Letters

—Jan Breidenbach
Executive Director, Southern California
Association of Non-Profit Housing

“No room at the ranch”? A total of 774 Ahmanson Ranch units will be reserved for low-to-moderate-income individuals and families, including 185 units for very-low-income households (following HUD stipulations, households earning less than 50 percent of the Ventura County median), and leased or sold in conformity with Ventura County affordable-housing regulations — in other words, approximately one out of every four units constructed for the community of 3,050 units. Washington Mutual will continue to list the affordable-housing program of the Ahmanson Ranch as a positive and beneficial feature of the project, without apology.

—Tim McGarry
Vice President, Corporate Public Relations Washington Mutual

DON’T BLOW UP THY ENEMY

Re: “A Few Good Saints” by Joshuah Bearman [November 23–29]. In this excellent piece on the anti-war stance of All Saints Church, you neglect to note that there are indeed committed pacifists in this vibrant Christian-faith community. For me, at least, the church I love has not gone far enough in condemning all acts of violence, even those undertaken to deter great evil. Pacifists are regularly told that their views are impractical, if not downright irresponsible. We are accused of being unwilling to take action to end the suffering of others, be they Jews in Nazi Germany or women under the Taliban. But real pacifism is not the same as quietistic withdrawal from political action, it is simply the recognition that when it comes to bringing violence to an end, we must embody Jesus and his radical, total commitment to nonviolence.

—Hugo Schwyzer
Pasadena

DON’T/DO BLAME IT ON CAIN

Greg Burk states in his article “Divine Suicide” [November 16–22], “We’re all descendants of Cain, of course.” While this would explain a lot, this is actually incorrect. Cain was exiled for his transgression. Adam and Eve then had another son, Seth. It is Seth from whom we’re all descended.

—Jeff Baena
Los Angeles

GREG BURK REPLIES: Well, since we’re all descended from Noah, and Noah was descended from Seth, you may be right. Thanks. But I like to think that Noah’s wife, unnamed and unsourced in Genesis, came from the line of Cain.

CORRECTION

In last week’s Scoring the Clubs recommendation of Thunderball’s Echo Park gig, Eighteenth Street Lounge was identified as a “Frisco label.” Actually, it’s in D.C.