The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 37

SUNDAY, March 11, 1990 The Sun D3 VOICE OF THE PEOPLE Loud noise isn't music to their ears Tony Robles has the right to "blow (his) eardrums" with loud music, but he and his friends don't have the right to blow out the eardrums of everyone else. There's nothing more annoying than to have someone race down the street at all times of day and night with that horrible boom-boom. It's also bad at a stoplight to have to listen to the racket of a car blaring out such excessive noise. I live in a neighborhood that used to be quiet. Some time ago we had a young man with a new black pickup booming up and down the street at all hours.

Not only was he making a lot of noise, he was speeding. Fortunately for the neighbors, he totaled his pickup and moved away. C.SHAPARD Cotton Grand jury bluffing is dangerous Redlands Mayor Charles Demirjyn has threatened to take his complaints about the Redlands Bicycle Classic "to the grand jury." He made similiar threats during my tenure as foreman of the 1988-89 San Bernardino County Grand Jury. To date he has not done so. It's not only his right, but also his duty to report any wrongdoing to the appropriate agency.

To know of illegal acts and to ignore them, or to use facts frivolously, make a public official a party to the acts. Threatening to make them known, but not doing so, is the same as ignoring the problem. The grand jury exists to investigate complaints that allege misconduct. However, the alleged act must be supported by evidence that would be ad-missable in court, and the act must be more than a simple misdemeanor. In addition, grand juries generally won't investigate complaints that are subjects of litigation, that are in connection with a political campaign, that are against a decision by a court of law or are disputes between civil parties.

Any politician who attempts to use the grand jury in a way that would harm an innocent party must accept responsibility for his actions. When we threaten that we're "going to the grand jury," we'd better have our facts straight and we'd better mean it. Safety of Devore school questioned The Sun's article describing how schools are earthquake safe concerns me because one school in the San Bernardino district is very unsafe. Kimbark School in Devore was built in the 1960s to accommodate a few students. It's now overcrowded.

The school is brick, which is the worst building material for withstanding earthquakes. Most of the classrooms have no doors or windows leading to the outside. The children whose classrooms are in the middle of the building have to go through two or three other classrooms before they reach an exit. Safety codes call for each classroom to have an exit to the outside. Buildings made of brick with heavy reinforcements collapsed during the Whittier quake.

This school is located almost on top of two of the largest fault lines in the world. What chance do these children have if there is even a moderate earthquake on either of these two fault lines? The outside walls of this brick building will collapse, bringing down the extensive roof on top of them. Kimbark held a meeting to prepare the school for earthquake supplies. The principal and a member of the safety team were present. When I spoke about this danger, the principal quickly glossed over it and went on to another subject.

With the proceeds from the lottery and with all the property taxes that we pay, schools certainly have enough money to keep our children as safe as possible. While Robles is blasting his radio, shaking the ground and rattling homes as he passes by, he's interfering with other people's privacy and their right not to hear the sometimes obscene sounds that reverberate from cars. Go ahead and break your eardrums and then try to learn sign language. In the meantime, think about the rights and privacy of others. A little consideration wouldn't hurt any of us or our ears.

KATHLEEN COATS San Bernardino GLENT. NOYES. Redlands Maybe it's Robles' prerogative to blow his own eardrums. But how about everyone else's? Don't we have rights? The right to our soft radio sounds? The right to hear emergency vehicles? The right to talk without having to yell? And last but not least, some of us do work and we like to sleep. Society enslaves itself with drugs Illegal drug use and other crimes are multiplying.

Do we need to look squarely at the root problem? Is this a moral issue? Basic values of individual responsibility have been attacked by a popular outcry, "my rights, my pleasure, my well-being, my personal gain." The lie that pleasure is all there is to life must be exposed and exploded. In general, society has swallowed the philosophy: Happiness consists in what I have and experiences I enjoy. That is, my wants are more important than what I need. No society admires greed and selfishness. The most dissatisfied and boring people are those who have no time for the hurts and needs of others.

Mother Theresa is a prime example of Jesus, "who took upon himself the form of a servant" because he knew this to be truly the most gratifying, fulfilling use of life that yields both temporal and eternal rewards. The choice belongs to you and me. RICHARD L.ELLISON Yucaipa Two referees should be suspended Jeff Lane's Feb. 25 column about the incident involving two referees and three Victor Valley High basketball players was right on the mark. Why are Al Jury and Dick Smith still officiating high school sports events? Until the issue of the referees' altercation with three Victor Valley High basketball players is resolved, all persons involved should have been in limbo.

Why are the players automatically guilty? Some fans, players and coaches have had encounters with Smith and Jury, suggesting that there's a possibility these referees provoked the Victor Valley High boys. Why haven't they called California Interscholastic Federation officials? Lane's expectation that the CIF Southern Section committee will not "change its tune" is disappointing. We can only hope that the CIF will recognize its responsibility and send a message to referees that they cannot referee if they taunt and shove athletes, coaches and fans. GARRY ROGHAIR Redlands It's time for Andy Rooney to retire Andy Rooney is old and foolish. His commentary is given to far too much nonsense of little or no viewer value.

His appearance is disheveled, indeed, it's wretched. His unattractive facial features, particularly those surly eyebrows and sinister-looking eyes, don't lend themselves well toward capturing our confidence. An old fool often will perceive himself as firmly rooted in our lives and be so presumptuous as to think he's invulnerable. Consequently, old fools say foolish things and repeatedly put their foot in their mouth. History shows that few men ever progress beyond the age of 18.

That's precisely the reason why fools, of one level or another, have kept this world in ajam. Journalism involves responsibility. Rooney has outlived his airtime usefulness. Just to prove that I'm not all fine-edged steel with napalm in my bloodstream, I'm prepared to kick in $20 toward his retirement party and fishing equipment. MARTY BASSAR D.

VON HABSBURG San Bernardino When we threaten that we're "going to the grand jury," we'd better have our facts straight and we 'd better mean it. 9 9 Maybe it's Robles' prerogative to blow his own eardrums. But how about everyone else 's? 9 9 SUSAN ENKOSKY and nine others San Bernardino Death penalty serves no good purpose The arguments of April Leano, Flumencio Me-drano and Al Homen for the death penalty are lunacy. Leano should ask herself how she would feel if the murderer were her son before asking, "How would you feel if someone comes to your home and kills your husband and sons?" Nothing can possibly be accomplished by answering the loss of a person's life with the loss of another except that another family will be thrown into grief, anguish and despair. Everyone loses in this game of chance.

This game is conducted like the California Lotto with the numbers heavily weighted against the poor and minorities. Homen said Jill Anderson's letter was "uninformed and unpatriotic." The death penalty is an issue that concerns respect for human rights, not patriotism. We should abolish the death penalty because it does nothing to deter crime. We should abolish it because we will make mistakes and because it costs more than life imprisonment. But most important, we should abolish it because it erodes our respect for human life by celebrating death.

In retaining the death penalty, we join South Africa, China, the Soviet Union and Iran that use killing as an acceptable form of punishment. We call ourselves the leader of the free and civilized world, yet we are the only Western democracy that continues to execute our own citizens. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, "It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind." WENDELL GEE Fontana Boys and Girls Club of Redlands hailed I'm surprised that in these times of gangs, vandalism and drug abuse we're not seeing more community support of programs designed to help our young people resist these temptations. For example, the Boys and Girls Club of Red-lands is truly "The Club that Beats the Streets." The kids at the clubhouse and the satellite site, Franklin School, are taught self-esteem, manners and how to work with adults.

They have classes in sewing, cooking, woodworking and art. They participate in sports, go camping and help with community events. The club serves more than 500 children, 6 to 12, and has a program for the teenagers as well. The club wants to expand to other satellite schools to serve more children. It also wants to offer vocational training and introduce arts and culture to children who seldom even get crayons at home.

We can help. This staff has done an excellent job of doing the impossible with almost nothing. Patton State Hospital critics unfair It appears from recent letters and the March 2 editorial page column by Sanford Block that Patton State Hospital-bashing is a special project of the pseudo-scientific Scientology religious sect. To be committed to Patton, more than 95 percent of the patients have exhibited violent, anti-social behavior. They are dangerous, mentally disturbed criminals and it's amazing that there aren't more suicides and murders within this highly concentrated group of sociopaths.

Certainly it's regrettable when a death is not due to incurable disease or irreversible trauma. But suicide isn't always preventable. The act will be successful when the subject is sufficiently determined. Even L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology's founder and self-appointed guru, fails to provide for resurrection in his treatise on curing almost everything else.

I'm sure that Block is convinced that Scientology will cure mental aberrations such as those causing violence and sexual attacks. He charges that psychiatric physicians are responsible for Patton's problems, as if he had a better solution to this sad situation. He notes that these physicians admit their inability to cure or effectively treat such patients. One key to recognizing the truly educated person or expert is his ability to define the limits of his knowledge. It would be interesting to hear Block's self-analysis.

I too hope that future victims are not from that dedicated staff at Patton. THOMAS T.TUTTLE Highland Riverside 'Wizard of Ont' deserves a break When I read about objections to the city of Ontario's "Wizard of Ont" promotion, I was amused and mildly annoyed at the ignorance and intolerance of some people. But I dismissed the whole thing until I read the letter from Janet Villarette. Despite Villarette's view, wizards are not symbols of satanism. Satanism arose as an objection to, and perversion of Christianity and the excesses of the established church during the Dark Ages.

The lot of the average person was so desperate and downtrodden that some turned to worship of Satan. Wizards or sorcerers, meanwhile, are symbols of magic. Magic, whether one believes in it or not, is not intrinsically good or bad. It's a tool. The result of the use of a tool lies in the motivations of the user.

I wonder if Villarete now considers Mickey Mouse a satanic symbol. After all, he was the sorcerer's apprentice in Disney's "Fantasia." BETH ANN WEMPE Redlands Likes 'people' articles in The Sun Sun articles about people are very good. They're so good that when I read them, I sometimes want to read them again. YVETTE REYNOLDS San Bernardino An old fool often will perceive himself as firmly rooted in our lives and be so presumptuous as to think he 's invulnerable. 9 9 We can give to the Boys and Girls Club and prevent our kids from yielding to these pressures.

They need our help now. SANDY DAVIES President Boys and Girls Club of Redlands After reading some of the incredible accusations in Block's column about Patton State Hospital, I'm surely convinced of one thing. Patton needs more room. BILL RUSSELL Redlands Letters welcome All letters must be signed. Please Include your address and a daytime telephone number.

Letters may be edited tor brevity. Address them to: Voice ol the People, The Sun, 399 N. San Bernardino, Calif. 92401. You may FAX letters to (71 4) 885-8741 Story of boys' hair has very Opie ending By JOHN YOUNG For my money, Opie Taylor is forever the standard by which all children should be judged.

Sure, his shirt pockets smelled like frog, and he had a few "ain'ts" in his vocabulary, and he got in dutch with Aunt Bea occasionally. But on the business of being a boy, Opie was the real thing. All the other boys you saw on television during Opie's day looked like they'd just been to the manicurist. If Opie had a tender backstage, it was someone assigned to muss up his hair. When you saw Opie's hair combed, you knew it was an important event.

He was dressed up for a church potluck or a trip to Mount Pilot. Otherwise it was Opie and his sneakers and jeans, and the ever-present cowlick. My kind of boy. My contemporary, too. The real-life Opie and I are about the same age, and these days we're at about the same stage of baldness.

That now forces us to experience childhood vicariously, like at my home in Waco, Texas. I have two Opies. Actually, it's one-and-a-half Opies now. Since the oldest one started to school he insists that his hair be combed on school days. I don't know why.

The uncombed look never hurt Opie in Miss Crump's eyes. Given my choice, I'd have my boys be Opies all day. Just let the hair fall where it may. Or, some mornings, just let it stand where it may. The only ongoing dispute I have with my wife concerns tastes in childhood appearance.

I want the Opie Taylor look. She wants the Richie Petry look. Eventually, we knew, of course, that it was going to become a matter of shudder what the boys themselves wanted to look like. Recently, too soon indeed, that condition came to bear. Our oldest, 7, decided to assert his own tastes.

He wanted a spike. A spike hair cut, for you out-of-it sorts, is generally what happens to a male's hair when one pokes a finger in a live wall socket. My wife, traitor that she is on these matters, sided with Michael on his hair. In addition, somehow Michael convinced 2-year-old Robert that he, too, would look good in a spike. To blunt my resistance to this plan, Becky took an unfair tack, truly a low blow.

"Don't you remember when you had hair I mean, long hair?" she said. "Our parents didn't like that style, either." In translation, what my beloved had delivered was the ultimate affront: Dear, you're being a fuddy-duddy. That deserved a quicksort. Retort I did. Things were different back then, I said.

What we were doing in my hairy years was living out a precept of the Guru Opie: Oppose all forms of hair maintenance. The fact is that to have a spike one must actually visit a hair-stylist, and to maintain a spike one must use ugh hair spray. Well, the boys got their spikes, and I had to admit they looked cute. Still, I was relieved to see that after Robert's first spike 'do wore down and a night's sleep rearranged it as nature intended it, he would run from a hair spray pump as if it were marketed by Ortho. He hasn't been spiked since.

As for the other one what's a father to do? He likes his spike, and he's pretty per-snickity about the way it gets done. The irony is this. We used to take a few moments before school every morning trying to make his hair stay down that stubborn cowlick. These mornings he spends the time before the mirror trying to make it all stand up. The good news is that by day's end gravity has prevailed in Michael's hair.

A school day's activity has returned his locks to the ruffled look I so desire. So, the fact is, generally we still have two Opies around the house, except for those special occasions. And, of course, we don't go to Mount Pilot very often, anyway. Young is a Cox News Service columnist. CAROL STANTOWTr Sun.