LETTERS TO THE NEWS-PRESS

Leonard Broom, Santa Barbara

Kudos to Capps for protecting coastline

I am writing to thank Rep. Lois Capps for her leadership in fighting to protect California's coastline from oil and gas drilling.

Last week, at the behest of Mrs. Capps, the budget committee decided to drop controversial coastal drilling language from the budget bill.

It does not make sense to allow drilling in an area as pristine as our coastline. Drilling off our coasts would damage unique marine ecosystems and keep us dependent on dirty sources of energy.

The American people understand that it doesn't make sense to allow oil and gas drilling off our coasts, and so does Mrs. Capps. Environment California commends her for fighting to protect California's coastline.

Moira Chapin, Federal field organizer, Environment California, Los Angeles

Tookie's death gave closure to families

Recently a writer wrote:

"We survived Stanley Tookie Williams' living on death row for a quarter century after the murders. We could easily have tolerated his living out his remaining days . . ."

He also said it did nothing for the victims of 26 years ago.

While it didn't do anything for the victims, their families are experiencing the long-awaited closure and the toleration of a convicted killer sentinced to die for the horrid crime including shooting his helpless victims in the back, living another 26 years.

Executing Mr. Williams did a lot for me. I can only imagine what it did for the victims families.

David Kessloff, Santa Barbara

Clemency? Consider victims' loved ones

Regarding whether to grant clemency or not to an inmate on death row opens up many points of view. My only brother was a victim of a horrendous crime on Dec. 2, 1928. He was only 7 years old, I was 12.

Did these convicted criminals take clemency into consideration for their victims? It is easy to say spare his/her life, they have changed, unless you have had to live through something of this magnitude.

My brother's convicted murderer was not given the death penalty. She was granted life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Guess what the living victims of this crime get to do every one to five years until who knows when?

The surviving victims relive the murder, the surviving victims go to the prison board hearings to fight against this convicted criminal's possibility for release, the surviving victims live without their loved ones.

We are all allowed our opinions on where we stand on the death penalty issue, but if you were in a family member's shoes, how would you feel?

In my opinion, these convicted murderers did not take any consideration of the impact their actions would cause for the victims' famlies as well as their own, so if they have been found guilty of the said crimes, they need to deal with their punishment.

As humans, we should all set out to do good, not bad, and we know our actions bring consequences; this is why we should think before we act.

Yolanda Magana, Santa Barbara

Death penalty exacts revenge

I was not a fan of Stanley Tookie Williams. He probably committed the crimes he was convicted of and a few more they couldn't pin on him. But killing him didn't change anything.

The death penalty on the criminal doesn't bring back the lives of the victims or serve to deter others, nor is it justice. It is nothing more than revenge. It only exists in our justice system because of politics.

The families and relatives of victims of violent crime demand revenge from our legislators and they get it by codifying a death penalty.

How ironic that these same people who attend church value "An eye for an eye" over "Vengence is mine, sayeth the Lord."

Bob Glatter, Santa Barbara

Telemarketers, Tookie, free choice

I am responding to a letter and a column on Monday's News-Press editorial page that have to do with free choice.

First, a letter writer finds that Barney Brantingham's column in which he made comments as to how to treat telemarketers is torture to the telemarketer because the telemarketer is a person, too, just trying to make an honest living.

I wonder if the letter writer is aware that most people who've worked for telemarketers have made the choice to do so, and they know exactly what they are doing with their slick spin of words in trying to pull in as many people as possible.

Unfortunately, it is the elderly who are the most vulnerable, hit the hardest and ripped off the most by telemarketers because many are lonely and easily confused. Often, they have no family around to guide them or protect them. I think Mr. Brantingham's comments were right on.

Telemarketing is a big business and the main goal for these telemarketers who don't have a conscience is to make as much money as they can without concern for those they advantage of.

My second comment is about Mary Sanchez's column on Tookie Williams.

Mr. Williams had no concern for those he murdered. He put no value on their lives. God did not judge him; God does not judge anyone. He gives us all free choice. Since we have free choice and live in a society with justice, we judge ourselves by our own actions, good or bad. All our actions have societal consequences.

Mr. Williams judged himself by his own actions; our justice system just followed through. I don't think he'll stand out as a martyr. I think his execution has raised the public's consciousness on crime.

Charlene Abundis, Santa Ynez