Community Loss
The loss of Norris Hardware is a severe blow to community in Pacific Palisades.
If one needed a light bulb or plumbing part or garden supply, it only required a quick trip up town, and the friendly and knowledgeable staff was on hand to answer questions and provide help.
Norris was one of the few truly useful stores in town. The contrast to the overpriced and useless luxury stores that Caruso is bringing in could not be greater.
While hardware stores have been closing around the country, one wonders if the community could have rallied together to find a solution to keep the store running.
Now there will be more cars on the road as people have to go to Santa Monica or wherever the nearest hardware store is.
Eric Appleman
In Response
A letter to the editor, “Tell Me In Your Words,” in the July 12 issue raised numerous issues, which I will address in my own words:
The letter complained that those of us on the “left” don’t say anything positive about Donald Trump. That’s probably correct, because I don’t like his policies, and I think he’s a liar, a cheat and a bully.
The letter complained that a comedian said he’s hoping for a recession in order to get rid of Trump, but did the letter also complain when Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, vowed to do everything he could to make Obama a one-term president?
The letter asked why we on the left are against prosperity. We’re not. In fact, when President Obama was elected, we were in the midst of The Great Recession, with the stock market plummeting and unemployment at an all-time high. President Obama’s leadership saved us from a depression, and he handed a booming economy to Trump, for which Trump now seeks to take credit.
The letter asked why we’re against tax cuts, but we aren’t when those tax cuts are fair to everyone. The recent tax “reform” plan benefits corporations and the super rich at the expense of the poor and middle classes. This recent tax plan will saddle many generations with enormous
deficits.
The letter asked why we’re against securing our borders, but we’re not. We are against using Gestapo tactics to rip children away from their parents under the guise of national security. These are not all murderers and rapists, yet Trump uses that narrative to scare his base into giving him the power to carry out his racist policies.
The letter asked why we’re opposed to God, which we are not. We are in favor of everyone being allowed to practice their religion or no religion at all, without fear of discrimination or intimidation.
The letter asked why we’re against the Second Amendment, but we’re not. Most of us believe in reasonable gun controls, such as background checks and prohibiting military-style assault weapons for public sale. Doing nothing only guarantees ongoing mass shootings of innocent citizens in the name of the Second Amendment.
The letter asked why we want to destroy American values, but we don’t. We want to uphold traditional American values such as welcoming foreigners to this land in search of freedom and success.
For all of these reasons and more, I will continue to fight Trump in every way I can to protect our American values and the Constitution of the United States.
Steve Cron
‘In My Own Words’
I am a committed, life-long liberal who would like to respond “in my own words” to the a July 12 letter, “Tell Me In Your Words.”
I am not opposed to American prosperity, but I do want a more equitable distribution of that prosperity. I am not opposed to securing our borders, but I am opposed to deporting folks for minor offenses that occurred years ago.
I am opposed to separating parents and children. I am opposed to jailing folks who seek asylum here, and I am opposed to demonizing immigrants.
I am not opposed to God—I just don’t believe in her and do not wish to see religion spill into public life.
As to tax cuts, Justice Brandeis noted that taxes are the price of civilization. I am not opposed to the Second Amendment, but do not believe it was meant to allow individuals to own guns.
As a lawyer, I revere The Constitution, but think that the interpretations propounded by the originalists is nonsense.
As a woman, I do not want anyone telling me what I can and cannot do with my body, especially when the anti-abortion right is often Christian Fundamentalist.
Finally, I have nothing good to say about this president because, among other things, he has encouraged Neo-Nazis and hate speech, made fun of a disabled reporter, acted like a bully, praises quasi-dictators and denigrates our allies, demonizes immigrants, stands firmly with the 1%, repealed all sorts of environmental regulations, and allows himself and his family to enrich themselves through his office.
Have I answered your questions?
Betsy Handler
Seven Things
Recently, a letter to the editor asked, why can’t liberals say anything nice about our current president? I’ll take that challenge.
1) It’s ironic, but Trump has made us have more empathy. For generations our culture has villainized entire other countries and everyone in them for the terrible actions of their leaders and government. (Think North Korea, Iraq, Russia…) Now, we understand that the people in those countries are probably just like us: good individual people with a callous, cruel, selfish government.
2) Trump has reminded us how vigilant we must be to not repeat the mistakes of Nazi Germany. At the Nuremberg trials, the question was asked, why did regular Germans participate in such inhumanity? The response was they were just following orders. And the world cried out, how could you not just refuse the order? This past month, when ICE agents followed orders to separate children from their parents, alarms should have gone off for all of us.
3) Trump does care about one immigrant. Among all the people who wanted to come to America and become a citizen of this country for a better life, there was one runway and swimsuit model Trump decided to help. Now she’s first lady.
4) Trump took the #MeToo movement to a whole new level. Our current president’s open disdain for women as anything other than objects for his personal physical interest turbo-charged the movement of people speaking up about the mistreatment and sexual harassment they have faced from men in positions of power.
5) Trump has shown us words are important. Calling real news “fake” to discredit any press that criticizes him is just one way our current president uses language to shield himself from being held accountable.
6) Trump has made us see how much more work we need to do as a society to treat others as equals. Our president’s not-so-subtle racism, emboldening the rise of bigotry across the country, reminds us how unfair things are, especially for people of color.
7) Trump is helping get out the vote. Trump’s policies, political maneuverings and selfishness have energized me and millions of my fellow Americans. Energized those of us who envision an America of the future and not of the past. Energized those of us who want America to be a beacon of justice, equality and opportunity. Energized those of us who can see beyond our own privilege to care about other human beings to show up on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, and vote some sense back into this government.
There you have it. Seven nice things that you (no matter how liberal or conservative you are) and I can say about Trump. You’re welcome.
Lee Wind
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