Mailbag: Obama should heed his own advice

One can’t but notice the blatant corruption and hypocrisy that has become the new global norm. Not just for the elite leaders, but for the lesser leaders as well. In the case of Egypt’s uprising, the Egyptian people want to see an end to the political corruption and the removal of their president. President Obama is telling Egypt’s president to listen to will of the people.

Great advice from an eloquent hypocrite who refuses to listen to his own countrymen, who are questioning and objecting to his socialist leadership policies, which threaten to collapse our county. How about following your own advice, Mr. President, and listen to the will of your own people?

Russ Niewiarowski

Newport Beach

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Reagan’s the wrong choice

I read in Bill Lobdell’s article in the Pilot (Jan. 31) that Keith Curry believes the Reagan statue is supported by the Newport Beach citizens since he has received only 10 emails opposing it. Let’s make that 11. I’ve been a supporter of Curry’s, and I even contributed to his last campaign, but I am quite opposed to the statue, as are my wife and a number of our friends.

We are not conservative Republicans, so to us the Reagan statue is the council’s not-so-subtle message that we are not really a part of our city, and should think of ourselves as unwanted outsiders. We find the statue divisive at a time when we hoped the City Council, elected in non-partisan races, in the town where we have lived for more than 30 years, would strive to be inclusive. We don’t fit into any of Curry’s categories as a) “hardcore Reagan haters,” nor b) old-timers who don’t want change, nor c) people who don’t want to rock the boat, unless “to rock the boat” means to promote partisan strife in our city.

I appreciate that Curry once had a personal relationship with Mr. Reagan and admired him, but I think that most of our citizens would recognize that the former president remains, even at the 100th anniversary of his birth, a divisive figure in American politics.

Bruce Clark

Corona del Mar

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Image of UCI protesters ironic

I find the cover photo of the Muslim women protesters last week quite ironic. I imagine the tape over their mouths represents their belief that their speech rights have been curtailed, yet isn’t that exactly what the 11 demonstrators did to the pro-Israeli speaker? That group effectively shut down that discourse. In the U.S., everyone has the right to free speech — and this includes Israelis, and it includes college campuses.

John Lieto

Newport Beach

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Cyclists should obey rules

I have just read the Feb. 2 article regarding the 49-year-old Irvine man who was killed by a hit-and-run driver who fled the scene but was later arrested, (“Riverside woman convicted in bicyclist’s death”). This was a terrible tragedy and should not happen to anyone. I would like to comment on the fact that cyclists are concerned that Newport Beach was not bicycle-friendly. I live in Eastbluff, and have for many years, and if you would like to sit for a few hours on Eastbluff Drive, you would notice that not one single cyclist stops at the stop signs.

H. Crimmon

Newport Beach