Whippersnappers, Represent


I registered to vote when I turned 21 in April 1947 and my first and only vote for a Democrat for [president] was for Harry Truman. (“Local Spin,” Nov. 8-14). “Why at the age of 21 did I vote for Harry Truman?” one might ask. That man made a railway tour of whistle stops for his 1948 campaign and one of the whistle stops was Mt. Shasta, where I happened to be living at the time. Being off work I wandered over to the railroad station and listened for a few minutes as Truman outlined his political philosophy. I understood every word he spoke and it made sense so I voted for him. 


From my interpretation of our Constitution, we may have the right to vote where so many other political systems make it mandatory. We are not mandated to vote, and the young man who told you he was not going to vote gave a perfectly logical reason why he felt the way he does. Where you seem to see it as apathy, I see it as logic on his part for making a choice he is free to do. Being opposed to big government and increasing indebtedness I naturally would have welcomed a few million of those 46 million non-voters to have voted for the candidate of my choice. Assuming most are dumb as chestnuts when it comes to our republic, chances of at least a third going for big government and continued increasing our national debt, another third would choose not to vote and the last third would vote for big government and indebtedness. I wonder if the change which you do not define would have been in favor of Romney or continued government largesse to those who expect a handout rather than a hand up. - Zane E. Jacobs | via Web


It’s not only important to vote, it’s also important to be well informed. Congratulations to those whose champion won, but how are you going to feel as you watch things get progressively worse? - Charles Pifer | via Web


(Editor’s note: So how’s Prop. 13 working out for the two of you?)


Bang Bang


Seaside has been so much quieter since the POLICE opened up a can of whoop ass on gangbangers (“Seaside police serve more search warrants in further attempts to quell violence,” posted Nov. 15). Hope they keep it up and show them the people want their city back. GO SSPD and all the assisting agencies! - Sandy Guillen | via Facebook 


I am a homeowner, a single woman and the latest murder took place just a few blocks from my house. I’m all for zero tolerance and I like our police chief, Vicki Myers. Seaside PD seems to be stepping up their game! I only hope it doesn’t get worse before it gets better. 


This year, for Christmas, I asked Santa for a gun… and that ain’t right. - Robin Shaw | via Facebook


Oh, Bama


(“It looks as though Barack Obama has won the election,” posted Nov. 6 to Facebook.)


Are only hope is to drink good wine for other 4 year hopefully will go by fast xoxo. - Lori Ruiz Hawkins | via Facebook


And hopefully we’ll see a drastic improvement in our grammar by that time. - Dustin Michael KoalaCrayons Kraypszz | via Facebook 


Numbers Game


Oh Squid, sometimes your utter lack of understanding of politics makes my brain hurt (“Squid Fry,” Nov. 15-21). With about 12,000 absentees left to count from 5th district, to concede now would be like (using your baseball analogy) the S.F. Giants leaving the field and going home, on two runs down, with only one out in the ninth. Gees, if they did that, they wouldn’t be the World Champions right now. Simply put, until all the votes are counted, the election isn’t over. Is it a big hurdle to overcome? Yes. But mathematically impossible, no. Don’t blame Del Piero one bit and if the shoe was on the other foot, Potter would doing the same thing. - Katherine_Lauritsen | via Web


(Editor’s Note: Squid advises to take two Tylenol for the brain pain. As for the Del Piero delusion, Squid can’t help you there.)


AIDS Aware


Twenty-one years ago, on Nov. 7, 1991, America was jolted with the news that basketball legend Magic Johnson had contracted HIV and would immediately retire from the sport. Just three months later, Johnson returned to basketball to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, where his performance earned him the MVP award. With early detection and increasingly effective treatments, Johnson’s story is just one high-profile example of how people can manage HIV and live long, productive lives. But while proper treatment for people with HIV has become much more available and effective, only 25 percent of Americans with HIV are receiving it. This sad fact highlights how important awareness and education is as we mark World AIDS Day Dec. 1. - Sam Ho, M.D. | via Web


(Editor’s note: Dr. Ho is the chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare.)


Digging In


Interesting that you chose to go to print with Strickland’s comment – without taking this federal archaeologist to task for not following through on his official duty to register and protect a Native American rock art site. Indeed, you were in possession of his emails to me containing such assurances well before your deadline (“Controversial wildlife photographer tracks potential archeological treasures,” Nov. 15-21). Extremely sloppy journalism on your part – as was your baldfaced assertion that I claimed we got it into the National Register of Historic Places. The federally-accessible, California University System database it was to be recorded into, but that you couldn’t find, is not publicly accessible, or so I was told by Strickland. But no, it was not the National Register; I made no such claim, nor did I say so anywhere in my Kickstarter materials.


The pattern of obfuscation here – particularly MoCo Planning Commissioner Keith Vandevere’s snick-and-run comments, no longer anonymous, I suppose I should at least thank the Weekly for that – is a familiar theme in Monterey County politics. There is this pernicious kind of protectionism hereabouts, one that seems to allow ample room for backdoor deals among cohorts and chums. The vicious attack response I’ve provoked in announcing my simple art project might lend credence to the longstanding rumor floating around about multiple other ancient cultural sites down in the Tassajara area being deliberately kept out of the Master Plan in the mid 1980s. - Ivan J. Eberle | via Web


(Editor’s note: We get what Mr. Eberle is saying on backroom deals and Monterey County, but the Weekly stands by this story.)