Pulitzer Prize-Winner's View on Closure of Jack London Park

The idea of closing any state park is upsetting to many of us. Losing Glen Ellen's Jack London State Historic Park has broughts out cries of from people throughout northern California and beyond.

Sonoma Patch first last month. Now a veteran New York Times writer has brought the issue to nationwide attentnio via his online commentary posted on the Times' website.

Writer Timothy Egan stated in his commentary, "Jack London’s credo, as he told a reporter two weeks before his death of a kidney-related failure in 1916, is worth repeating here, as a courage nudge.

“I would rather my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot,” said London, who looked like a young Warren Beatty. “The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time!”

Sonoma Patch readers jumped in with their thoguhts on the pending closures.

"The Republicans in the legislature who won't allow a public vote on the extension of the 2009 tax hikes. Contact them and demand that the public be allowed to vote on this matter so we have the funds to keep our parks open," said Michael Thomas. "You can't tell me that California, with the 8th largest GDP in the world, does not have the funds to keep our parks open. By the way, the parks were not closed even during the Great Depression."

What are your thoughts on this issue?