The People’s English
The People’s English
Editor,
In a recent issue of the Free Lance, Ruth Erickson said that Free Lance editorials did not follow correct conventions in writing English. However, the Bible says, “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” In Star Trek, Captain Kirk splits the infinitive and says, “To boldly go,” instead of “To go boldly.” And Bert Lahr, the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz, says, “Ain’t it the truth!”
Then there is this poem about correct usage–
“I give you now Professor Twist.
A conscientious scientist.
Trustees exclaimed, “He never bungles,”
And sent him off to distant jungles.
Camped one day by the riverside,
He chanced to miss his loving bride.
“She has,” the guide informed them later,
“Been eaten by an alligator!”
Professor Twist could only smile.
“You mean,” he said, “a crocodile.”
My primary point is, what is more important in speaking and writing English – correctness or communication. And my second point is, who creates and enforces correctness in English? English teachers? The dictionary? Manuals of style? The people?
I feel that communication is more important than being correct in speaking and writing.
So I vote for the people.
Paul Shanley
Hollister
Vote No on Prop 83
Editor,
I have a problem with the recommendation for voting yes on Prop 83. While it does have a great intent it is severely flawed, and is playing on the fears that those in the media have instilled. I’d be willing to say that most registered sex offenders aren’t habitual offenders as you might like to think, and they aren’t always “predators” going after your children. While there are exceptions to the rule, it is in the vast minority.
This new proposition will push sex offenders away from cities and into rural areas like Hollister, Tres Pinos and other less populated areas, putting a major strain on local resources, and possibly causing a considerable amount of trouble tracking them. GPS tracking for life is a waste of resources. What is the cost of this program? They estimate that it is going to cost well over $100 million in under five years! To track under 70,000 people for life? Is the cost equal to the benefit? Ohio has a law that it is considering rescinding because it has not proven to be effective, and has actually caused more headaches for law enforcement than it is worth. Why repeat other states’ mistakes and pass this proposition?
Oh, yes, I forgot, to “protect” our kids from “predators.”
Those who think the registered offender down the street is going to “prey” on their child is mistaken 99.9 percent of the time. Almost always it’s a family member, or relative that is the offender. Not some random Tom, Dick or Jane off the street.
People really need to wake up to the facts, not media hype. Some offenders have realized the mistake they made, have made amends, gone through years of therapy and have actively worked on being model citizens. More than I can say for a lot of Californians. Who is the real threat to your child? Your pervert husband/wife, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or is it the registered offender who the police have DNA records of, current photographs of, current home address, the make, model, and license plate of the vehicle they drive.
You all need to take a real hard look at this law. Do you really want to make your neighbors who have possibly not committed any crimes in years a criminal all over again because they live within 2,000 feet of a school, or park? That’s 2000 with a 2! It just makes no sense! Parents need to step up and take responsibility for their failings and their children, not blame everyone else for the problems in this world.
Get a clue, vote no on 83, and tell your politicians that they need to come up with a reasonable solution, not a scare tactic solution that will overburden police departments, and possibly send offenders underground.
Johnathan Bodily
Hollister
City Council Always Seems to Oppose Progress
Editor,
Why am I not surprised that the Hollister City Council voted to oppose Measure S? In the 11 years that I have lived in Hollister, it seems that every idea that even hints of progress for the city is opposed by the City Council. Casino comes to mind.
One of the council members was quoted as saying that one of the reasons he opposed Measure S is because of Sun City Hollister’s proximity to the airport, and the airport “is going to grow.” What’s going to cause the airport to grow? I guess it will be all those airplanes full of people coming to the Honda Superstore.
Why don’t they just put signs on all the roads coming in to town saying “welcome to Hollister, where progress stops”?
Buddy Pattillo
Hollister
Don’t Let Measure S Slip Through Our Fingers
Editor,
As we fast approach the Nov. 7 Election Day, all of us, elected representatives that serve the populace at large as well as all residents of the City of Hollister have a chance to have Hollister become un-mired from the stagnant pool of mediocrity.
What I am speaking of is MEASURE S – Sun City Hollister. The city has a viable choice to grow with direction, a plan and a revenue base to ensure the problems of the past do not reoccur. Del Webb-Pulte Homes has not only shown they have a great design in their communities but also that they have the integrity not found in many of today’s companies in the developer market.
On the recent tour that I was a part of I had a firsthand opportunity to see what I had heard from so many others that are not residents of but are positively impacted by Sun City Lincoln Hills City of Lincoln. For example the police chief stated the residents as volunteers saved nearly $300,000 in direct costs, the superintendent of schools talked about the capital improvements to the schools from the impact fees, and the economic development manager stated the downtown which was losing retail businesses and was stagnant has become revitalized due to the retails dollars spent by the Sun City residents. I repeat what your paper quoted him as saying, “Sun City has been nothing but a positive influence.”
If we as a populace let this opportunity slip through our fingers not only are the elected officials doing the people an in-justice but we are harming ourselves and our future as well.
Robert Farnham,
Hollister
