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Your reporting and responses to this week’s News Enterprise and Sun (9/8/10)
Filed Under 2010 Issues, Community News
(9/8, 2010) During the last election we put up a post every Wednesday to comment on local news & letters to the editor in the only local weekly that serves all of Los Alamitos, our own News Enterprise.
This year we’re adding the Sun to the mix, even though it’s distribution in Los Al is limited. (Click here for last week’s post & comments.)
The goal is to encourage discussion of important issues, making it easier (and faster) for the people to speak about what concerns them. Rather than waiting a week to respond, conversations can take place at the speed of light.
This weekly post also allows you to report on articles of interest to others in the community who may not receive or have time to scrutinize either of the papers.
Whether letters are published or not, we’ll be putting this post up weekly through the current election cycle. If a letter or article or opinion piece in the N-E or the Sun catches your attention or causes you concern, you can post your comment here and the world will have it available immediately.
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Posting comments
It’s probably not a bad idea to summarize the item you’re commenting on, as many of our readers may not have seen the item you did. Only your name (and any website you note) is public. You can use a nickname, first name, or whole name as you choose. Maybe even a reference to the article or letter you’re commenting on, like “JM on Dave’s letter,” for example.
As always, please use family friendly language appropriate to our town, please try to be diplomatic and focus on issues, rather than personal smears. Diplomacy is always more persuasive and gets your message through
Related posts:
- Your reporting and responses to this week’s News Enterprise and Sun (9/15/10)
- Your reporting and responses to this week’s News Enterprise and Sun (9/22/2010)
- Your reporting and responses to this week’s News Enterprise and Sun
- Your reporting and responses to this week’s News Enterprise and Sun (9/29/2010)
Comments
4 Responses to “Your reporting and responses to this week’s News Enterprise and Sun (9/8/10)”
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I think I’ll kick this off today, and break my own rules by commenting on a heartbreaking article that headlined the Local section in today’s Register.
The headline says it all: “BABY STRUCK, KILLED,” and the photo of an emergency responder looking at the mangled stroller in the street is just too sad.
It just gets worse, starting with the sub-headline:
Woman was pushing stroller in crosswalk and walking with two other children.
It keeps getting worse as it continues:
Huntington Beach:
Yup, not downtown Santa Ana but a nice residential neighborhood just like ours.
A baby in a stroller was fatally injured and a woman and 11-year-old are in critical condition after being struck while crossing the street Tuesday morning.
Not after dark, but in the morning. When people are in a hurry to get to work or school. Multi-tasking in the car.
A Toyota Tundra stopped to let the pedestrians cross the street, but it was rear-ended by a Chevy Tahoe that failed to stop. The impact forced the Tundra into the crosswalk, causing it to hit the stroller and two of the pedestrians. . . .
Together, it all scream out SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION
Yes, that includes not texting, not reading texts, not phoning, and not fiddling with the radio or CDs or even your breakfast.
Sure, we’re all in a hurry in the morning. But if getting there on time is that important, then leave early.
Think about the consequences, focus, and slow down.
Nobody’s going to die if you’re a few minutes late, or if you don’t respond to their text.
But if you try to “make up time” driving fast, somebody might.
It’s just not worth it.
Lisette Gabler had a wonderfully long letter. I seem to remember when she would complain about my LTE length. In her letter, which was about why this blog sucks, she gave an interesting version of history.
I would like to have people take the time to come here, read her posts (it should be noted that she used multiple pen names here, but you can start by searching for “Lisa”) and others from the last election cycle.
When you do, keep in mind that she was a major CPLA talking points contributor. Waving her mighty toothbrush, she was going to single handily stop corruption in Los Alamitos! (too bad that didn’t involve stopping a fraudulent trash bid that will cost the ratepayers $6.5 million more)
Alas, spouting lies and half-truths that hurt people tends to make others upset, and they do call you out for it. If Lisa couldn’t stand the heat, then she shouldn’t have started the fire.
Yes, I post here, so has Cat, so has Warren, and Brad, and Art and a number of others. Many of us don’t hide behind fake names (like Lisa did) and attack others. Yes, there are some anon posters here. Personally, if I value a post with someones name on it say, max 100 points, then the value of an anon is at max 50 points. In other words, by not putting your name on your posts, they are only worth 1/2 as much at best (and remember 50% is a failing grade).
And, while I don’t expect any poster here to agree with me, I do expect logical debate. I do expect clear thinking and reasoning. I do expect that when facts are pointed out that disrupt your current world view, that you won’t dismiss the facts and continue to spout lies, half-truths and misinformation. And when you do, yes, sometimes the environment around here can become a tad hostile. When you continue to spill trash out that has been debunked, people here WILL call you out for it.
One last thing gentle reader. There are more readers here than writers. But, this is an open forum, and anyone is free to post here (In fact I believe that even Mrs. Sylvia has). Just be aware that truthiness is not truth, and many of us hold truth to a very high standard.
Based on her letter, I think Lissette hasn’t visited LetsFixLosAl.com much if at all in the last year.
I’ve been pleased at how the overall tone has improved. Despite the heated election coming up, we’ve had less personal attacks and more reasonable discussion here over the last month or two.
Certainly, there tend to be more comments opposed to the current majority than in support of them, but everyone is free to post here and, contrary to Lisette’s letter, no poster is currently blocked.
I would prefer it if those who disagree with me or with others would diplomatically explain their viewpoint because I think we have more common ground than differences, and bridges can be built.
I do encourage all posters to be diplomatic in responding to each other, so no one will feel disrespected.
This is still the only Los Alamitos site that allows open posting, people who aren’t posting here are restricted to time-delayed and possibly censored letters to the editor.
My goal is to make it a site where all reasonable* viewpoints are welcome, and where the “culture” is to disagree agreeably, a culture of mutual respect among neighbors.
I think Lisette brings some significant viewpoints to the table, and would welcome her back, especially if she could embrace our culture of mutual respect among neighbors.
*an “unreasonable” viewpoint would be hateful, slanderous, racist, or espousing violence or illegal actions. Please notify me through the “contact us” link in the masthead of every page if you feel there is a post I need to modify or delete.
Dave, that was the saddest story. I read the same article and hard to finish it. Prayers to the family of course and hope the others are on their way to recovery.
A warning to those that use Lexington to turn left onto Katella: Make sure the cars headed North turn left or right like they are supposed to before you make your turn. I had to wait to make my left turn because 3 or 4 cars in a row came straight across the intersection. I made the light but was furious. I just sat there and honked the horn and I don’t think they even knew they were doing anything wrong! Need a cop sitting there for awhile. Cypress and Los Al that is. People just don’t pay attention any more.