Cut out the arbitrary gender distinctions For...

Cut out the arbitrary gender distinctions

For several months, I’ve been reading Daily Pilot editorials,

columns and letters that seem to have a disturbing trend. For some

reason, people want to push women’s equality back 30 years.

In the early 1970s, women didn’t earn equal pay for similar jobs

and married women were not allowed to have credit in their names.

This was because women were to be taken care of by men, since they

were too delicate to take care of themselves.

Well, wake up, men. It is 2005, and women can take care of

themselves and should not be treated differently in work or politics.

Why do you continue to try to be knights in shining armor to save the

damsels in distress? Every time the Costa Mesa City Council makes a

decision with which you disagree, instead of saying that the more

conservative members voted one way and the liberals voted the other,

you continually harp on the boys (bullies) against the girls

(weaklings).

I find this insulting. Councilwomen Katrina Foley and Linda Dixon

are very strong, independent, intelligent women. They can stand up

for themselves against the best of them -- men or women.

If you don’t like a decision, that is your position, but stop this

gender stuff, and find some real facts. If you can’t make a point

without using gender as your focus, then do more research, or write

about something you have facts about.

JUDITH BERRY

Costa Mesa

Thanks to public safety workers and Kenneth

I am the mother of Jessica Davis, the saved girl, and David Davis,

one of the heroes (“Youngest heroes,” Wednesday).

I wanted to publicly send out a huge thank you to the Costa Mesa

Fire Department for giving this very special award to my son, as well

as the other little boy, Kenneth Ottens, who assisted David in saving

my daughter.

My son, David, has autism and impulse control disorder so for him

to raise above his world and his own interest to save his sister is

quite an amazing thing. He relives the entire day over and over every

day.

Being autistic, he gives very detailed descriptions of the entire

thing, including, “I held Jessica by the neck while my friend helped

me with her feet.” He is so sweet and so proud of himself, as are we,

his parents.

Jessica’s first response when she returned from the hospital was

to find David and give a him huge hug and kiss and tell him, “You are

my hero; thank you for saving me.”

I think the whole experience has changed our family.

I again what to say thank you to Kenneth, the Fire Department and

the Costa Mesa Police Department for all their assistance.

Also, thanks to my husband and the lady at the pool -- I am sorry

I don’t know her name -- whose quick thinking in starting CPR not

only revived Jessica but kept her from receiving any other

complications.

GRETA DAVIS

Costa Mesa