The Vintage & Handmade Market It's about time
Finally we get a weekly that offers decent city coverage. Promise us, no reviews of houses of worship and no feature articles on subjects like knee surgery jammed in between countless advertising pages.
Good luck!
Oh, and I enjoyed the piece on local guru Quincy Troupe.
Chris Pesenti, La Jolla
Step up
Loved the piece “Quincy Troupe: Unreconstructed” [Cover Story, Aug. 21]. I loved it for two reasons: No. 1, it is always a good thing to see a brother “on top.” No. 2, the piece represents the journalism work of a young brother on the way to the top. Hats off to Quincy Troupe and Victor Patton.
I have a minor concern though. I found myself wishing/hoping that this is not a cheap purchase of credibility‚ to be followed by rapid and cowardly disengagement from the real challenge-that of reporting the news from the Black community. I just gotta let you folks know that the brothers and sisters are not all on top. There are a lot of people whose entire lives are spent wrestling with the mundane issues of low wages, unemployment and paucity of social amenities, food and shelter.
These folks are heroes/heroines in every dimension of the terms. Step up to the challenge and document their struggles.
Good first and second issues. Keep up the good work.
Aduku Addae, Downtown San Diego
Simply stupid
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree the town needs a new “alternative” paper [Editor's Note, Aug. 21], though I hadn't thought of The Reader as alternative for a quarter century.
I don't keep up as much as I used to, especially on politics, etc. But you should know we have really, really stupid governments here-going back decades: Lost the '72 Republican Convention; the town pillar convicted felon in '70s; all the way up to being taken by Qualcomm (for one-tenth of what they should've gotten on the stadium); the Chargers ticket guarantee; John Moores and his publicly financed ballpark; etc.
I mean, they're just dumb-always have been, always will be. So have great, sharp, funny, satirical fun with 'em.
I enjoyed the review of Blue Crush [Film, Aug. 21], but the reviewer is quite wrong about surf photography. It's awful-done only to show off the photographer's skill. I prefer seeing whole waves-large, with small surfers on 'em.
Joe Tucker, Ocean Beach
It's up to the gods
In regards to your Aug. 28 editorial, titled “Westerfield and the death penalty,” I happen to agree with your comments, opinions and beliefs that were stated in this editorial, even though the majority of other people who read this editorial will be choosing to disagree.
David Westerfield is much better off spending the rest of his life locked up in a prison cell, completely isolated and not allowed to communicate with the rest of the prison population. I'm sure this will probably be the way the Department of Corrections will handle Westerfield; the reason being is this:
In prison, David Westerfield will be a dead man if he is put into the general prison population. Why do I say this? If there is one thing all prison inmates will not tolerate, ignore, overlook or sweep under the rug, it is when a person-especially a man-kidnaps, [allegedly] sexually assaults and kills a young child.
A final thought for anyone who supports capital punishment for all those murdering, mentally ill cowards like David Westerfield: I don't believe in practicing or being associated with organized religion of any kind; that isn't to say that I am someone who doesn't believe in a god, supreme being or higher power. I believe in a god, and I know I am not her/him. I also believe creating a life and ending a life is best left in the hands of a god to have power, decision and outcome over.
Human beings shouldn't be responsible for ending any life-human or animal. Now, if a human being is responsible for ending a life, that human being will deal with God's law...
Rick Pumphrey, Sierra Mesa/Kearny Mesa
Snooty elitists
I really like San Diego CityBeat, but I did find one problem in your last issue [Aug. 28]. In your tally of the fast food restaurants, you implied that a La Jolla address is not a San Diego address. But, as I am sure you know, La Jolla is just another neighborhood within the city limits of San Diego. The fact that people who live there list their address as “La Jolla” rather than “San Diego” is just an elitist affectation. It makes as much sense as me listing my address as “Bankers Hill, CA.”
I would urge you to resist the geographical distortions of our snobby city-mates to the north.
Brian Martin, Bankers Hill
