With emotions of sadness, I drove through downtown Los Gatos on Veterans Day after having attended the Veterans Day parade in San Jose. Our country has more than 200,000 men and women serving in the Armed Forces overseas. Our country has just lost 39 dedicated troops in Iraq in the past two weeks.

Our town of Los Gatos showed no remembrances of Veterans Day. No American flags were displayed on Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street. Our town council held no ceremonies remembering our veterans.

The families in our community who have loved ones in the Middle East deserve respect. We should be proud to show visible commemoration for our men and women in the Armed Forces today. It is they who will be the veterans of tomorrow.

Never, never forget.

—Dodie Gaines, Vietnam veteran, Los Gatos


PATRIOT Act is right out of '1984'

Lance Corporal Ferguson should read the book 1984 by George Orwell. The present administration and the PATRIOT Act are right out of the book. Shame on those who forsake the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for a false sense of security.

—Phillip P. Pflager, Cupertino


St. Luke's says thanks to the community

I want to call attention to the wonderful support that the Los Gatos Outreach Program has received from a number of local service clubs and individuals. This program, which operates out of St. Luke's Episcopal Church on University Avenue, involves six religious congregations. We have for over a decade provided food, clothing, and other services to the homeless and needy citizens of the town. St. Luke's wants to thank those who continue to volunteer time, money, food, clothing, sleeping bags, etc., to help make our program successful.

The Los Gatos Community Center holds a party for seniors every holiday season. Each participant is asked to bring cans of high-protein and nutritional food to contribute to our pantry. The Rotary Club and the Kiwanis Club have both made generous contributions, most recently toward the renovation of St. Luke's kitchen, so that we can serve our clients more effectively.

Clyde Laird, assisted by several other members of the Lion's Club, did a masterful job painting our kitchen once the remodel was completed. Students from Fisher Club Live are regular helpers at the Tuesday soup kitchen. St. Mary's fourth- and fifth-graders have served and entertained at our outreach Christmas Party the past few years. Special needs are supported by the Los Gatos History Club and by the American Association of University Women.

This holiday season, volunteers from four congregations will be stationed near the Sunday Farmer's Market with a Salvation Army kettle. Out of all contributions collected, 90 percent will be designated for our Los Gatos outreach program. We hope townspeople will be generous.

—Jo Greiner, St. Luke's outreach director, Los Gatos


Student supports League position on PATRIOT Act

I am a senior at Saratoga High School and I have read the letter from Patricia M. Weber, president of Southwest Santa Clara Valley League of Women Voters, informing her opinion about the PATRIOT Act. I agree that the further expansion of the USA PATRIOT Act would hinder the liberal rights of American citizens.

The USA PATRIOT Act can be a violation of citizens' rights instilled upon the Constitution of the United States, especially our first-amendment rights. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, I have been moved and interested in following the actions against terrorism, but I believe that the USA PATRIOT Act was passed due to the astonishment and fear about terrorism.

However, even though the PATRIOT Act is a law to capture and punish terrorists, the problem is that the law infringes on innocent American citizens' and immigrants' rights. The PATRIOT Act is a violation of individuals' privacy and right of expression and free speech.

The laws approved by the PATRIOT Act, such as the right of holding suspects without bail, is a direct violation of America's traditional laws enforced since America was first established. I hope that the Congress will make sure that the PATRIOT Act does not take away the rights of Americans.

—Cathy Pak, Saratoga