Mailbag: ‘Loud’ ordinance flaws become clear

Good intentions have some flaws (“‘Loud’ ordinance announcement coming Thursday,” June 23). This ordinance obviously was already in effect on Balboa Island a few weeks ago.

A very nice family owns a home on the island and also “rents” a big, famous bayfront home and is very active with local sports and community functions. All in one weekend, a graduation celebration of adults was “busted” from that one “neighbor” complaint before 11 p.m. (were they “renters”?). So one police visit and one warning.

The next night, after the Corona del Mar High volleyball team beat their Laguna rivals to win the CIF championship, the proud parents and friends had a celebration, gathering parents and students. A wonderful song in unison of “We are the Champions,” and, uh oh, another complaint and here comes the complaint department monitors.

By coincidence, Laguna High is having a grad party at the Pavilion. Now, two police warnings, and the next one gets you a $3,000 fine!

So the question is, if the ordinance is focused at “renters” because of problems with “owners,” can “renters” complain about “renters”? But if the “renters” are also “owners,” can “renters” complain about “owners”?

Maybe the ACLU can sort out this obvious discriminatory flawed ordinance?

Randy Seton

Balboa Island

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Time to change our strategy in Afghanistan

I am happy to see that U.S. troops will soon start to move out of Afghanistan, but the pace is too slow.

Nine years after the 2001 invasion, there are 250,000 foreign forces in Afghanistan. These consist of 100,000 U.S. troops, 50,000 NATO troops and 100,000 Pentagon-paid contractors. It is a high-water mark that should never be approached again.

Last year, Afghanistan experienced the largest number of civilian casualties since the war began.

As long as U.S. policy is to destroy the Taliban opposition and insurgent forces, many Afghans will resist what they understand to be a foreign invasion.

I believe we need a new vision that starts with a cease-fire, includes clear U.S. participation in a broad based peace-process, and encourages disarming militia forces (after we leave).

For us, it means removing our military forces; for Afghans it means an innovative reconciliation process.

Michael Brown

Huntington Beach