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Letters
Examining issue from another perspective
In her April 17 letter to the editor in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, Dolores Simone erroneously and unfairly attributes the lawsuit against the Jesuits filed on behalf of the two men who are developmentally disabled (retarded) as motivated by money. It is only fair to examine this from another perspective.
While Mrs. Simone's family has also lived through the horrors of sexual molestation, the facts of the two cases could not be more different. In one case, the abused had a loving family who took action immediately and provided a support system for his recovery; in the other, the men were systematically raped for years and could get no one to make it stop or punish the abusers. In fact, the very people who were their support system abused them: "The Hill" was their home; it's where they lived and worked for 30 years. No one, including the authorities at the Jesuit Center, would help them until an outsider took up their cause.
Mrs. Simone correctly points out that the vast majority of all priests are decent men who do their jobs with compassion and dedication. So are the workers at Enron, Arthur Andersen and attorneys in our legal system. In any institution or corporation, the handful of corrupt individuals--and the failure of those in authority to take action when confronted with such corruption--unfortunately taint everyone, even the innocents who do not deserve it. The Catholic church is no exception. In this case, our legal system is doing what it was designed to do: protect the innocent and force those in power to face the consequences. God bless those with the courage to bring it into the open instead of sweeping it under the rug! Sadly, it took a lawsuit to get action that should have been taken years earlier and to ensure that these men have a means of financial support.
The special needs of the two adult victims, who are developmentally disabled, are complex and will be expensive to provide now that they've lost their home and their work. Change is very, very hard for them, and their world has been shattered. With or without a lawsuit, they will never forget what they have been through.
Should a monetary settlement be forthcoming, it will be spent ensuring that the two men can afford to live in decent housing, that they have access to assisted-living support (since they are incapable of functioning alone), that emotional counseling is provided, that they have health insurance and that their medical needs are met for as long as they live. That is hardly profiteering.
It is heartening that local Catholic churches have looked inward and renewed their dedication, but we find it puzzling that those who bemoan the unfairness of tarnishing the reputation of all Catholics have not led by example and reached out to help the men who have been victimized. There have not been donations or offers of financial support for the victims. A simple act of kindness would mean the world to the two men, but so far none have been forthcoming.
Why hasn't the Catholic community and the town of Los Gatos rallied to the aid of these men? Why would Mrs. Simone, who has seen the emotional and physical devastation abuse can cause, leap to conclusions and unjustly accuse the victims of trying to profit from the situation instead of extending her hand in sympathy and offering emotional support? Why indeed.
Helen Hodack and
hillip Huelson
Randi and Jim Zanardi
Los Gatos
Simone asks writers to read her letter again
Thank you to E. B. Vandiver and also Denise Harr (Los Gatos Weekly Times letters, April 24) for responding to my letter of April 16.
Please do not put words in my mouth, or state that I should be ashamed of what I wrote. I did not criticize Holly Ilse, nor did I insinuate that she was looking for monetary compensation for these two men.
I stated that taking legal action doesn't always work for everyone, which is why we did not pursue it for our family. We immediately reported our case to the police and didn't wait to take notes, etc., and it worked for us. Also, we did not blame our grandson for what happened to him.
Please read my letter again.
Dolores Simone
Los Gatos
Political seas not all that calm in Los Gatos
If (as reported in the April 17 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times) there is truly "calm in the sea of Los Gatos," one wonders why four non-incumbents have either "thrown their hats into the race" or expressed an interest in running seven months before the election. Perhaps "the sea" is not as tranquil as viewed by the Weekly-Times, and there could truly be a wave of discontent building in the community.
Some Los Gatos residents have observed that although this council appears to be basking in sunlight, upon closer inspection it is asleep on the beach. One wonders how much longer the council can go on ignoring neighborhood concerns outside of the downtown core area.
Why don't all Los Gatos residents feel they are being fairly represented? Why do some residents relate more to neighboring communities than to their own town? As the council members lie under their "palm trees of contentment," some residents are expressing concerns over the intrusion of commercial interests on their neighborhoods; the impact of increased traffic; and growing safety issues.
One also wonders how certain members of the council can continue to ignore the new General Plan when it seems convenient to do so. Residents have even noted how zealously some members of the council are serving on regional committees, and although they must be applauded for flying the Los Gatos flag, one wonders if their attention has been focused elsewhere. If this is so, why?
And finally one wonders why two incumbents can't make up their minds.
Seven months before this election, these four names may only represent a ripple on the "calm sea," but there is definitely a wave coming.
Paul Dubois
Los Gatos
Cartoonist's attack on store is mean-spirited
Who is this DeCinzo person anyway? I'd like to get a look at this cartoonist who thinks that a stupid, mean-spirited attack on a local grocery store has any redeeming social value. I refer to the cartoon entitled "My Continuing Adventures at Whole Foods," which appeared in your April 24 issue.
I regularly shop at Whole Foods (and at Lunardi's and Safeway), and my experience is nothing like the accusations and insinuations expressed in this offensive cartoon. Each of our local grocery stores serves our community in its own special way, and we all benefit from the abundance of food choices that they collectively provide.
Personally, I resent his insulting caricature of me, the customer, and my food choices. If I were the manager of either Whole Foods or Safeway, I would be incensed that my local paper allowed one of its staff members to use its pages to mount a personal vendetta against my business, my products, my staff and my customers.
After seeing DeCinzo's boorish cartoon, my sympathies lie with the so-called "ignorers," not the pathetic, ignored cartoonist.
Karen Scarvie
Los Gatos
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
