Editorials

Honda knows the power of professional sports

Local Congressman Mike Honda, whose district includes Los Gatos, obviously sees history repeating. As a Japanese American, Honda experienced the indignity of the internment camps during World War II. Now Honda, who represents California's 15th congressional district, realizes that the hate once directed at the Japanese is now focused on Middle Easterners.

Honda correctly surmised that politicians expressing platitudes about fairness and racial harmony isn't enough in a time when people tend to act emotionally rather than rationally. With this in mind, Honda recently composed a letter to the commissioners of the four major sports leagues--baseball, football, hockey and soccer--asking them to include messages of tolerance during the broadcast of sporting events.

Obviously Honda's a realist. Many people are at home Sunday mornings watching football rather than being in church praying for peace. Those involved in professional sports--especially the players--should do their part to quell the fire of anger and fear brewing in this country.

Prepared remarks are fine, maybe given before the game starts or during halftime. Even better would be accentuating the positive throughout the broadcast, stressing feelings of hope, peace and solidarity. Hopefully, the message will be more than just a public service announcement squeezed between plays. Honda definitely made the right call on this issue.

Remember Jeanine

The media--including this newspaper--have understandably focused their attention and resources on events surrounding the recent terrorist attacks. One of the unintended consequences of this phenomenon is that other newsworthy events get pushed to the back burner.

For example, the disappearance of Chandra Levy and her relationship with Gary Condit has virtually disappeared from the country's radar. On a more local level, the disappearance of Jeanine Harms, a 42-year-old Los Gatos resident, has also been eclipsed by the nation's plight.

After Harms disappeared on July 27, her parents, Jess and Georgette Sanchez of Campbell, kept a low profile with the local media and allowed Jeanine's siblings and friends to speak on their behalf. Now as the weeks since Jeanine's disappearance slip into months, the Sanchezes are speaking out publicly about their daughter to keep the story alive.

Based on similar cases, there is a chance that foul play factors into Jeanine's disappearance. If so, then the person or people responsible might still be walking around in the community, enough of a reason for residents to periodically think about what might have happened to Jeanine Harms.

The Sanchezes are private people who nonetheless understand the need to expose a little of themselves to keep a distracted public from forgetting about their missing daughter. Their efforts deserve the community's support and continued attention.

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