goal.

Media coverage is an important factor in making this preventable. Research shows that media coverage has an impact on suicide rates. Responsible reporting can actually mitigate rates, whereas irresponsible reporting such as this article can ignite it. I assume it was not the intent of the writer, editor, or the Reader as a publication to incite someone to take their own life, but this is what can be caused by this type of reporting.

I urge the Reader to release an apology to your readers and our community. In this apology I would hope you highlight the resources that San Diego has for people struggling with these issues. I also strongly urge you to remove this article from your website to minimize the risk and harm that it holds by staying on the internet.

Ruth Kenzelmann, Ph.D.
via fax

Four-Star Ollie

I wanted to comment on the front-page article “The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water” (September 15). It was a real breakthrough for the Reader to have some good investigative reporting. Ollie needs to be promoted, and make sure he contributes often. Big contrast from the pap which is usually in the Reader, like “Dad Was a Bum” (June 16), which conveys very little worthwhile information.

Three cheers for Ollie. Keep up the good work.

Henry Whipple
Del Cerro

Storm The Gates

Ollie, I think your article on De Anza Cove was a very good one (“The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water,” Cover Story, September 15). I think there should be a follow-up on how the citizens of this city can take this city back from the politicians who are wrecking it for us. I am absolutely appalled by the mayor.

Gail Cole
Linda Vista

Eye-Opener

Your article “The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water” (Cover Story, September 15) opened up my eyes to something I was completely unaware off. I never imagined the City of San Diego to be as corrupt as to hire Hawkeye as a way to terrorize inhabitants of De Anza Cove in hopes of having them flee the trailer park. As a San Diegan, it is shameful to read how Hawkeye literally shut off utilities and acted at a higher authority than policemen by physically and emotionally aggravating its inhabitants, with the consent of the City. As I read your article, I felt as if I were reading an article on Nazi Germany concentration camps. The people living in the trailer park do not deserve to pay and suffer for something the City consciously decided and is now trying to take away. We all deserve to know what is really going on and the way the City is managing the situation they got themselves into.

Joanna Hernandez
via email

City Pitches Beanball

This article gives some insights about the peculiar brand of hardball the City is willing to play in their land-dispute issues with mobile home park residents (“The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water,” Cover Story, September 15). Bringing in a company like Hawkeye to intimidate the residents was truly an outrageous maneuver, what with tactics like installing barbed wire — why not also put in a few gun towers while they were at it? It sheds light on what the City of San Diego is willing to do to “manage” their assets, and it’s clear that residents’ concerns don’t amount to much — look at the lame relocation compensation that was initially offered.

Having lived in another park for almost 20 years where the City owns the land but leases the management to a third party, I can attest to numerous challenges residents have had to deal with — most recently in 2007 when our park was placed on a “surplus land list” and first learning about it by reading a newspaper article!

It is heartening to know what determined residents can do by banding together to try and right a wrong. Prevailing in their abuse lawsuit over the shabby treatment they received by Hawkeye’s mismanagement provides for some vindication of the horrible ordeal residents suffered through, and I wish them well in their ongoing lawsuit for fair relocation expenses.

The City should clearly adhere to the state’s Mobile Home Residency Law and provide fair-market compensation for their homes, plus adequate relocation costs.

Skip Shaputnic
Linda Vista Village

Morals Declined With The Park

First, let me explain I have no sympathy for anyone who buys a home on leased land (“The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water,” Cover Story, September 15). Nor the landlord who tries to pull those lessees off.

However, for the mayor, city council, city manager, and state representatives to condone the actions reported seem to reflect the current moral decay and indifference to the public of some of our government representatives.

Fortunately, not all are like that. A similar situation took place in San Juan Capistrano several years ago. One of the oldest mobile home parks (proper name) was taken over by a new owner who wanted to develop condos. After similar harassment, the City stepped in and assisted the park residents in purchasing the site. Perhaps the De Anza Cove residents should again sue the City and State regarding the harassment and in compensation be allowed to buy the property. That would end the issue, begin rejuvenation, and give both the City and State the good spanking they deserve.

Anthony Foster
via email

Dysfunction Junction

I want to thank “Ollie” for writing that piece about the trailer park at Mission Bay (“The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water,” Cover Story, September 15).

I know what it’s like to live in a very dysfunctional neighborhood, and I could understand precisely what was written. I also think San Diego, in many respects, is corrupt.

Keep writing, keep publishing!!!!!!!!!

Marilyn
via email

Who’s Ugly? Everybody’s Ugly

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As to the ugly trailer park (“The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water,” Cover Story, September 15), I personally feel that Bonnie Dumanis is ugly. I can imagine that some men would find her attractive. I do not. I feel your current mayor to be quite ugly, and your cops are all ugly. The City needs to get off its pompous ass and provide housing for people of all incomes. I have to also mention Hillary Clinton.

David L. Lesser
via email

I (Heart) Truth

I just read the cover article “The Ugly Trailer Park Across the Water” (September 15). Fantastic writer. He is so right on, whoever Ollie is. Congratulate him for me. I’m not giving a name because I am employed by some of the attorneys involved in this case, but he is totally right on regarding the City and that management company, so congrats for getting it out there. I love the truth.

Name Withheld
via voice mail