Dear Editor, I’d like to respond, with a short note, regarding
Martin Cheek’s article the
”
War on Christmas.
”
While I appreciate his perspective, I’d like to add my own take
on the usage of
”
Happy Holidays.
”
Respect and honor all forms of diversity at this time of year
Dear Editor,
I’d like to respond, with a short note, regarding Martin Cheek’s article the “War on Christmas.” While I appreciate his perspective, I’d like to add my own take on the usage of “Happy Holidays.”
I was brought up Presbyterian and celebrate Christmas. I married a Jewish man, who celebrates Chanukah. I have many friends that celebrate both holidays. I also have friends that celebrate Kwanzaa, and December also includes the Islamic New Year, Winter Solstice and New Year’s Eve. This month is filled with many celebrations and holidays. I believe we should respect and honor all forms of diversity, especially today and now.
I love to say “Merry Christmas” to my friends that celebrate the birth of Jesus. I love to say “Happy Chanukah” to my friends that celebrate the Festival of Lights and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. I love to say “Happy Kwanzaa” to my friends celebrating their African heritage and culture. And, the Islamic New Year, where Muslims reflect on the passing of time and begin their new year in prayer, is a very thoughtful holiday.
These are all “Holidays.”
If I’m not sure of someone’s personal celebration, I find it perfectly agreeable to say “Happy Holidays”! I’d much rather include the whole bunch, by saying “Holidays,” than to exclude someone, or worse yet, offend them.
Granted, the commerce is geared towards Christmas, but that really doesn’t have a thing to do with the “Holiday,” does it.
Happy Holidays to everyone! And, Happy New Year 2011!
Christy Schwartz, Morgan Hill
First show some respect for our culture before building mosque
Dear Editor,
Here we go again. An article in a recent Morgan Hill Times reported the renewed efforts to build a mosque in San Martin.
The last time I checked, we are still at war with radical Muslims and they are still killing American soldiers overseas. And let’s not forget about the ridiculous and humiliating things we have to do just to get on a commercial airplane.
So again, the representatives of the so-called “religion of peace” want to add insult to injury and build a mosque in our idyllic community. To make it worse, they selected one of the most visible and prominent sites in the community. Their not-so-subtle, subtleties are not lost on many of us.
If they want to “open their heart to those around the community” as stated in the story by their spokesperson, then perhaps they can do some things to show their loyalty to our country and its ideals. In spite of what our Liar and Chief claims, America is still a Judeo-Christian nation; it was founded as one, has always been one, and will always continue to be one if millions of Americans like me have anything to say about it.
Do we have other religions in this country? Of course we do, and we welcome them. But we expect them to assimilate into our culture not try to change us into theirs.
So if you want to be accepted by the community, try being a little more understanding and accepting of our culture. In about six months, we will have our annual July 4th celebration and parade.
Perhaps you could sponsor a float, drape it in bunting and American flags and maybe have some of your faithful leading the crowd saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I could loan you one of my golden retrievers to sit on the float since we Americans like dogs.
Maybe I could get some of my gay friends to ride along with you so you could demonstrate how tolerant you are of alternative lifestyles. And as a lead up to July 4, maybe some of your better educated could write some articles for the local paper on how you condemn those rascally radical Muslim terrorists.
Since I doubt if any of these things will happen, perhaps you might want to reflect on whether you really want to become assimilated Americans. And if you don’t, then maybe you should return from where you came from.
Maybe it’s time for another Crusades.
Jim Becker, San Martin
Group forming to promote the idea of a creekwalk through downtown
Dear Editor.
I watched last week’s City Council meeting to find out more about the Llagas Creek flood control design and if it included maintaining a traditional creek and possibly providing some public access. I was heartened by the appearance of former mayor Dennis Kennedy and his proposed design for a culvert buried beneath a creek and path. His design appeared to address both the flood control issue and allowed public access; an elegant solution?
Spearheaded by the requests of the two new council members and what appeared to be support by Marilyn Librers the council has asked city staff to report back with costs to further study this new design approach. What I hope to see is more citizen involvement in supporting the concept of obtaining flood control while providing an asset to the community.
A design that includes creating a creek that can be an aesthetic and recreational asset. Many cities have some sort of creek feature where businesses can benefit from looking out upon a creek and trail which customers can use for alternative means of circulation.
The term “linear park” is new to me but I understand it is a long narrow recreation area. The creek’s path seems to lend itself to be the base for this type of park. The current design direction leaves us with a concrete lined ditch 11 feet deep and a minimum of 15 feet wide but with laid back sides where room allows. Fencing would be installed to keep you from falling into this designed drainage system if you wandered too close. The concrete might be formed to look like rocks in case you actually looked, which is not encouraged. It would look like all of the drainage systems we are used to seeing on TV when Los Angeles floods. In this same amount of space (15-feet to +/- 20-inches wide) you have the possibility of a linear park with small creek and a multi-modal path (another new term, it means joint pedestrian and bicycle).
Sure, there are details to be worked out but there are many details to be worked out with the two options now on the table for drainage routing as it is. I believe the council asking for staff’s report on design costs to make this change is a positive first step and should be lauded. If you can watch Jorge Briones (Downtown Association) interview on MHAT you will find a creek trail mentioned. I have discussed this with others as a personal dream for years.
The possibility is even mentioned in the Downtown Specific Plan (pp 3-8) where it states “providing a downtown creekside trail may not be feasible from Second to Fourth Street, from Fifth Street to Dunne Avenue, or along Monterey Road and Second Street” but offers no explanation as to why except for restricted right of ways which this new proposed design may address.
I would like to see another review of a creek walk where current construction methods and creative thought might make it more feasible and affordable. The concept and dream is not new but it has a time limit. This may be the last time that we can have this discussion. If all goes well we will soon have the flood control that we’ve been waiting for since 1954. We all want that, desperately, but with the current design any possibility of making Llagas Creek a public asset will disappear under concrete. I think the proper reviews could take place without endangering the current plan and time line. Any approach should necessarily be sensitive to what is already underway.
A message needs to be sent to the City Council that we need to seriously explore the option of a creek and trail through downtown, and beyond. A small group of like minded citizens will be gathering Jan. 8, at a time and location yet to be determined, to further refine and focus recommendations to the City Council. For more information we are requesting e-mails sent to:
cr*********@ya***.com
and we will contact interested parties.
John McKay, Morgan HIll
