09.13.18

PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS
•LETTERS •
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Kevin Uhrich kevinu@pasadenaweekly.com
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André Coleman andrec@pasadenaweekly.com
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John Sollenberger johns@pasadenaweekly.com
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BOTH SIDES NEEDED
I am a resident of Altadena and
have been silently following the
issues at the library. I would like
to think that a publication such
as Pasadena Weekly would write
a story that includes ALL facts
and not just from one side. If you
interviewed library Director Mindy
Kittay’s attorney, why didn’t you
interview the library’s attorneys?
I think you know (or hope you
would know) that several years ago there was an article in your
publication that covered what was going on inside the library
with the employees, which was directly related to Kittay and her
treatment of staff. I recall that the journalist who covered that
story did reach out to the board and got comments from them.
Did you revisit this article and look into the facts behind that?
I assume your journalist did research and found information
on Kittay and her past issues at other libraries.
What kind of journalism is this if you aren’t presenting the
story of both sides involved?
While I have not been vocal in the community, I have spoken
with folks — on both sides of the fence — and have learned
that the issues within the Altadena Library were predominantly
caused by Kittay which started in 2015. I also understand that
Kittay did some great updates in the library (physically) and that
some of those funds to do that were already in place by a grant
that the previous director had started.
In case you would like to follow up your article with some
information from the board, here is a link to a Pasadena Now
article by Betsy Kahn, the Library Board president. I sure would
like to read about both sides of this issue. pasadenanow.
com/main/opinion-betsy-kahn-moving-altadena-libraryforward/#.W5KfpFVKiUk.
- ANETTE WILLIAMS
ALTADENA
(Please see page 8 for a related story.)
HARDLY CIVIL
With all this civility talk in
Washington, DC let’s not forget
that the “civilized” political
class, including Presidents
Bush and Obama, as well
as the late Sen. John Mc-
Cain, spent little time cutting
back our foreign interventions
into every other country while
ignoring major concerns in the
United States.
They also bailed out the big
banks, and they expanded the
administrative state at the expense
of the American citizen.
Meanwhile, the stunning
lack of civility during the
McCain funeral procession on
TV and during his funeral was
disturbing and disappointing.
The media pundits and the
speakers at McCain’s funeral
spent more time vilifying President
Trump and his policies
instead of eulogizing McCain.
Was it for lack of anything to
praise about the senator?
He was a good father, from
what little Meghan McCain
shared about him, but he was
a terrible senator, attacking
climate change with unjust
alarm while fighting to open
up our borders and silence
our freedom of speech. Not a
legacy worth praising, in my
view.
His repeated efforts to frustrate
President Trump’s agendas
on immigration, health
care and individual liberties
was deeply disappointing,
motivated by personal animus
and not principled opposition.
For the record, there is
nothing wrong with being
uncivil to save Western civilization
and America’s political
traditions of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.
President Trump may be crude
sometimes, but he cares about
all of us and our country —
and that’s what counts.
- ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER
SCHAPER
VIA EMAIL
ALL ABOUT MONEY
The time to combat
dangerous rhetoric was 30-
plus years ago when rightwing
radio first gained in
popularity. The media could/
should have nipped the
rhetoric in the bud. It was
over the line of yelling fire
in a crowded theater. But it
generated ratings (money).
However, one would
think the media would have
drawn a line during the 2016
campaign when dangerous
rhetoric was directed at them.
But pursuit of money will
likely continue to preclude
any unified action. Dangerous
rhetoric isn’t the only thing
the media should curtail; too
many shysters are given a
forum for theater, lies, phony
outrage, baseless contentions,
etc. Though cutting shysters
off completely isn’t realistic,
at a minimum the media
needs to call “bullshit” more
often than they do.
As for the masse — for
God’s sake, people, turn on
your bullshit detectors.
- DAN JACOBS
VIA EMAIL
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LETTERS WANTED:
Send letters to kevinu@pasadenaweekly.com.
To share
news tips and information
about happenings and events,
contact Kevin at the address
above or call (626) 584-1500,
ext. 115. Contact Deputy Editor
André Coleman by writing
to andrec@pasadenaweekly.
com or calling (626) 584-1500,
ext. 114.
09.13.18 | PASADENA WEEKLY 5