A badge of honor This letter is in response to the letter written by Jane Coursin, daughter of a general and ex-wife of a Navy captain (“National pride is being undermined,” Nov. 5, page 6). She strongly admonishes the American people, some of whom choose to criticize our current president and his party. Exercising the right to criticize is a badge of honor. This demonstrates our principle of democracy, especially the right of free speech. Just as many Americans spoke out against ex-president Bush and actually engaged in Bush-bashing, it was our privilege in our truly free society to voice our opinions without fear of recrimination. We have shown the world our dedication to freedom of speech and justice, by our government investigating President Richard Nixon, who ultimately resigned, and also President Bill Clinton, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1998. Conservatives and liberals alike have the right to their opinions. Loraine Slack, La Jolla Did we learn nothing? It is so much better to talk than to shoot first and talk later. It is clearly time for diplomacy to work. Bellicose rhetoric and threats of military action are what we had with Iraq but that didn’t seem to work, so why not start talking to Iran? It certainly is a lot better than more killing. Our troops have worked long and hard and it is time they come home, not get started in a third war. There are no good military options for solving this problem. The staggering economic, humanitarian, political and military consequences of a conflict between the U.S. and Iran would damage American strategic interests both now and for years to come. Did we learn nothing from Vietnam? Did we not learn from Iraq that there are limitations to the use of military force? I think maybe we did and that is why we should not put our troops in harm’s way again. Faye Clarke, La Jolla A suggestion for the do-gooders It is absolutely incredible! The gall of a San Diego activist group renaming our Children’s Pool. This which existed since the days of Ellen Browning Scripps, the greatest benefactor in Southern California’s history. They and a biased politician who should be tossed out of office, in others’ and this voter’s opinion. Twenty years ago, we had no trouble with the seals. On Seal Rock they had access to swim up and climb to their peaks, a lot of good exercise for their obese bodies. No more, they wallow in the sand of our beach, fat, lazy, ugly — swallowing native fish, fornicating, procreating to the tune of now 200 seals, the headline reads. And can 400 be far behind? They have nothing else to do. Who is picking up the tab for this debacle? Bankrupt California? Insolvent City Council? The busybody activists? A mammal park is their aim to teach the children. What? Only slow learners would take more than 15 minutes to get the drift. The children, according to the nation’s professors, are in college unable to read and write in a satisfactory manner. Why don’t the area do-gooders open a few grammar clinics for the children if their welfare is a believable goal? This egregious behavior of the court, in the person of one Judge Timothy Taylor and the governor’s office, should not be tolerated. Florence Carlson, La Jolla