LETTERS

Move over, Donna

You had asked many people, of lesser importance to my father than me, what their favorite books are [“Cover Story,” Dec. 13]; though he be long dead, he is insulted! For the record, my books are: Watership Down, by Richard Adams, Arcadia by Jim Crace, Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, The FECMA Conspiracy by Burton Ridgeway and A History of the American People by Paul Johnson.

I think that my 75 years of experiences in life puts my judgment above that of a City Council member who had decided to be a third candidate for mayor in a two-candidate run-off of a primary election. I would have known better, so my taste in books deserves more respect. Look, it's as good a reason as I could think of!

Saul Gritz,
Hillcrest

Buh-bye!

Re: “Free as birds: The couple behind Magpie Gallery & Boutique are spreading their wings, closing shop and moving on” [“Art & Culture,” Dec. 13]. Good! don't let the door hit you on the way out of town.

I am a South Park artist and resident. Are we supposed to play a violin for these S.F. pseudo-hipsters because their overpriced boutique didn't make it? Oh, boo hoo.

My girlfriend and I went to Magpie to check out the clothing and art. It was like thrift-store clothing for $50 a T-shirt. I politely asked a person who worked there about upcoming art shows. I explained that I am a local artist and would like to participate. With the most smug response, the person told me, “We are booked solid for a year!” They went on to say, “If you e-mail a link to your site, we might take the time to review it.”

In my experience, people who treat art like that usually don't make it. See ya!

Gerry Baumert,
South Park

Craven carnivores

I want to thank D.A. Kolodenko for his wonderful observations on the cruelty involved in the “enjoyment” of Thanksgiving turkey [“Presently Tense,” Dec. 6]. His description of the torture involved in killing those creatures is echoed in the slaughter of every animal that humans eat. Cattle, hogs, poultry and creatures killed in the wild all suffer from the craven appetites of humans.

I have been a vegetarian for 32 years and am now 82. I neither eat nor wear animal products and, on a daily basis, I am thankful that I'm not responsible for the killing of animals. Like Kolodenko, I do not fuss over the eating habits of my carnivore friends and relatives. I only hope that someday they will see the light.

Wallace Danielson,
San Carlos

230-pound ‘weakling'

I just wanted to share some thoughts and say thanks to D.A. Kolodenko for writing the “Thanksgiving is murder” column [“Presently Tense,” Dec. 6]. I've been vegan for 15 years so I can definitely relate to the kind of harassment expressed in this piece. It really is difficult to keep the anger in sometimes. I live my life very peacefully and don't shove my views down anyone's throat, yet people still seem to feel so threatened by my lifestyle that they have to make rude and unintelligent comments whenever they see fit.

Hey, I'm realistic. I know the rest of the world is not ever going to have the heart to change their diet to one that is more compassionate (and many people who do change just revert to their old selves, anyway). But that doesn't stop me from caring about the other beings we share this earth with. I also wanted to assure everyone that the myth of “sickly, skinny, weakling” vegans is just that: a myth. I'm 6-foot-1 and approximately 230 pounds. I'll just keep teaching by example, because that's really the only way anyone has ever wanted to learn.

Chad Stroup,
University Heights

Silence of the turkeys

D.A. Kolodenko's article “Thanksgiving is murder” [“Presently Tense,” Dec. 6] reminded me of an incident as a teenager when I had to help my father slaughter some turkeys. Previously, whenever I had come out to their pen to feed them or just hang out, they would come running up to the fence to greet me. I would make my best turkey sounds and they would seem to be answering back to me. However, on the day of the killing, I went out earlier in the morning to see them and they all ran away to the far corner of the pen and trembled. They knew what was coming up later that day.

During the slaughtering, it was my job to herd them into a corner so my dad could grab one to chop its head off. As I looked at their frightened faces, I couldn't help but feel like some sort of traitor. After they were slaughtered, I didn't have the heart to eat their meat. When I moved away from home, I stopped eating animals completely. Not only because of that experience, but for many other reasons as well.

That was more than 35 years ago, and being vegetarian has never been a problem. That is, of course, until someone asks, “So, why don't you eat meat?” This invariably happens during a meal when I would prefer to be left in peace to enjoy my food. As soon as I give an answer, the other person always goes on the offensive and tries to prove how wrong and ignorant I am. The conversation heats up into a full-blown argument. I wasn't expecting the bloody Spanish inquisition!

Like Kolodenko, I'm not out to convert anyone. In the future, perhaps I should just print up a FAQ pamphlet to hand out so I can quietly continue with my meal. Mmmm, pumpkin curry!

Paul Johnson,
La Mesa