The party's over
Re “Tailgate timeout,” April 14
Three of my friends and I (all 55 and older) went to the Dodgers-Angels game at Dodger Stadium. We were early, and my friends decided to have a beer and some popcorn before we went in to the stadium.
Tailgating at the Dodger Stadium; Sarah Palin's planned speech at Cal State Stanislaus; Shakespeare conspiracy theories
Letters to the editor
They hadn't had the can of beer open for more than a minute when what looked like two kids racing toward us on an electric cart swiftly skidded to a stop and proceeded to treat us like we were criminals.
They took down my driver's license information (because I was the driver, even though I didn't have a beer) and said that I have been blacklisted on the Dodger computer system and that if I were caught again, I would be kicked out.
Wow. Must have been a real power trip to catch some old people in the act of drinking one beer. As my friend suggested, if we are going to be treated like this, we might as well stay home and enjoy the game.
Steve Shaevel
Woodland Hills
I had to chuckle reading the article on how all the "longtime" Dodgers fans are now unable to tailgate. I've been aware of this rule for about two decades, and any time I've ever even tried to slip one by them, I've been quickly targeted and asked to move on. I make use of the nice set of parks within walking distance from the parking lot when I want to have a little picnic or gathering outside the stadium.
As for drinking beer in the parking lot before the game, in my opinion Dodgers games are already too rowdy in many sections, akin to old-time L.A. Raiders games. My wife doesn't like to go to games anymore because of the drunken nonsense by those who care more about their too-cool-for-school image than the games.
I once had to get in the face of two drunken fans ready to fight before they toppled onto my 1-year-old daughter sitting behind them. Anything that can be done to minimize such inebriated nonsense is OK by me, and charging 10 to 12 bucks a pop for beer in the stadium takes care of a lot of that.
William O. Gaynor
Newbury Park
It was reported that the LAPD was so short of money that homicide detectives have put investigations on hold due to caps on overtime. Yet that same LAPD acts as storm troopers on behalf of the Dodgers to break up tailgate parties at Dodger Stadium.
In her divorce action, Jamie McCourt is asking the court to order Frank McCourt to pay her nearly $1 million a month. The Dodgers do not need the hard-pressed LAPD to enforce their mean-spirited anti-tailgating rules.
Mel Frohman
Los Angeles
Picking on Palin?
Re “College group inquiry widens,” April 14
The Times' article regarding the investigation of Sarah Palin's scheduled June speaking engagement at Cal State Stanislaus is clearly another witch hunt by liberals and Democrats seeking to discredit the former Alaska governor.
The Cal State Stanislaus Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is not using any public funds to pay for the Palin speaking engagement. It therefore does not come under the California Public Records Act. California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown and state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) are using this trumped-up charge for their own gain.
The public should recognize this is a witch hunt and nothing more.
Alan Peterson
Lake Elsinore, Calif.
Re “Palin papers said to have been stolen,” April 15
So the president of Cal State Stanislaus, Hamid Shirvani, admits that one of his staff threw part of the contract between a nonprofit school foundation and Sarah Palin into a trash bin. Some students found those thrown-away pages in the trash bin. And now the president is accusing them of stealing the same papers he said his staff member threw away.
Not only is it very questionable that the nonprofit foundation's funds, meant to help students, should be spent on paying any politician's visit to a public school campus, but it's even more questionable that Shirvani has the professionalism and integrity his position demands.
Our students deserve better. And so does California.
Bonnie Compton Hanson
Santa Ana
In Zimbabwe, what if . . . ?
Re “Passings / Bishop Abel Muzorewa,” Obituary, April 10
Regarding the death of Bishop Abel Muzorewa, one can only speculate on what could have transpired in Zimbabwe -- once among Africa's richest countries -- if he, a nonviolent Christian, had been voted prime minister instead of Robert Mugabe.
The supposed "puppet" couldn't possibly have done worse for his country. Zimbabwe's systemic corruption, widespread violence and economic disaster could have been avoided (or at the very least, lessened), proving again that choosing a leader is critical.
Mark Johnson
Carlsbad
No denying a genius at work
Re “Alas, poor Shakespeare,” Opinion, April 11
As the screenwriter of "Anonymous," the Roland Emmerich film about the Shakespeare authorship question, I read with great interest James Shapiro's opinion piece.
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