Opening up Children’s Court to the media; Catholics, contraception and healthcare; remembering the Challenger disaster

Breath of fresh air

Re “Media gain access to L.A. County children’s courts,” Feb. 8

As a two-attorney couple who adopted a teenager from L.A.’s foster care system, we applaud Presiding Judge Michael Nash for removing the “cloak of invisibility” over the children’s court. This was a reasonable step after decades of stalemate in Sacramento.

The photo that accompanied the article showed a teenager holding a protest sign. He apparently doesn’t mind having his name and picture published, so long as it’s in the service of keeping the media from learning about other foster kids’ experiences.

Our daughter’s sign would probably read, “If The Times had come to my court hearings, maybe I wouldn’t have moved 11 times before finding parents.” Her mom and dad’s sign would say, “Let the sunshine in.”

Anthony Segall and Deborah Dentler

Glendale

The church and contraception

Re “An affront Catholics agree on,” Opinion, Feb. 5

Charlotte Allen is guessing about “liberal” and “conservative” Catholics agreeing on President Obama’s enforcement of contraception coverage for employees of Catholic institutions.

No religion has the right to enforce its theology on non-members. To allow an exemption for the Roman Catholic Church would open the door to exemptions for all faiths regarding any doctrine.

I am a Catholic woman who welcomes society’s support of female laity in a church that relegates women to inferior offices. As a historian of religions, I know that church theology changes at the will of the hierarchy. Any institution that imposes a ban on preventive medicine for its members of one gender only is unjust.

Catholic women practice birth control in defiance of the modern popes who banned it, and they take Communion with a clear conscience, knowing that Jesus and Paul allowed women leadership roles in their movement.

Jean E. Rosenfeld

Pacific Palisades

This controversy is a perfect example of why health insurance should not be sponsored by

employers.

Why should your employer determine what kind of health insurance you have? Why should workers who do the same job but at different companies have vastly different healthcare? Why should your employer’s religion determine what health services are covered?

If there ever were an argument for Medicare for all, this is it.

Linda Browne

Granada Hills

Challenger’s fate

Re “Engineer tried to halt shuttle launch,” Obituary, Feb. 7

In putting forth the story of Roger Boisjoly, The Times rightly points out that he and his fellow engineers knew that launching the space shuttle Challenger in cold weather could be disastrous. The article rightly places blame for the decision to launch on senior managers.

Then the article calls the Challenger explosion “among the great engineering miscalculations in history.” It was not. It was management hubris and political irresponsibility on a tragic scale.

The managers who created this tragedy have largely escaped responsibility. The politicos who applied the pressure to launch are revered by their acolytes.

As always, engineers are left with the bitter “if only.”

James E. McDonald

Los Angeles

Off the rails

Re “High-speed rail … or fail?,” Column, Feb. 5

I’m glad that Steve Lopez may have finally seen the light regarding California’s high-speed rail project. But why is new project leader Dan Richards looking to save it?

In the real world of business, when a product or service projection is off by 200% — as in this debacle — it’s over, no question or doubt about it. It is disconcerting that this was minimized by Richards and then made even worse by his effort to defend this epic miscalculation by citing inflation.

What about the colossal incompetence of the accountants? Or could it be intentional misrepresentation to the voters?

Dave Mulnard

Newport Beach

Putting in place some pot rules

Re “Compassionless crackdown,” Column, Feb. 4

If marijuana is to be used medicinally, treat it like real medicine and distribute it through the legitimate pharmaceutical system. Let those who need it purchase it at a real pharmacy, as they would any other medication.

The issue with the dispensaries is all the illegality that goes along with them. Underage kids are obtaining marijuana at these dispensaries, whether through fake “medical marijuana” cards or simply by hanging around outside the dispensaries and offering cash to a customer going inside.

I don’t think anyone wants to deny a medical substance to someone who really needs it. But take the illegal activity away. The marijuana these dispensaries sell is mighty potent, and it is gaining some mighty young fans.

Nikki Batalis

Santa Ana

Sandy Banks points out how the years of “conflicting rules [and] hazy regulations” give no direction to authorities or those selling or buying pot for medicinal purposes. But Banks doesn’t address the real stupidity of marijuana regulation.

Our jails are filled with costly pot offenders. Our borders are war zones for drug cartels. There is a fortune in black market revenue and taxes lost to state governments laying off teachers and cops.

Yet on every corner there are liquor stores selling deadly booze and cigarettes. The legal hypocrisy is breathtaking. Just legalize, regulate and tax marijuana.

Alan Segal

San Diego

A new rival for Romney

Re “Santorum victories set a new tempo for GOP race,” Feb. 8

Why can’t Mitt Romney persuade voters to give him the Republican presidential nomination? Because Romney always looks and sounds as if he himself really doesn’t believe anything he is saying, but he expects everyone else to believe it.

Romney’s just not a good enough actor yet.

Annie Caroline Schuler

West Hollywood

Gee, Donald Trump endorses Romney, and then Romney loses the next three primary tests and drops in the polls against the president. Quick show of hands: Who didn’t see this coming?

Michael Solomon

Canoga Park

Re “GOP field still lacks a unifier,” Feb. 9

Republicans don’t need a unifier from their party. They’ve got one in President Obama. When this year’s election rolls around, it will be “ABO” — Anybody But Obama.

Edward Golden

Northridge

That Chrysler ad

Re “Some heard a political note in Chrysler’s ad,” Feb. 8

Is Karl Rove still with us? Do we care what he thinks? Republicans, advised by Rove and those from the past administration, can’t seem to get that there are other opinions beside theirs.

I watched the Chrysler commercial aired during the Super Bowl. As for the reaction by conservatives, the only conclusion I can come to is that an evenhanded commercial cries “socialist” to them if they think the American people will “buy it.” Therefore, they see things the unwashed masses don’t.

They have decided that being a Republican is much more important than being an American.

Peter Wooley

Woodland Hills