We are writing you to express our opposition of the State Veterans Cemetery in Orange County Great Park. We strongly urge you to reconsider the selection referenced inAB1453.  Other more suitable locations in OC shall be considered.

With all due respect to OC Veterans, we do support an OC veteran cemetery to be built at a suitable site. Veterans fight for this country and our freedom and they certainly deserve a cemetery in OC. We hope the OC veterans’ cemetery can demonstrate a good example of the respect of human rights and cultural tolerance on which this country is built and prospers, and for which veterans have been fighting.

However, we are questioning the compatibility, feasibility, and its underlying politic motivations to choose this cemetery site. It is insensitive for municipals to overlook the likely negative impacts of the site on its nearby residents. These likely impacts will be profound and lasting to Irvine economic future, Irvine residents’ psychological comfort, and Irvine community’s multicultural health. The cultural impact cannot be underestimated. It can spread into many other areas such as local economic and community development. 

When this Bill was passed in July, 2014, public notification was certainly lacking if there was any. As a result, most residents in the area did not know anything about it. We are really questioning whether the process was truthfully and honestly conducted with considerations to reach out to the affected residents.  

We are willing to help the veterans to find a better location to create a win-win situation.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead- American anthropologist