That's where you come in

The horse race

I, too, support the policies Dennis Kucinich outlines in his campaign speeches and on his very informative and detailed website ["Editor's Note," May 2]. But when I mention Kucinich to others, they say something like, "Why support him? He'll never be elected!" And, of course, their declarations are accompanied by that very obvious eye-rolling thing.
It's as if selecting a president were akin to always putting your money on the favorite horse at the track. Forget consulting the Racing Form or anything; just watch the tote board and select the one with the shortest odds. Quick and mindless way to operate, no?
When I get such a reaction, I console myself by remembering that at some point in history the notions that freed slaves and women would someday get the right to vote were dismissed by most as being impossible outcomes. And then I write another check to Kucinich's campaign.

Susan Newell,
College Area

Kucinich's wife responds

Re: Your May 2 editor's note about Dennis Kucinich. Thank you for the article. I appreciated your raising significant questions but was saddened by your conclusion.
Take courage, communicate and vote your conscience, not your conditioning.
Power to the people. Our (collective) issues can win, you know. They don't have to be compromised before going to the ballot box. Stand for what you want in the world, and vote for it! Don't buy into all that media propaganda. It's there to convince you that you have no power, but you do! Dennis' positions are mainstream and they are sincere, no polling required. He is the only one standing with the American people and speaking for them. It's time to claim our voices.
Maybe it is time for a protest vote!

Elizabeth J. Kucinich,
Cleveland, Ohio

Not the Dolls! The Girls!

My sister is (jokingly) pissed. I recommended the "Six summer concerts not to be missed" for CityBeat's Summer Guide ["Cover Story," May 23]. Troy Johnson says of me, "She'll also openly pine for tickets to... the Pussycat Dolls (for her little sister, or so she writes)." Even I have limits. My 29-year-old little sister would like to keep her reputation intact and clarify the it was the Cheetah Girls I was pining for, and they were for my 8-year-old god-sister Claudia, not the Dolls and not for Christy.
Thank you for allowing me to clarify, and see you at the shows.

Rosey Bystrak,
Kensington

Silly guidebooks

I love the little article in your Summer Guide responding to the clueless tourist guidebooks ["Cover Story," May 23].
I thought the tourist books that Troy Johnson (along with Kelly Davis and Eric Wolff) read were bad, but I have something worse. I have a tourist book that says that The Casbah is owned by Eddie Vedder. We all know that The Casbah will always be "The House that Tim Mays built." And thumbs up for mentioning that "Jivewire" is not a local band, along with the remark about Soma.
I am surprised that the writers didn't counter Moon Handbook's comment on El Indio (the one that said, "El Indio is where locals go for Mexican") with the typical taco shops that more locals are most likely to go for Mexican. Locals are more likely to go to Santana's, Cotija's, Super Sergio's, Palomino's, Cotixan, Sombrero's, Saguaro and any 'Berto's.

Ken Lux,
Kearny Mesa

The real Imperial Beach

Re: "When worlds collide" ["Theater," May 2]. Mr. Martin Jones Westlin missed a great opportunity to inform theater lovers of the great theater taking place in Imperial Beach, but most unfortunate was the lost moment where Mr. Westlin could have played a role in inspiring many younger citizens of our city to stay connected to education through the many rewarding experiences provided during the school day.
Personally, I don't believe Mr. Westlin's intention was to offend our community. Believe me, we welcome the coverage. We just need it in the proper context, good or bad.
But the picture painted by Mr. Westlin was seriously incomplete because it got lost in the more sensational tabloid topics of drugs, urban blight and parenting. I thought this was an article about theater. If you think the schools in more affluent communities aren't plagued by drugs, please think again. In I.B., our parents call it like it is; in the more affluent communities, parents call it youthful indiscretions in the great tradition of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Our kids are intelligent, go on to receive advanced degrees and disproportionably have to bear the burden of the war in Iraq because so many of I.B.'s parents serve in the armed forces.
Mar Vista High has a rich theatrical tradition previously under the direction of drama teacher Marilyn Zeljeznjak, performing difficult works like The Laramie Project and other plays dealing with social issues. Now under the direction of Ms. Tokeli, Mar Vista will be showcasing great musical theater such as the recent performance of Jazz in the Night. I hope Mr. Westlin will continue to cover the city of Imperial Beach because I believe his heart was in the right place. The people in I.B. are not in denial about the challenges our community faces and welcome accurate reporting on the problems confronted by most communities in the county. We're just not sure what urban blight has to do with jazz in the night.

Steve Futterman,
Imperial Beach

At the zoo-er, gun show

Re: Michael Klam's story about the Crossroads of the West gun show. What a sickening hit piece that was. Only in California or New York would that be published. The sly tone of a visitor to the zoo was just about right.
Some years ago, a left-wing radio talk show host (Michael Jackson on KABC) did a whole show on people in Los Angeles who carried a firearm in defiance of the law. Every caller was a woman! It was hilarious. He would be horrified and try to tell them how dangerous it was to carry a gun. He even had the police chief on the show. Then the next caller would be another woman who told him she refused to be a victim. This went on for an hour. He was as clueless as you are. He was gone from the air a year or two later even though he had been on KABC for years. The times had passed him by. Just as the times are passing you by.

Michael Kennedy,
Mission Viejo

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