The promise of capitalism

I write this not to besmirch, but to lift up. To the extent that Gary Horton laments capitalism in his Jan. 9 column, "A bad day for good taste in Santa Clarita," I praise capitalism for the freedom it allows us, and our souls, to achieve our purpose in life. Free market capitalism is the best way for the Holy Spirit to work in us. Pity not the restaurant ...

Social Security plight is due to spendthrift politicians

Having read The Signal for 40 years, I am compelled to write my first Letter to the Editor. I am appalled by Rob Kerchner's Jan. 6 rant on Social Security (or as he calls it, "antisocial theft"). Having paid into it my entire working life and now living meagerly on it in my retirement, I and countless others would be on the street without it. The challenge is keeping up with ...

The decay of the English language

The English language is falling into decay, especially by the following three venues: rap music, texting and everyday speech. Indeed, all three of them are making it hard to communicate properly with one another.

What’s needed in gun debate is common sense

Regarding Tammy Messina's column, "What is gun control?" Jan. 11: Tammy Messina wastes two columns mostly defending people's rights to own handguns to defend themselves, a right that is not even under attack by proposed or pondered legislation. She brings up the old and tired line that "guns, assault style or otherwise, don't randomly kill people." One could file this away with the observation that tanks, drones and nuclear weapons also don't randomly kill people. ...

Video games, movies are the problem

What is with our youth? Well, I know. My grandson wanted me to prove to the world that his grandma could play video games. I bought a Playstation and hooked it up to my TV.

The mother was at fault

Guns, guns, and more guns! Every time a crazy goes off his head because he feels powerful with his weapon, the whole country gets excited. They propose all kinds of solutions to make things safer. They want teachers to have guns, they want armed guards at all schools. Most of the things they propose will never work because what it comes down to is who shoots first has the advantage. The thing I think has ...

God Bless You, Huell

In a recent visit to the Monterey Presidio, I was talking to a state ranger and Huell Howser's name came up.

County counting on you not to respond to fee plan

It's been said that "You can't fight city hall," and the latest tactic by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors regarding a homeowner fee for clean water proposed by the L.A. County Flood Control District makes that crystal clear.

Letters: Thanks, FDR

Decade after decade, we've borrowed from literally penniless future generations, who don't even have the right to vote yet, in order to pay far more affluent grandparents today - and with even more chutzpah, we've called it "social" and "security," rather than "antisocial" and "theft."

Letters: A gun for everyone

There has been a steady discussion in the media since the recent massacre (in Newtown, Conn.). There have been many suggestions to prevent future tragedies and many explanations as to why these things occur.

Letter: Obama stars in new take on ‘A Christmas Carol’

Editor's note: The following letter was published in Friday's Signal but attributed to the wrong author. With our apologies to both the actual author and the credited author, we offer the letter in its entirety below with the correct attribution.

Letter: Gun control ideas for the US government

There are two "ideas" which I would like both Gov. Brown and President Obama to consider, since they both are promoting plans which they expect John Q. Public (us!) to "accept" as worthy.

CORRECTION: Letters: Obama stars in new take on “A Christmas Carol”

Rumor has it that after the advent of Obamacare, a new movie version of the Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol" has been in the works and is due out in 2014.

Letters: Escaping Poverty

Some seek to "fight poverty" by expanding welfare programs and extending benefits. These might maintain the "status quo" but are not an effective response to poverty and the social breakdown in America.

Letters: Immorality of slavery

Everyone understands the immorality of slavery. But what if only half your labor was taken without your consent?

Abortion should be illegal

I believe that abortion should be deemed illegal in all 50 states. Aborting an unborn child should be considered as murder. Murder is defined as; the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought. What makes killing an unborn baby different from killing an adult? When does a fetus' life begin?

Cemex Bill Would Cost Us Millions

At last week's regular meeting, the Santa Clarita City Council voted unanimously to endorse the Soledad Canyon Settlement Act introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer. This legislation defines a process by which the sale of excess federal land near Victorville would be sold to compensate Cemex for sand and gravel mining rights in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Obama scandals

Obama and his minions are mired up to their eyeballs in scandals, what with Benghazigate, the IRS targeting of conservative groups for harassment, and the Justice Departments secret grab of Associated Press phone records, not to mention the lingering Operation Fast & Furious debacle.

Boy Scouts of America

Dear Editor,

Toll roads are discriminatory

I urge all drivers to contact the California Transportation Commission www.catc.ca.gov (and any local representative) to voice their disapproval of Assembly Bill AB 680, which gives private entities the right to charge drivers to use the highways they are already paying to build and maintain.

Let’s keep our low-chloride water

Once we have removed the excess chloride from our wastewater, are we just going to give the water away to the farmers in Ventura?

Safety and our youthful drivers

Concerning Jim Holt's article on teens dying in the SCV ("Sand Canyon residents remember youth killed at oak tree 32 years ago," May 8), I can understand his concern.

State Supreme Court ruling on pot shops was victory for families

Good job, Gary

I just finished reading Gary Horton's column on victimhood. If I didn't know better I'd swear he suddenly became a Republican. His comments were spot on. In this age of blame the other guy for your own lack of responsibility, it's good to see that someone else gets it. Good job, Gary.

Special moment

Thanks for hosting the Summer Meltdown. This is so important to the Yes I Can program. I witnessed a special moment that I will never forget. One of the Yes I Can students was withdrawn and another student was holding her arm around her. One female teachers from the Yes I Can program went up to her and held her in her arms for a good couple of minutes (just the kindest hug) as to say it's OK. Then the girl and friend went on their way,

Lessons to be learned

The Boston bombing brought to light a very clever way of carrying out covert operations in another country. Our own CIA can learn from the Tsarnaev brothers on how to conduct an operation and have that country finance it for them.

Here is one for the books

Remember when that man, Rick Perry, came to California to promote and emphasize "that HIS state of Texas doesn't bother with pesky regulations on industry.

Gay Rights in the SCV

Not two weeks after "our" 13-year-old gay teen, Nigel Hardy,committed suicide in Palmdale from being bullied as his school's male cheerleader, the president of the board of "our" Hart School District, Joe Messina, brought a known (adult) bully of gays, Brad Dacus, of the ironically named www.pacificjustice.org, as the keynote speaker at "our" city's Mayor's Prayer Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. Even after the AV teen's death, Dacus called for parents not to attend ...

McKeon and gun control

I always enjoy a good chuckle on a Sunday morning, and the letter by Richard Myers today allowed me a good one.

Gun control and voters in McKeon’s district

I recently read Brian Baker's April 24 letter "On logic, liberated thinking and gun control."