Dear Steve

I just finished reading Steve Smith’s column (“Leaders need to do, as

well as say, what’s right,” Saturday). Well, it’s about time that we

started making politicians and leaders accountable for their actions and

be the role model that they should be. I don’t think they should be

employed by taxpayers; I don’t think they should have a retirement or

anything else if they violate the law or violate ethical and moral

principles that this country was founded on. Everyone makes mistakes. I

think Smith’s points are well-taken. Jim Ferryman should have taken a

lesson from someone who humbly asked for forgiveness and said he was

sorry. Smith wrote a fabulous article and made some fabulous points --

and all accurate in my estimation.

SHERRY PALMATEER

Newport Beach

I was just really irritated by Smith’s column on Jim Ferryman. To

carry on about whether saying “I regret my mistakes” or “I’m sorry for

mistakes” -- like wording matters. I’m sure Ferryman’s sorry for his

mistakes. I regret that Smith can’t take it for how it was meant. No

one’s ever happy when they make dreadful mistakes -- especially ones that

could conceivably injure others, especially people who are in the public

eye. I’m fully supportive of Ferryman. I’ve worked with him on Measure A.

I think that if any of us have ever lived a life free of mistakes, then

we can throw stones. For a columnist in the Daily Pilot, lashing out at

someone on the front page does not help. It just seems arrogant and

self-serving for Smith to keep doing this.

DEBRA MARSTELLER

Costa Mesa

I don’t really want to defend or protect Ferryman, but I do want to

correct Smith on alleging that Ferryman should have said “I’m sorry” not

“I regret” for driving under the influence of alcohol. The word “regret”

carries much more weight than the word sorry. To quote Random House

Dictionary, to regret is “to feel sorrow or remorse for an act, fault, or

disappointment; to think of with a sense of loss, disappointed, or

dissatisfaction; a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss,

disappointment, etc. Synonyms for the word regret: deplore, lament,

bewail, bemoan, morn, sorrow, grieve, penitence, remorse, imply a sense

of sorrow about events in the past, usually wrongs committed or errors

made.” I would like Smith to check this word out and see that the word

“sorry” is a very small part of the word “regret.” I do hope Ferryman

will do as you say and possibly say that he’s really sorry, but the word

“regret” has covered that. Check out your dictionary.

JOE BLACK-JACOB

Costa Mesa

I wanted to say that I fully support [Smith’s] columns regarding

Ferryman. It’s my opinion that Ferryman must be removed. He is a terrible

example to our children and our community. He is a hypocrite. If he

doesn’t voluntarily resign, I hope that there will be a groundswell of

effort from our community to remove him at the next election.

STEVE LEONARD

Newport Beach