Prop. 5 no vote was a logical one

I am just one of the many who voted no on Prop 5. I researched both sides of the issue and wanted to make an informed decision.

I asked straight, gay, transgender, bisexual, religious, informed people, including a former mayor who publicly supported Prop. 5, and made my decision. I did not find Prop. 5 was necessary based on my research. At some later date that may change, but I did not hear proof enough to say yes.

I am like the majority who said no, and if name-calling yahoos need to make themselves feel better by calling me a bigot, vent away. I can handle it and sleep very well knowing I am informed and accepting.

-- Michael Anderson

Anchorage

Toll of war lost on general public

I'm pretty sure that the political cartoon from April 19 has nothing to do with insulting the military. In fact, the meaning is exactly the opposite.

The cartoon targets the notion that wars can be waged without public sacrifice. The military character represents all soldiers deployed overseas. When the soldier is uncertain about his number of deployments he is referencing the never-ending sacrifice of the few. Without public involvement or sacrifice, wars can continue indefinitely -- 10-plus years in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The people in the background are not his family or relatives of anyone in the service. They represent the part of the American public largely uninvolved with fighting these wars. By and large the public has not had to sacrifice to support these wars or the troops. Their efforts are limited to largely cosmetic gestures like yellow ribbons or mentioning the troops in advertising.

Sacrifices and risks of the past like the draft, gasoline and food rationing and diversion of resources to the war effort brought the pain of war much closer to home.

-- Lucinda McBurney

Anchorage

Rethink closing disc golf park

I am not a Frisbee golf player but know several people that are. This is ridiculous. There must be a better way to resolve this matter other than just shutting the park down to users. So, who are you going to allow to use the park? I don't disagree that there is a problem, but this is not a solution.

Municipal managers are adults. Punishing everybody for the behavior of a few is fourth- and fifth-grade logic. Unacceptable! Search for a reasonable solution. Get the users together and come up with a plan. Maybe users can hire private security.

-- William Missal

Anchorage

City officials listen selectively

How nice that the city listens to the complaints of the neighbors about disc golf in the Westchester Lagoon area. I have been complaining for years about the lack of temporary speed bumps along the Valley of the Moon park during the summer months. People park on both sides of the street to access this popular destination during the summer. Many irresponsible drivers speed through the area with youngsters darting back and forth across the road. I suppose we are waiting for someone to get hit by a car before the city will take any action to avoid a tragedy.

Who determines the priorities for the city?

-- Dr. Terry Stimson

Anchorage

Remove politics from drawing of district lines

Too long has redistricting, after the census, been a partisan hatchet job of the rights of the people.

You know, today we have this interesting machine called a computer. If you put in the parameters set out in the Alaska Constitution, I bet the computer could manage to draw accurate and fair lines for every district. Why haven't we hired an independent computer systems firm to draw fair and nonpartisan districts?

Oh wait, that would mean the will of the people might actually be heard.

-- Penny Hlavna

Anchorage