Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor (June 17, 2005)

How about a Family Values Day?

Editor:

I am a male married to a female. We are very proud of our family. This orientation is a continuation of the type of family unit that we share with all of our ancestors, on both sides of the family, going back thousands of years. Even my uncle married a woman, even though he really liked men better.

I was wondering in which month Mountain View residents can celebrate traditional family values. I'd be especially interested in being able to commemorate the contributions that have been made to our community by members of traditional male-female families.

Also, I was wondering about the official city policy which permits the mayor to declare city-wide observation of special days, months, years, and so on, and if the city council ever deliberates on such matters. Marc Roddin Ernestine Lane

Not in agreement with Gay Pride

Editor:

I disagree with the Voice's editorial last week titled "Gay Pride flies in MV." In my opinion the city has no business proclaiming a day or month associated with some sexual proclivity. Would the city issue a proclamation for Sodomy Pride Day? Probably not.

I applaud the actions of the Los Altos council in rejecting this affront to our sensibilities and I would ask the Mountain View council members to follow their lead next year.

The Voice would have you believe that the majority of people who oppose recognition of the so-called Gay Pride Day also preach anti-gay rhetoric. That is tortured logic at best. The Voice has yet to show any evidence of anti-gay statements by anyone in Los Altos. Ron Lautmann St. Julien Way

Tourette sufferer didn't need harassment

Editor:

On Sunday, May 29 at approximately 4:30 p.m. in Sears at the San Antonio Shopping Center, an anonymous person called the police about my "laughing for no reason" and as a result was concerned about my 6-year-old daughter.

To the person who made that call, I wasn't laughing. I have Tourette Syndrome, and one of my tics sounds like laughter. Tourette is a genetic, neurological condition causing a neurotransmitter imbalance in the brain. The brain sends impulses against the person's will to various parts of the body, including the vocal cords, causing them to move. I experience those impulses as irresistible urges to make sounds and movements that people find strange.

I often get odd looks from people. Occasionally someone asks me if I'm okay. When I politely tell them I am, and they see that I look, and otherwise act, normal, they let it drop.

You overreacted that day, and the experience that followed with the police was far more damaging for my daughter to witness than are my tics. I would have preferred you asked me if I was okay; I could have assured you I was, and you would have noticed that, aside from my strange noises, I'm otherwise quite ordinary, was not on drugs, and was just buying my daughter some shoes.

Now that you know about Tourette Syndrome, next time you see someone making strange noises or movements but not doing anything wrong, don't call the police. They probably have Tourette or a tic disorder.

My experience with the police has caused quite a stir for the Tourette Syndrome Association, as my experience is one of the worst fears of adults and children with Tourette, and their parents. We cannot worry about police harassment every time we go out in public. Thanks to you, we're doing a series of trainings for the Mountain View Police Department as a result of the harassment I experienced.

Fortunately we are handling the traumatic experience in a positive way for all concerned. I only wish I knew who you were so I could personally inform you as well. Elizabeth Lee Sierra Court, Palo Alto

Slater student's message for Governor

Editor:

My daughter, Kailani, attends Slater Elementary School in Mountain View. After her chorus performance, she came home wanting to write a letter to the Governor. Here is her letter, which she wrote on her own:

Dear Governor Arnold: My name is Kailani. I'm in first grade. Our school is going to close after all the people go to their next grade. It is half your fault, I think.

I'm in chorus with my friends. It is called the Slater School Chorus. The problem is our school is going to close. The people who are graduating from chorus get ribbons and leis. My friends and me will not be able to get a ribbon because the school is closing.

Can you help keep our school from closing? We need money. I also want to graduate from MY school. Diane Tom Twinlake Drive, Sunnyvale

Effort begins to halt use of chloramine

Editor:

I am really concerned about the use of chloramines in the Hetch Hetchy water system.

Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. Many of my friends have been complaining of skin rashes, respiratory problems, asthma, and digestive problems since Feb. 2, 2004, when this new disinfectant was added to our water supply.

Because it is not as good a disinfectant as chlorine alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that chloramine-treated-water should be boiled before it is used for infants under six months, the elderly, those with an impaired immune system and those with kidney problems.

I used to be able to easily filter chlorine out of my drinking water with a carafe filter. However, in order to filter out chloramine, one must use a special slow flow carbon filter plus a reverse osmosis system that is very expensive. A household system can cost $11,000 to $15,000 to install plus $1,200 annual maintenance. The cost would be prohibitive for an apartment building. And it would probably triple or quadruple water use since the reverse osmosis process discards about three to four times the water used. The Bay Area couldn't support that type of increased water usage.

If you have experienced any similar problems since February 2004, please contact me at CCAChloramine@aol.com or call Denise Johnson-Kula at (650) 328-0424. We are trying to collect this information so that we can get it to our lawmakers and decision-makers to protect our drinking water. Claudette L. Main Nina Lane, Foster City

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