A helping hand needed
The county and its leadership needs to address the damage that is being done to many of the innocent victims of the recent Valley Fire. This selective damage is the fact that many of the Cobb area citizens, who have lived in their cabins that were lost for years are being told they can not re-build their cabins, due to a change in the building codes to using septic tanks.
If the fire had not occurred they would still be living in their homes that they have occupied for years, and when the county sewer systems where available to them, at that time they would have been able to up-grade and hooked up to that system. But due to the fire, they are told they cannot rebuild their homes on land they own. This is a real injustice.
There are hundreds if not thousands of homes in the county that still use septic tanks and are not being told they must leave their homes due to their use of same. There are no common sense reasons to target these folks who have suffered the loss of not only their homes but all their belongings and mementos of a lifetime. Many have had their families support in stepping up to the plate in helping them rebuild, and again have housing that they can afford to live in.
The county’s citizens have had a record over decades of standing up and support the other citizens who live here. It is part of the greatness of living here in Lake County. The county needs to work with these folks with understanding and more importantly, a caring heart in dealing with this type of issue. A long term plan for future hook ups to be put place, yet, using a repaired septic system that allows those who have already suffered so greatly to go on with their lives as members of the communities they have supported and been part of over the years. They’re not asking for taxpayer funds, but only the ability to repair and use what they have lost until an upgrade is available.
All of us have endured higher living expenses to live in this special place, due to higher retail prices we all pay to cover shipping costs, etc., and it’s time those in need get a helping hand at this special time. The leadership has the ability to offer such help and truly needs to do that with this issue.
A caring heart is a powerful tool and asset in enter acting with our fellow neighbors and citizens.
Jim Hall, Clearlake Oaks
They need to change
Recently, there was a letter from a Kelseyville resident that attempted to refuted my position on Muslim immigration by quoting the Old Testament. It is true that the OT has a few exhortations for the Israelites to kill unbelievers, but these passages are not very numerous and are quite specific. Consider an example that the letter didn’t include, namely, the destruction of Jericho. Everyone in the town was killed, save one. The OT God, however, did not then urge the Israelites to continue killing all non-Israelites. The Qur’an repeats over and over, “Kill unbelievers.”
The fellow from Kelseyville also mentioned that Pope Francis had extended an Ecumenical hand to the Muslims and other religions. What did the writer expect? Christians are taught to love their enemies and to turn the other cheek! The Qur’an, needless to say, does not teach anything remotely like this injunction. In fact, though the term “Jihad” is not a word in the Qur’an, the Prophet’s statements support the concept, which is why Muslims practice Jihad. Of course, one wonders how anyone can worship a god that approves of indiscriminate killing of non-believers. Even worse, is to invite his intolerant worshippers into one’s country!
I suggest that those readers who find the Qur’an too onerous a read, try “The Trouble with Islam Today,” written by Irshad Manji, who urges Muslim’s to reinterpret their scriptures, which even moderate Muslims refuse to do.
Charles Moton, Lucerne
I’m OK, you not so much
The sad truth about America is it is being ruined by my generation. The I’m OK you’re OK generation, that still thinks the world problems can be solved by sitting in circle in People’s Park and singing Kumbaya, or burning a big fatty in their dorm room, while pondering the inequalities of what the rest of the world simply calls life, is ridiculous.
The I’m OK you’re OK theory has brought us to the place, and time, where almost nothing you do can get you labeled as howling mad. This blurring of these line has given us the majority of our recent mass murders. We seem to feel we must protect our little odd ducklings from the big bad world, when actually the opposite is often the case. Sadly many of these delusional people wouldn’t have the money, or time, to do these horrible things, if they didn’t have the endless support of misguided family members.
Although we like to categorize terrorists, by their reasons for their attacks, the truth of the matter is, it doesn’t make any difference when your dead, if the shooter was a religious zealot, or just delusional.
The one thing that has made a difference in many of these attacks is the presents of someone that changes the choreography of the scenario the shooter has in his, or her head. Unfortunately this often ends with the hero being dead, or severely wounded. How many times in the past few years have we heard of a teacher, principle, police officer, or just a heroic student, turning the tables on a shooter, and saving lives? When the shooter feels they have lost control the attack usually ends, either by surrender, or suicide.
The people that do these horrendous things, prey on soft targets, where they are pretty sure there is going to be little or no opposition. Our president, and our governor, seem to think the cure for these atrocities is more gun control, which will make more soft targets. Am I the only one that thinks this is nuts? The one scenario that is hard to rehearse for is being in an actual gun fight. Just one concealed carry permit holder could have changed many of these mass murders by ruining the shooter’s mental scenario and making them end the attack, one way, or another.
For some reason my generation seem to think that peace officers carry firearms to protect us. Nothing could be further from the truth. They carry firearms to protect themselves, and their partner, and maybe a police dog, and then you. No matter what they say, everybody’s prime directive is to go home at the end of the shift. In most cases this is a decision they don’t have to make, because the police are usually called after you are already room temperature. So, being able to protect yourself is nothing more than doing what peace officers do. You can’t accomplish this with no firearms, or firearms that are so restricted that they can’t be obtained in our state.
America has to quit thinking like its 1962 and accept that the world we live in has changed, and the old rules don’t apply.
Marty Klier, Lakeport
