I have to take exception to the letter writers who penned the letters about California prison inmate Leslie Van Houten. The writers make the common mistake of referring to Van Houten as a member of the Manson family. She is not, nor has she claimed association for over 30 years. Part of Ms. Van Houten’s prison rehabilitation has been to disassociate herself from the previous affiliation to a madman named Charles Manson. Separating herself, and being a responsible adult, has added to her rehabilitation. She has demonstrated over 30 years of mature, positive thinking, and has accepted full responsibility for her previous actions. She is not the same person who committed a horrific homicide all those years ago.
Following Ms. Van Houten’s progress in prison is the gold standard of any prison inmate in a similar situation. Ms. Van Houten has counseled and influenced many other inmates. Her counseling and influence on other inmates proves that rehabilitation can be achieved by even the most serious criminal. Her statements at her parole hearings demonstrate her sorrow and remorse for her crime.
Ms. Van Houten deserves to be paroled. She has paid for her crime and has had to live with the repercussions, now and forever. She has been a model inmate, and has demonstrated to society, as well as her fellow inmates, that rehabilitation can be achieved. If anyone deserves parole, it is her.
— Rob Macfarlane, Newport Beach
Newman made his choice
In his election race, Josh Newman benefited from revelations that his challenger, incumbent Ling Ling Chang, misrepresented numerous facts on her resume. As an independent, I voted for Josh because he seemed smart and honest. “Fresh new ideas and fresh new taxes” were not part of his campaign promises. Voting for hefty increases in the gasoline tax and automobile registration fees was not in my best interest, nor those of the thousands of voters who have signed recall petitions. Josh made a careless mistake by representing Sacramento’s supermajority — and not the people who elected him.
— Gregg Fresonke, Chino Hills
Disdain for liberals
Re: “Disdain for experts could bring more disasters” [Opinion, Sept. 18]: Note to Thomas D. Elias: It’s not scientists and experts — or even universities — that we disdain, it’s those among them whose ideology is driven by a liberal bias.
— Charles Hunt, Mission Viejo