The promoting class of 2009 and staff of Martin Murphy Middle School would like to express a heartfelt thank you to the following persons and organizations for their time, resources and contributions for this year's Promotion Ceremony: Morgan Hill Lions Club and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Adams, Martin Murphy Home & School Club, Mrs. Kay Bhalala and family, Mrs. Diane Doolittle and family, Morgan Hill Unified School District board members, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jay Totter and all 8th grade family members.
Best wishes and much success in high school.
Monica Sanchez, assistant principal's secretary
Both murders are abominable acts of domestic terrorism
Dear Editor:
In a recent Letter to the Editor, F. Oliveri continues his rant against the Around the Water Cooler writers describing the characterization of the murder of abortionist Dr. Tiller as an act of terrorism as "unbelievable." He finishes the letter asking us to characterize the similar murder of Army recruiter Private William Long as terrorism.
Personally I am very comfortable characterizing both of these senseless murders as acts of terrorism. They are. Both were intended to have a chilling effect on the activities of the caring and diligent professionals who undertake similar activities to the two murdered men.
It is good to see that Oliveri recognizes that the abortions done by Dr. Tiller, whom it appears Oliveri disagrees with, were "all legal, medically necessary abortions" - although there may have been a hint of sarcasm in his remark. However he seems upset that the murder of Dr. Tiller received more national attention, including mention by President Obama, than the murder of Private Long.
It is simply a matter of impact on free speech and the good of the nation that differentiates these two abominable acts of domestic terrorism, elevating the Tiller murder to the national spotlight in a more prominent way than the murder of Private Long.
While there are thousands of recruiters for the armed services, there are fewer than six MD's providing late term abortions to women in great medical need - i.e., where the life of the woman is at high risk or the fetus is unlikely to survive more than a few days or weeks (two of the very few criteria for such late term abortions).
The fact is that being a recruiter is generally considered a cushy job compared to combat, while Dr. Tiller was truly heroic in his dedication to the health and well-being of his patients. Tiller was under constant physical threat (more like soldiers in a war zone) and legal harassment by religiously driven right-wing reactionaries - including the Attorney General of the state in which he worked.
The likelihood of damage to the availability of the services of both these professionals is the scale on which the national importance of their murders has been weighed. Without diminishing the importance of the death of Long, the relative value of Tiller was greater to the nation and to women in need because doctors like him are rarer than recruiters.
The focus on Tiller was entirely appropriate as a matter of newsworthiness.
John N Quick, D.V.M., Morgan Hill
Motorcycle riders urge passage of Right to Repair Act
Dear Editor:
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation strongly supports the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act (HR 2057) and urges Congress to swiftly pass the legislation in order to safeguard individual vehicle ownership rights today and in the future.
We believe that consumers are entitled to the right to choose how their motorcycle, car or other type of vehicle is maintained. The point of Right to Repair is to protect the freedom of American consumers to choose how they take care of their vehicles, be it in their driveway or at a trusted repair facility, and to ensure that they have access to all the information required to complete service and repairs.
Vehicles, including motorcycles, are becoming increasingly complex with the addition of more and more computer technology, and that is only going to increase in the future. Ready access from the manufacturers is essential to the safety and well-being of the entire American motoring public.
We encourage motorists to visit www.righttorepair.org and send a letter to congressional representatives, urging them to support the Right to Repair Act by adding their names to the list of co-sponsors.
Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations, Motorcycle Riders Foundation, Washington D.C.
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