A judge who cares; Chile tries to dig out; controversial antiabortion ads

A just judge

Re “The judge and the addict,” Feb. 28 and March 1

Judge Spencer Letts’ common-sense approach to justice -- and his devotion to Michael Banyard’s rehabilitation after prison -- is worthy of Olympic gold.

How refreshing to find a judge who combines wisdom with empathy, instead of being just another “robot judge” rubber-stamping mandated and often discriminatory sentences where the penalties don’t fit the crime.

Letts’ style is a striking example of how smart justice can replace the trite and simplistic “tough on crime” approach -- which serves primarily to keep jails overcrowded, justice be damned.

Troy Chrene
Pacific Palisades

After the earthquake

Re “Chile sends in the army,” March 3

While governments dither, people suffer in the wake of devastating natural disasters. Wouldn’t everyone in the world stand to benefit if the United Nations convened an international conference on disaster planning and response?

At such a conference, governments could commit to having specific quantities of relief supplies, heavy equipment, expert personnel and special facilities available so that emergency needs could be met automatically from the closest available sources.

Do we really need to watch governments struggle to invent a response, deal with traditional procedures and political interests, wait for private charities to organize the delivery of donations, personnel or supplies, and witness unlawful mass action as the only alternative to depravation or death?

The world in the 21st century can do better, and the United States ought to be leading this effort.

Godfrey Harris
Los Angeles

If the authorities in Chile are having problems with looting and lawlessness after their monster quake, what can we here in Los Angeles expect after the Big One hits, with all the gang members we have in our midst?

Louis Valverde
Los Angeles

Ads spark a debate

Re “Antiabortion ads claim conspiracy against blacks,” March 2

The tunnel vision of many antiabortion groups is astounding.

Yes, black women have a higher rate of abortions -- that is known. What they should also know is that many black children are born into poverty and are disproportionally represented in the child welfare system. Many remain in foster care longer and have the poorest adoption placement rates.

So what exactly is the antiabortion crowd’s solution to these problems? More slogans on a billboard?

Maybe instead of creating elaborate conspiracy theories and pouring millions of dollars into scaremongering advertising purporting that “black children are an endangered species” because of abortions, they could focus their energy on helping alleviate the problems poverty creates for some struggling black families, and spend more resources on helping black foster children find loving families instead of living their lives as wards of the state.

Giovanni Rivera
Whittier

The Times never mentions the relevant fact that in the days before abortion became available, poor women sought out illegal providers with often disastrous results.

Our family doctor tells of hundreds of poor, minority women who came into the hospital where he was an intern in Philadelphia, so sick from botched illegal abortions that their only chance of survival was to undergo a complete hysterectomy.

Is there any reason to assume that this won’t be a common situation again if we turn back the clock?

Peter Shinnerl
Escondido

Abortion is the human rights issue of our day. Pro-lifers are to abortion what abolitionists were to slavery.

Now I hope The Times will continue to give the abortion holocaust the front-page coverage it deserves, every day. Next up: “Abortion is not healthcare,” say pro-life activists.

Rose Mary Leon
Simi Valley

I want to make absolutely clear that Planned Parenthood Los Angeles is committed to providing the highest-quality affordable reproductive healthcare to any and all who need it -- regardless of race, religion or gender, and whether or not they have insurance coverage.

Last year we provided nearly 120,000 women, men and teens in Los Angeles with reproductive healthcare, including lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screening, birth control, STD testing and treatment. Ninety-three percent of those health services were preventive --

designed to prevent unplanned pregnancy and the spread of STDs.

At the core of our mission is the belief that the most sophisticated instrument in medicine is accurate information, which enables each individual to make the best decisions for his or her health. We are here to serve every member of our community, without exception.

Rebecca Isaacs
Los Angeles
The writer is president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.

The Times lets the left speak for itself -- and that is wonderfully revealing.

The most telling quote here is buried deep in the article: “We then, as now, see fertility control as part of the racial uplift strategy.”

Fertility control? Racial uplift strategy? This is truly Orwellian and sounds more like something one might hear in a country like China.

Where would that quote have run if a Republican had said it?

Peter Bylsma
Los Angeles

What prisons are for

Re “Search for girl ends in grief,” March 3

Chelsea King was killed -- allegedly by a convicted sexual predator who previously served only five years on a plea deal and was on parole. This is a disgrace to our society, a slap in the face to the King family and a wake-up call for our justice system.

At what point will we reevaluate how we treat sexual offenders, who cannot be rehabilitated? We should treat sexual predators no different than murderers. Sexual predators should be put away for life. Period.

This is a perfect example of why letting nonviolent drug offenders out of jail would make sense, in exchange for keeping sexual offenders in for life.

Wake up America, and let’s protect our children.

Tony Acosta
Chino

Guns and the Bill of Rights

Re “A Bill of Rights battle,” Editorial, March 1

I just about fell out of my chair.

Did The Times actually endorse the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution as being an individual right?

No, that’s impossible. I need to read the editorial again.

I’m back. Yes, while it was done grudgingly, that is the only way the editorial could be construed. This is proof there’s no global warming -- hell is freezing over.

Still, bravo for The Times for finally realizing that gun control is as much an abomination as racism and censorship. We all recognize the slippery slope on those issues; it’s the same with restricting gun owner’s rights, whether he or she owns the gun for self-defense, target shooting or hunting.

Jim Matthews
San Bernardino

The Times has the risk analysis completely upside down.

The real risk is living every moment of every day with the persistent fear that anyone whom you happen to irritate will blow you away. The very low risk of having other rights “de-incorporated” sounds like a good trade to me.

Ken Feldman
Chino Hills