Mailbag: Take ‘no’ for an answer on bridge

How dare [Newport Beach City Councilman] Steve Rosansky make light of this example of the government of the people for the people (“Attendees cry foul to bridge,” Jan. 12)?

We who attended the meeting were a fair representation because we live where he dreams of putting a bridge. For decades, the people of Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa have said “no” to this bridge, which was put on the master plan of Orange County back in the 1950s. How many times do we need to tell our political leaders “no” before someone has the guts to take action? Rosansky is just another example of a politician not listening to the people. What do the people of Newport Beach have to do with my backyard?

Rosansky, if you are so interested in traffic flow, stop traffic on Pacific Coast Highway and ask them how they feel about widening PCH through Newport Beach where all the restaurants are. Four lanes in each direction will do the job, don’t you think? Better yet, put a bridge into your neighborhood to see how you like it. Rosansky, politicians like yourself need to just go away and take the bridge with you.

Gary Arneson

Huntington Beach

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Columnist sheds light on faith

Paterik Tobias’ article “Devout Christian learns about Islam” (Community Commentary, Jan. 12), referencing Mona Shadia’s columns, is a good example of the need for gaining factual knowledge about others before passing judgment or stereotyping any individual or group. Your paper is doing a good service to its readers by publishing such articles. The Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council organizes trips to places of worship of different religious groups to hear about their beliefs from authorized representatives.

Tobias’ article also points out the need to understand that followers of all major religions have differences of interpretation of their scriptures, which often guides their outlook on people of other faiths.

For example, Christians have many different groups, and in the past, they have tortured and killed co-religionists, Muslims, Native Americans and others. Besides the major factions of Sunnis and Shias who sometimes kill each other, they have the Wahabi version (in Saudi Arabia) that also preaches hatred of non-Muslims (even in children’s books in madressas) which is followed by many militant Islamic groups in Pakistan and the Middle East.

On the other hand, a large number of Muslims in India (I grew up with them), Indonesia, Egypt, Malaysia, the United States, etc. believe in peaceful co-existence with others.

Maneck Bhujwala

Huntington Beach

Editor’s note: The writer is a member of the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council.

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Enough noise for one lifetime

After listening to the fire and police chiefs explain, in clear and concise language, the hazards involved in allowing fireworks back into Huntington Beach, the (soon-to-be-ex) mayor decided to overrule them. This decision should be cause for his immediate dismissal from office.

I beg of you: If you have any power in this debate, please get this tabled until the true residents of Huntington Beach can vote on it. We must have a voice in this matter ... from a Korean War veteran who still hates the sound of explosives. They serve no purpose.

Don Angelosanto

Huntington Beach