July 23, 2004

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Classifieds

Publication Date: Friday, July 23, 2004

Letters to the Editor

Editor:

I am concerned about the effects that chloramine has upon my family and me when we drink this water. Methinks, this is yet another way to send me out to buy private water like in those "banana republics" where visitors are cautioned to not drink the water.

Long term, the effects on people may be detrimental. I would hope that this pending lawsuit against the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission gets a fair public hearing and that it gets reported!

Barbara Goodwin
W. Middlefield Road

Election importance

Editor:

The Homeland Security Department is announcing plans to develop procedures to either cancel or postpone the November election in the event of a terrorist attack that is perceived to disrupt the election process.

The government is in effect telling Osama bin Laden and terrorists in general to attack us -- it will stop the election.

No matter if the White House itself is blown up (God forbid) this country must not stop its election process. This is the most important aspect of our democracy. If elections can be cancelled here out of fear, then what hope does the rest of the world have?

Instead, we must announce to the world that nothing will stop the United States election process or the functioning of its government. We do need to be reasonable: a thermonuclear holocaust or the assassination of both presidential candidates would stop the election and probably everything else in our lives.

To reverse this process should now become the number-one priority of all members of Congress. This is how fascism begins. People will be outraged; the possibility of serious internal unrest could cause the government to take further action to remove or curtail our freedoms.

Only police states cancel elections.

We must not give in to this kind of fear. This is what happened in pre-World War II Germany. This was the modus operandi of the former Soviet Union. It is the tactic used by current dictatorships.

We must not be fooled into thinking that this is just prudent planning. It is not prudent; it is traitorous to our Constitution.

Even publicly announcing these plans is paramount to giving aid to the terrorists. This ignominious proposal must be stopped.

Richard and Jeanne Placone
Chimalus Drive, Palo Alto

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