Speak Out
Hindu temple should deal with current name
Why is it that when the unanimous opinion of the residents of a neighborhood is opposed to change, it's called bigotry, but when a few people (presumably most of them nonresidents of that neighborhood) demand change, it's a matter of being "respectful of the religions and customs of all of the city's residents"?
Are we to believe that, when the Hindu temple was established on Persian Drive eight years ago, the people who decided to locate it there were unaware of the street name?
If it was not a problem then, why is it a problem now?
And, if it has become a problem for some tenuous reason, why should every other resident on Persian Drive be required to change their mailing address as a result?
I'd enjoy a shorter street name myself, but I chose to buy this house on this street 26 years ago. I've managed to deal with it.
The Hindus can learn to deal with it, too.
Dudley McFadden
Saskatchewan Drive
City council's political correctness is incorrect
I have been a resident of Sunnyvale for about 20 years and have mostly had respect for most city councils, even if I didn't always agree with them. However, the article "City council gets an earful over name change" in The Sun has caused me to lose some respect for my current council.
I can't believe the council is actually entertaining the notion of changing a city street name either for so-called "political correctness" or to cater to the whims and cultural discomfort of operators of an Indian (i.e., non-Persian, non-Muslim) temple that moved onto Persian Street after the street already had that name.
To see this level of misguided waste of legislative energy and effort, you usually have to go to the U.S. Congress. Doesn't the Sunnyvale City Council have anything better to spend their and our time and money on? Is this the worst problem or greatest challenge that Sunnyvale now faces? Take my advice--and I probably echo the sentiments of many other people who are seeing or hearing about this and rolling their eyes in disbelief: Drop the issue and don't waste any more time on it.
Moreover, political correctness or pandering to multiple religious or cultural factions requiring name changes of streets, towns, and so on, has got to stop somewhere. If not here and now, then where? Do we also consider changing the name of Angel Avenue because it might offend non-Catholics, or Cashmere Terrace because it sounds too Indian and might offend Persians, or Hiawatha Court because it might offend American Indians? Will we have to go through a round of name changes to make sure we have enough Evelyn, Mary and Mathilda Avenues to attain gender parity with Bryan, Dwight and Bernardo streets?
I want to be proud and have respect for my elected city council members and not be embarrassed by them. Give this issue a rest and move on to something that really matters to the health, prosperity and safety of our city.
Peter Cirigliano
Brahms Way
Street name change is 'frivolous' and wrong
We strongly object to your very inflammatory and insulting opinion piece "Rhetoric reaches an uncomfortable pitch" in the May l5 issue of The Sun.
We attended the meeting to voice our opinion on the frivolous use of city funds and the not-so-small inconvenience and expense to the residents and business on Persian Drive. When Mayor Fred Fowler said the reason for the head of the Hindu Temple's desire to change the name of the street was so that he could tell his aging mother that he had "been accepted in America," there was an audible groan throughout the room. That confirmed our opinion. We feel to be accepted in a community, one must only be a good neighbor.
You said the Hindu community has made important contributions to Sunnyvale. Can you cite any of them? Are they U.S. citizens? Are they registered voters? Do they pay taxes? You will find that the thousands of mobile park residents in Sunnyvale are well known for all of the above.
You say we are afraid of changes? We, as seniors, have seen more changes in our lifetimes than you can possibly imagine. And in our opinion, we have accepted and grown with the changes, very gracefully.
You say we are intolerant? A tolerant person is one who is able to recognize and respect, as the rights, opinions, or practices of others, whether agreeing with them or not. We feel that this is exactly what we are. Can you say the same thing about yourself?
Eugene and Margaret Gear
Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
