I am merely an obscure novelist who exited a major political party, after 25 years servicing as a press secretary, district director, or personal deputy to five state lawmakers in California, and to candidates in three election cycles, and organized labor.

The personal letter went in today’s mail, and since all correspondence to the White House is appropriately sifted through by layers of staff, I know that the loss of life in Las Vegas may be but a sorrowful slice across the human heart of our nation.

And since the friends of the President act vigorously to shut down debate on social media, I could not convey these words to the President, in the groups that love him, and others who hate him. Facebook is simply at the epicenter of the political battle that this President seems devoted to jam down every throat, so it’s not a surprise that the 500K people on the groups I’ve belonged to most of this year will not be able to see this open letter for weeks.

Because a commentary in the NY Times dealing with the President’s harsh march to reelection, I send this to both the Las Vegas paper and the NY Times. I know that my list is based on outreach I’ve made in contexts other than raw politics, so once again I ask for the graciousness of transmitting it to the appropriate person.

Bill Orton
Long Beach

Gun Control

The second amendment of the United States Constitution states:

“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Obviously the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded.

The only two reasons for a citizen to own a firearm are for hunting or defense of the household from intruders. In either case, ownership of a handgun, shotgun or rifle is more than adequate to satisfy these purposes.

There is absolutely no need for any U.S. civilian to own any weapon more powerful or sophisticated than these.

Accordingly, all handguns, shotguns and rifles must be licensed and registered to the degree necessary to match weapon to owner at the click of a computer key. Furthermore, we must guarantee that the mentally ill do not gain access to them under any circumstances. Finally, if we had prohibited the purchase of more sophisticated weapons several innocent victims would not have died or been harmed at shopping malls, college campuses, Congressional meetings, churches and now concerts. We as a country must deal with this issue immediately lest our society fall back to the days when everyone carried a holster.

Joe Bialek
Cleveland, OH

Illegal Business in San Pedro

I hope that someone who reads this can help me spread the word about this place. A few months ago I needed some merchandise shipped to Central America and I found this business at 1104 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, called Daniela’s Variedades. I spoke to the gentleman who claimed he was the owner and would ship my products thru boat (he rents containers and fills them out with customers like me sending items to Central America) and promised me my goods would arrive in a month—this was a year ago.

Months passed and I got worried because I had no news of my product and my business in Guatemala was needing the merchandise. I went in person, spoke to the guy but he always had an excuse and tried to charge me $100 extra to speed up the process because [my merchadise] was held in customs.

Then offered me to purchase the hair salon that is next to his business. He told me he owned that place and [would] sell it to me for $10,000. I called the business next door and asked the lady who owned it and she said that this guy was lying. That’s when I felt something was wrong … my merchandise sent thru him was $5,000 worth of cosmetics for a store I was hoping to open in Guatemala.

I took this matter to small claims court and he did not show up, the judge said “good luck collecting your money from this guy.”

I went [back to see him] and took my 3 year old toddler who was screaming and running around his store. I was trying to control her as I was speaking to him and he said “I am going to kidnap your little girl and sell her.”

The business next to his knows this man for years and say he’s undocumented so I reported him to ICE. I have a list about 8 people with the same problem, mainly Spanish speaking who are asking me for help. I am terrified of this man after he said he would kidnap my daughter and sell her. Also very angry that no one is doing anything to stop this evil undocumented man running a business in San Pedro.

Someone needs to spread the word and warn residents not to do business there. I have asked for help. I called LAPD and they can’t do anything, I have gone to court and this man did not show, but he happens to be at this business daily or opens randomly now because he’s too afraid of all these angry customers coming to ask for their money back. PLEASE HELP. SPREAD THE NEWS, WARN OTHER SAN PEDRO RESIDENTS.

Flor Magana- Butler
San Pedro

It Costs Money to Die

The cost of an average funeral with burial services today is $7,000 to $10,000. Even the least expensive casket costs almost $2,000. Naturally, I wondered what would happen if someone didn’t have the money. If a person is too poor to die, what then….

I will tell you a true story. My deceased grandfather knocked at my door one day.

“Grandpa, you’re still alive!”

“Honey, I couldn’t afford to die. You know we never had much money. I’m living in that ol’ shack up on the ridge.”

“Well, why didn’t you tell me?”

“They make you sign a paper sayin’ you won’t tell anyone. Then they let you walk out of the hospital.”

It seems that when my grandfather was about to die some gentleman came into his hospital room.

“Mr. Madison, we have reviewed your financial status and we see that you are unable to affor any of our burial plans. Are you sure that your family can’t help you?”

“No sir, my grand-daughter ain’t got no money either.”

“Mr. Madison, would you please sign this paper?”

They helped my grandfather sign the paper. He was very weak, lying in bed, so they had to hold it in front of him on a clipboard. They placed a pen in his hand.

“Thank you, Mr. Madison. You are free to go.”

So, he got up and walked out the door.

Since God loves the poor, that must be the new life that Jesus talks about.

A group of the same gentlemen who talked to my grandfather in the hospital visited my neighbor in her home one day.

“Mrs. Cluney, you just can’t afford to die. You have to say alive until you can pay for one of our burial services. But we do have a lay-away plan. Pay just $50 a month and when your account has accumulated sufficient funds we will let you die.”

“No thank you, I would just as soon stay alive, if you please.”

Now you can see what a worthy cause an Impoverished Persons Burial Fund would be. So many good people are willing to die. We ought to help them out.

All of those poor people must be living somewhere. There are supposed to be cities in a “hollow earth” and maybe that is where they go. That might be what Jesus meant when he said that the poor will inherit the earth. But the rich people who can afford to die, die and go somewhere else. I have heard that they go to Planet Midas. On Planet Midas, since everybody has already touched almost everything, there is very little to eat. That is why they are so fashionably thin. But they get all the gold they want.

Lorin Jenis
San Pedro