On Roman Polanski being set free; rating President Obama; and anti-Semitism on UC campuses

Paying for his crime

Re “D.A. furious as Swiss set Polanski free,” July 13

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley needs to admit that Roman Polanski continues to experience a punishment that truly fits him while not costing the taxpayers a dime, except for the recent failed extradition effort.

For more than 30 years, Polanski has been unable to work in this country, the most important and lucrative place for any movie director. It may not be the punishment that the law demands or allows, nor does it give Cooley the bragging rights he seeks, but it’s effective and cost-efficient.

Cooley ought to be able to brag about that.

Susan Guilford
Orange

Cooley needs to get over it. Too much time and money has already been spent pursuing Polanski’s extradition, for something that occurred 30 years ago.

Even the victim wants it to end, but Cooley obviously has an ulterior motive to continue pressing the issue — that of advancing his career in the upcoming November election. It’s all about politics, as everything is in this day and age.

Bob Murtha
Santa Maria, Calif.

I find the actions of Switzerland in releasing Polanski to be reprehensible. Particularly odious is the Swiss Justice Department’s excuse that “Roman Polanski would not have decided to go to the film festival in Zurich in September 2009 if he had not trusted that the journey would not entail any legal disadvantages for him.”

How do we maintain good relations with a country where child rapists can trust they will not have any legal disadvantages?

Jacob Faturechi
North Hollywood

I hope that the Swiss government does not expect us to honor our extradition treaty with them either.

Susan Alexander Llauget
Arlington, Vt.

Too little has changed

Re “Change, Obama-style,” Editorial, July 11

Your editorial was much too forgiving of our 44th president.

While joblessness tears at the American dream, the Obama rescue quickly went to Wall Street.

While legions of Americans have suffered and died from lack of healthcare, the Obama cure lets the same for-profit insurers run the show.

While terrorism is fomenting in America’s neighborhoods, the Obama plan puts our soldiers in a fruitless conflict on the other side of the world.

There is an overriding reason why Obama’s presidency is not succeeding. America has become America Corp., where cash is king and kingmaker. Obama surely knew this all along. He promised to confront big banks, big oil, big polluters. It hasn’t happened. To date, his “change” has been a disappointment, and it hurts.

Sholom Joshua
Ojai

More than oil being spilled

Re “ BP moves forward on cap,” July 12

David Axelrod, White House senior advisor, gave the nation on Sunday TV the conflicting messages that the administration was “reasonably confident” that the oil spill could be contained by the end of July but that “this thing is uncharted waters.”

I am reasonably confident, and have every reason to believe, that there is a very, very good chance that Axelrod is not giving us news but the usual propaganda.

By the simple virtue of having been alive and sentient in the months following the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and having listened to the endless evasions and falsehoods from both BP and the administration, this conclusion is made, not in uncharted waters but rather on well-mapped-out terrain.

Ronald Rubin
Topanga

Remembering Ruben Salazar

Re “No closure, 40 years later,” Column, July 9

I want to thank Hector Tobar for his column reminding us of Ruben Salazar, the most important journalist of Mexican American background of his time.

While Tobar acknowledges Salazar’s reputation, he, like too many others who have written on Salazar, focuses too much on his tragic death on Aug. 29, 1970, while covering the historic antiwar Chicano Moratorium.

This is not the main reason Salazar should be remembered. He was first and foremost a very good and hardworking journalist who covered a wide range of issues: Mexican American politics; the U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic in 1965; the Vietnam War; Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean; and the Chicano movement.

This body of work should be his legacy, not just his untimely death.

Mario T. Garcia
Santa Barbara
The writer is a professor of Chicano studies at UC Santa Barbara.

Anti-Semitism on UC campuses

Re “Jewish groups criticize UC boss,” July 7

The president of the University of California, Mark G. Yudof, deserves our support for his efforts to address manifestations of anti-Semitism on UC campuses.

Several campuses have seen some very troubling recent manifestations of anti-Semitic harassment, most notably UC Irvine. We share some of the frustration that other Jewish organizations have expressed over UC’s slowness in understanding its responsibility to strike a balance — permitting passionate advocacy but drawing the line at harassments and intimidation. There is no question that at times Jewish students have felt threatened on some UC campuses, and that is unacceptable.

Our frequent communications with university leaders, including Yudof, have convinced us that they are genuinely determined to combat hate, intolerance and anti-Semitism on campus, and that they are taking steps to improve the climate for Jews on UC campuses.

Abraham H. Foxman
New York
The writer is national director of the Anti-Defamation League.

The promise of new cures

Re “Desperate for hope,” July 4

Thank you for your story. I empathize with Gloria Lucio on her journey through a clinical trial.

Our country forces patients to wait years for promising therapies to come to market. I too endured a clinical trial hoping to receive stem cells to treat Crohn’s disease. What I had to come to terms with, after receiving the placebo, was that I might die before the therapy came to market.

We need to open the doors to care through compassionate access to therapies while they are being proved effective. A group known as the Abigail Alliance has gotten the ball rolling with federal legislation that will allow millions of patients with serious, life-threatening and terminal conditions to have earlier access to drugs in development and live as much as they can.

Gideon J. Sofer
Oakland

An expert on aging, and more

Re “Dr. Robert N. Butler, 1927 - 2010,” Obituary, July 7

I lost my hero on the Fourth of July: my grandfather. His name was Robert N. Butler, and he was an expert in aging and the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Why Survive? Being Old in America.”

Many knew him for his scientific achievements, but he was also a wonderful family man and humanitarian. He had a fierce desire to make conditions better for the elderly, and he offered respect and love to everyone he came in contact with.

As a kid from Oklahoma, I cherished our walks in Central Park, the hours we spent at Yankee Stadium and the days we huddled as a family in his Manhattan apartment, talking about life. He coached me on how to propose to my now-fiancee.

He was the wise and compassionate voice on the other end of the line whenever I needed an encouraging word. I missed his last phone call, the Thursday before he died. All he said was, “Hey kiddo, I hope you are well and just wanted to tell you I love ya.”

Of course, I already knew.

Brooks J. Hall
Los Angeles