Enforce the law
Seal Beach Police Chief Jeff Kirkpatrick said at a recent council meeting that “I’m not a politician” and proceeded to dance on the red hot illegal immigration issue.
He says he doesn’t have the resources.
I suggest we will soon not have any resources left if we continue to allow deliberate neglect by the Obama administration in the interest of votes destroy our healthcare, education, banking (yes, illegals are buying homes) and prison systems.
We must step up and act now to create a safer, less taxing environment.
There are many in politics that are attacking the problem by doing the right thing; I reference Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Governor Jan Brewer in Arizona who are addressing the issue head on.
Councilman Charles Antos is correct in declaring Seal Beach a Rule of Law city just like most other cities in Orange County and across the United States. If a city is not a Rule of Law city it is assumed to be a “Sanctuary City;” one only needs to look to Los Angeles to see the benefits that brings.
People that are illegal or don’t have valid ID have reason to be concerned.
It has nothing to do with trust, they are outside the law!
Law enforcement does not go around stopping people for no reason.
As a part of most law enforcement encounters, the officer asks for valid identification (mostly fraudulent, non-database supported Matricula Consular cards are not considered valid evidence of identity); subjects absent valid, government issued picture ID are reason for suspicion, we’ve been taught that since we were 16 years old.
There are adequate federal, state, county and city laws in force to keep our citizens safe from drug dealers, human traffickers, rapists and murderers which make up a larger percentage of the current illegal immigrant population.
We must understand that these folks are not here just to pick fruit; they may have jobs, but they are also getting free healthcare, education, populating our prisons in huge percentages and sending many billions in cash back to the country they came from.
Act now and enforce the laws that are already in place.
Bob Thornburg
Seal Beach
Leave it to the federales
Kudos to Seal Beach Police Chief Jeff Kirkpatrick for his response to City Council member Charles Antos’ proposal to declare Seal Beach a so-called “follow the law” city regarding immigration. Kirkpatrick makes important and sensible points.
I do not want to see our over stretched police force focusing on immigration enforcement; they have their hands full as it is.
Our police force does not need this distraction from their duties of enforcing local ordinances and state laws, and it is more important for them to focus on reducing crime and helping those who need it.
The idea of confusing and antagonizing those who look or sound as if they might be illegal immigrants does not logically make me feel safer.
I know for certain that there have been illegal immigrants from Canada, blonde haired, blue eyed ones living amongst us.
Is it Antos’ notion that they and he and I and you would each be quizzed about our immigration status if pulled over for some reason?
I encourage the entire City Council to use its time and resources to make the city a better place. The new fire station is great; let’s get that swimming pool repaired, okay?
I can’t say for sure, but “Antos” does not sound to me like a Native American Indian name any more than mine does—nearly all of us in Seal Beach are immigrants.
The legality or illegality of the status of each of us is a matter of federal law, and federal immigration law is a disheveled mess reflecting generations of added layers of policy with no overall revision.
Until federal law is re-written in a way that is fair, judicious, and enforceable, Antos’ idea is inappropriate in a city in which the southern border is, um, well, pretty much the Pacific Ocean.
Marc Dickey
Seal Beach
Beware also of rocky racoons
I was very sorry to read about the pet bunny that was killed in Old Town.
The killing was allegedly done by a coyote. As I was reading the article, it came to mind that there was no mention of the hutch being disturbed. The more I thought about this the more I questioned that a coyote was guilty in the killing.
I live on 3rd Street and have seen very large raccoons in my yard and on Central Avenue. I did some research on what raccoons eat and found that they are a threat to rabbits and they do kill and eat them. If indeed the hutch was intact, it may have been a raccoon that killed Jack, not a coyote.
My condolences to the family of Jack.
Annelle Baum
Seal Beach
Coyote ugliness continues
There was a coyote attack this morning, Monday, June 28, about 6:10 a.m. in the back yard at 221 Harvard Lane, Seal Beach. The dog (a small Schnauzer) was attacked in its back yard and later removed by a Long Beach Animal Control officer.
The dog is still alive and was taken to an Orange County emergency vet. clinic by the Long Beach Animal Control officer.
Many concerned neighbors called Long Beach Animal Control right away after hearing the attack and two neighbors did see two coyotes running away.
The Chattler Family
Seal Beach
Mexican Immigration in perspective
I thank the Sun for its balanced presentation of our challenges on the immigration issue.
I congratulate Chief Jeff Kirkpatrick especially for his detailed reflections on law enforcement. I have gladly lived in Seal Beach, on and off, for 40 years (if I can count my current residence just 100 yards north of SB city limits).
As citizens we must grapple with the many sides to the “common good,” the very purpose of government.
The Catholic Church, I see, demands of followers exactly that perspective in such matters. Elements to the problem are hardly dealt with by politicians and the press. Many “aliens,” for instance, are here because NAFTA and CAFTA have taken away their living, closed down their family farms by our dumping of US heavily-subsidized grain into their economies.
Robert Brophy
Los Alamitos
Fish tortured on pier
Last Friday, while walking on the pier with my father, I had to wait and watch in disgust as a man reeled in a guitar fish and kicked it violently across the pier to where he kept some more of his fishing lines and cooler. I had no choice but to watch, as this catastrophe took a few minutes and everyone had to wait until the man was almost finished with the torture of this poor creature before they could pass. Nice vision for tourists.
One of the reasons I left Seal Beach was because I could not enjoy the pier and I quickly stopped eating at Ruby’s, as you have to pass by the line of fire to get to the restaurant at the end of the pier. There were always fishermen all along the pier with many rods, some dangling dangerously in the wind with fish bait still hanging on the line.
I was always picturing getting hurt by the carelessness of the fishermen who were crazily reeling in some sort of creature and flinging it violently down onto the pier. I was tired of seeing or sitting near new or partially dried out fish parts.
I was disgusted by any gore left over on the benches. There were carved divots all along the pier on every side left by fisherman to hold up their many rods. There were always a lot people just sitting on their coolers, taking up the lovely ocean and beach scenery with their endless rods and practically camping out.
This is a pier to be enjoyed by tourists and residents. I do not believe fishing should be allowed any longer. It is a disgusting and disturbing practice to be witnessed time and again. I understand people love to fish, my father included.
However, there are plenty of other places where people can enjoy this “pass time” without the rest of us having to witness this disturbing ritual. I want to enjoy the pier with friends and family – even to walk the whole length of it and visit Ruby’s, not be a witness to torture, blood, guts, and the litter it all brings by just a few that ruin it.
Gretchen Stoltz
North Dakota
Anti-coyote attack tip
We too have had two cat attacks during the past few weeks by coyotes.
The actual coyote was spotted in the park and is as tall as a German shepherd.
Scary!
I called Fish and Game for a possible solution. If you put a cup of castor oil and lemon dish soap in a gallon of water and then spray the area that will help. Coyotes evidently hate the smell and will avoid the area.
We are now spraying the boundaries of the Seal Beach park.
Roger Gilliam
Seal Beach
Humans hurt nature
It would appear that Milt Houghton in particular has a lot to learn.
I agree that the community needs to be better educated on coyote behavior but not necessarily only to protect themselves and their pets but to protect nature and the wildlife that lives there too.
It seems Mr. Houghton, a human, has developed quite an elitist attitude toward other animals that we share this world with. By his logic it is OK to destroy wild life habitat and natural resources as long as it satisfies the human appetite because we are a more evolved species and have the ability to do so.
By this same logic since animals cannot adapt to the environment humans are destroying so quickly it is OK that those animals become extinct.
Humans cause extinction of species every day by polluting, deforestation and destroying the natural world in which we live.
All in the name of supporting our desire for life’s finer pleasures. Just because we can and are a more evolved species does not mean we should.
Whether one is religious or believes in evolution we cannot ignore the fact that humans are the first species on this planet with ability to save this planet but have chosen to destroy it instead.
No other lesser-evolved species can take credit for destroying the planet. That will be a human distinction inevitably.
Humans have the ability to be compassionate, to save wildlife and the environment all while enjoying the finer things in life if we choose.
Unfortunately, more often than not we contribute negatively in an environmentally irresponsible way.
Animals simply act instinctively and are not consciously trying to destroy our way of life. It seems that Mr. Houghton feels we should destroy theirs.
This is not the lesson I believe being more highly evolved was meant to have taught us.
Wouldn’t our children benefit from learning how to be responsible and coexist with wildlife rather than be taught to take what they want from this earth and destroy or kill whatever is in their way while doing it?
Is this what Mr. Houghton is suggesting by saying humans need to instill fear in these coyotes? What is he suggesting? What is his solution?
I am a life-long dog owner and recent homeowner in Seal Beach. If my dog were to be eaten by a coyote I would have to shoulder some responsibility as I would have had the ability to protect my dog and did not.
Why not offer a solution other than instilling fear.
Perhaps raising money through community education and then capturing the coyote near our neighborhoods and relocating them to a protected wild life reserve. I would then only hope that the rabbit population doesn’t explode to the point where it could evolve quickly enough to move into Mr. Houghton’s home and rob him of his well-deserved, highly evolved way of life.
Richard Simon
Seal Beach
Coyotes have their place
I dare say that I have no proof of your age, so as to if coyotes were here before you or not I have no way of telling, but I do know that when my family moved to Los Alamitos in the late 1960s there were coyotes here.
We have had pets—both dogs of all sizes and even cats continuously during that time and have not lost a single pet to coyotes.
We have seen all kinds of wildlife in town, in Seal Beach during our time living here including possums, rabbits, raccoons, hawks, and even red fox.
Knowing that these animals are here, we exercise some very simple common sense things like keeping the animals’ food and water inside. Before the fancy trash cans were mandatory, we kept trash covered with tight lids and since we do have fruit trees in the back yard that are visited every night, we keep our pets inside at night.
History has shown that the more you try to eradicate coyotes the shorter their gestation period becomes and the more prolific the litters become.
I do think that when they do not run from humans or don’t avoid us they need to be eliminated. (Removing them doesn’t work; they will be back in their territory before you get here)
When you have predators with no fear of humans most of the time it is because well-meaning people leave food for them encouraging them to forage in our yards instead of the open areas of the Joint Forces Training Base and the El Dorado nature reserve. If we can persuade our neighbors to make it harder to find a meal in our yards these highly adaptable creatures will do their jobs thinning out the rodent population and our pets can live in peace.
Robin Doronn
Los Alamitos
Coyote advice
In response to a string of pet killings this past April through June, Rossmoor Residents have formed the Rossmoor Predator Management Team.
We are providing the following safeguards in keeping your pets safe with coyotes in our area:
1. Don’t feed or try to pet coyotes.
2. Keep your pets safe
Keep your cats indoors and accompany your pets both day and night to outside areas.
3. Keep bird feeder areas clean.
4. Feed pets indoors
5. Remove sources of water and food such as trash, fruit and pet food from the environment. Keep your trash cans covered. Do not leave empty pizza boxes or cake boxes on top of open trash can.
Remove cat or dog food stored outside. Coyotes have a keen sense of smell!
6. Cut back brushy areas of your yard.
7. Educate your neighbors.
8. Install motions lights.
Report coyote sightings/attacks to Rossmoor Homeowners’ Association: E-mail: www.rossmoor-rha.org or call Rossmoor community service district at: (562) 430-3707.
To receive notice of coyote activity and progress by the RPMT, please provide your e-mail address to the Rossmoor Homeowners’ Association.
Rossmoor Homeowners Association
