One man's legacy
Re "Paying homage to a Holocaust survivor's firm grip on life," Column, Jan. 4
I've read Kurt Streeter's column on Warsaw ghetto uprising survivor Leon Weinstein several times; with each read, its impact becomes more profound.
The life of a survivor of the Warsaw ghetto uprising; Iran and the Strait of Hormuz; L.A. Bishop Gabino Zavala, who fathered two children
Letters to the editor
Leon Weinstein, who died in December 2011, was one of the last living fighters… (Rick Loomis, Los Angeles…)
Having married the daughter of Holocaust survivors, I've come to learn from a firsthand perspective that Weinstein's story mirrors that of so many others I've heard. As tragic as these memories are, they are nevertheless exceeded by the unimaginable courage of those who survived and went on to build new lives.
In the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, their relentless pursuit of freedom will live on through the stories, memories and keepsakes they've shared with their children and grandchildren.
May Weinstein rest in peace, and may his family be assured that his legacy will live forever.
Jeff Perlman
Sherman Oaks
Keeping the lid on the strait
Re "Strait talk with Iran," Opinion, Jan. 4
Haven't we had enough war? Much of the world's oil goes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has enough weapons to cause harm to Iraq, and it can do enormous damage to Israel. But it has not attacked anyone. It was the United States that supported Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran in 1980.
Iran is one of the few countries in the area that refuses to bend its ways to the U.S. Iran has Russia and China on its side. Neighboring Shiite countries would support Iran. This could lead to another world war.
This whole things looks like a redux of the Suez Canal fight between Britain and Egypt. This kind of bombast must stop.
Lillian Laskin
Mar Vista
There's another way to stop Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz: Learn to live with the reality that Iran is fast becoming a nuclear power and call off the embargo on its oil. This sure beats going to war.
After all, Pakistan, India and Israel are already members of the nuclear club, and we call them friends.
No one can be unconcerned about nuclear proliferation, but piling on Iran while doing nothing about the others could be seen as unfriendly by the Iranians.
Arthur O. Armstrong
Manhattan Beach
A Catholic bishop's fall
Re "L.A.-area bishop, father of two, resigns," Jan. 5
My heart goes out to Bishop Gabino Zavala. He is an exceedingly generous priest and is in so many ways an authentic witness to Christian and Catholic values.
Our Roman Catholic Church is so medieval in its retention of celibacy rules. How can a young seminarian in his 20s make a vow that binds him to an unnatural life? For many priests, what the vow binds them to is a life of painful secrets, coverups and hoping they will not be found out by the faithful or their superiors.
Catholics who favor the celibacy rule for priests should think more about the loneliness in the priest's life and the terrible isolation of the one who cannot keep that vow.
I am sure Zavala will do many more good things for the church in spite of its regressive attitudes and policies.
Bob Doud
Glendale
Beyond the first paragraphs of the article, there is mention of a letter from Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez. The letter was clear, truthful and sensitive. Deeper into the article, we are reminded of the stands for justice taken by Zavala.
The article is a call for all to reexamine the sacred texts we live by and to find the inspiration we need to live righteously. For Christians, it is an invitation to strip away the allegory from the Gospels to find support for workers' rights, living wages, healthcare for all, gender equality and inclusiveness and care for the marginalized.
Thank you, Bishop Zavala, for the opportunity to direct our energies toward the common good.
Mary Leah Plante
Los Angeles
Views of Marine base crosses
Re "Crosses and the Constitution," Editorial, Jan. 4
Thanks for calling on officials at Camp Pendleton to deal with repeated unauthorized plantings of Christian crosses on a remote hill by Marines wanting to honor comrades who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Turning an official blind eye to this ill-considered rogue practice needs to stop. There are respectful and universal ways to commemorate the service of war dead.
Surely Marine Corps brass can devise a memorial that embraces all who have been lost, not only those who once responded to the Christian cross.
Frances O'Neill Zimmerman
La Jolla
With all of the world's problems these days, it seems unnecessary to fuss over such a trivial issue.
The cross is a world symbol of sacrifice. Many non-Christian individuals died on it, before and after Jesus. If the symbol used by the military had the body of Christ on it, your objections would have meaning. But it is just a generic symbol, unlike an emblem from Islam or Judaism.
There is no problem with any and all religious symbols being used, if that is what people want. Our society flaunts many indecent and less dignified ones on billboards and street signs everywhere with few objections. Let's put our values in proper perspective for a change.
Rosemary Patterson
Los Angeles
Jail errors
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