All I can say is, thank God we’ve thrown the leftists out of the White House. Now if we can just get rid of the leftists in the press, maybe our country can go back to being a nation of laws.
—Todd Honig
Los Angeles
CRIMINAL URGES
DEAR EDITOR:
The Ben Ehrenreich article “Off My Back” [May 18–24] sent shivers up my spine. I feel like taking some time off work, growing my hair out, going up to L.A., standing on a street corner, and waiting for these absolute nobodies to come along and indulge in a little hand-to-hand combat. Who do these assholes think they are? We already have the LAPD gang hiding behind their little tin badge, swaggering around, badgering people. When is enough enough? When are the people of this country going to drop the friggin’ remote, pull their heads out of their asses and take back the freedoms we are losing day by day?
Punk-ass rent-a-cops have no business shaking people down. I’d like to see them take my baggie of smoke, my 40 out of my hand. They would be in for one hell of a fight. Fortunately, unlike many of the people living on the Row, I have an education, and I am damn well aware that these petty-ass power trippers have no business harassing anybody.
—A. Geddes
Long Beach
SIMIAN, ALL TOO SIMIAN
DEAR EDITOR:
In “Twisting Darwin” [May 18–24], Margaret Wertheim unfortunately paints a slightly inaccurate picture: that of Darwinian evolutionary theory as being racially neutral. Like anyone else, Charles Darwin was a child of his times and environment, and a flaming racist. Anyone who has even glanced at The Origin of Species should be aware of this.
Darwin’s prejudices and limitations do not, however, invalidate the theory — it’s just that certain aspects of the theory have required modification. Like any great theory, evolution has not been static since its inception. Rather, it is frequently discussed, argued over and revised as more data become available.
Yes, Darwin was a racist. He also held that women were so inferior as to need to be dragged up the evolutionary ladder by the vastly superior male of the race. He based those beliefs on widely held ideas of the time, and was dead wrong on both counts. Ms. Wertheim does an excellent job of pointing out the origins of the eugenics movement, and that Darwinian evolution was merely a rationale for existing racist beliefs. However, to discount Darwin’s own racist beliefs hamstrings efforts to fully understand both evolution and a brilliant, though fully human, scientist.
—Randy Grein
Bellevue, Washington
TRUTH? MY DERRIÈRE!
DEAR EDITOR:
I found the “Truth or Derrière?” article [Slush, May 18–24] very upsetting. The Queen of Silver Lake event — the brainchild of Ken Molita of the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce — was organized by a group effort of 10 people. I was one of those people. We all worked tirelessly to put this event on and make it a success. In your paper, and in the New Times, however, Johnathon Vasquez has undermined our efforts by turning around and taking all the credit.
While Mr. Vasquez did work very hard to help put the event together and made an invaluable contribution to its success, he was not alone. He worked alongside the rest of us.
—Kent Kiesey
Silver Lake
STILL BARKING
DEAR EDITOR:
Regarding the letter from Frank Andrews of the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control [May 25–31] about my comments in Marc Haefele’s City Limits column “Barking for Change” [May 4–10]: First, Torrance taxpayers do not receive “free” services from the DACC. Although Torrance residents have paid more than $1 million directly to the county for animal-control services since 1994, the DACC has shorted Torrance more than 3,000 hours of service. Second, the DACC, far from encouraging, actually limits the number of volunteers. As of March 1, according to the former acting director, it had only six volunteers at its Carson facility. This facility took in more than 20,000 animals last year. Many Torrance residents, including commission members, have tried to volunteer and have never been called back.
The sad fact is the county’s Carson facility has too few people to provide adequate service to its contract cities. Instead of acknowledging the problem and getting help, Mr. Andrews and other defensive administrators in the DACC blame the community.
—Dean Case
Torrance
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