Preserve the Natural Beauty of Our Mountain Treasures

Well, why stop with a giant American flag on Conejo Peak (“Retiree Leads Campaign for a Mountain of a Flag,” July 4)? Surely the folks in Yosemite wouldn’t mind one atop El Capitan, or floodlit at night next to Yosemite Falls; and with that success, we could put a 500-foot flagpole on Mt. Whitney, with a flag that would be visible from Lone Pine.

The ultimate, of course, would be a 600-story flagpole in the Grand Canyon, guyed from Bright Angel, Desert View and the North Rim. We could put up a flag quilted from squares sewn by representatives from all the states, all of the Native American tribes and several chambers of commerce. If a flag is ever installed on Conejo Peak I’ll be in tears, all right, but not from patriotism.

Paul R. Cooley

Culver City

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Increasingly, it seems we value the symbols of America more than America itself: First the Pledge of Allegiance furor, now a well-meaning but misguided patriot like Sonny Suarez. Our “purple mountains’ majesty” should not be dominated by gargantuan flags bathed in artificial light but appreciated for what they are: natural beauties preserved by man, a national treasure--from sea to shining sea.

David Daniel

Encino

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Well, isn’t that sweet: Suarez will be in tears when he sees his flag on the mountain ridge. How about the thousands of people who would rather see the skyline of a beautiful, natural mountain uncluttered with anything? If the flag triggers such an emotional response in Suarez perhaps he could paint flags on the walls of his rooms.

And who does this guy think he is to call anyone who disagrees with him misguided or unpatriotic? He should be careful, lest someone call him an obsessed zealot.

James DuBois

Ventura