Letters are posted as we receive them during the week, and before they are printed in the paper, so check back frequently to see new letters. If you'd like to send a letter to the editor, use this postmarks submission form, or email your letter directly to mail@austinchronicle.com. Thanks for your patience.

Editor,
    I have been under the weather for the last few weeks and unable to take up the pen. You performed passably in the interim, Mr. Black, dabbling in the role of diarist. Your more reactionary tendencies were held in check but for a single slip concerning the "oppressed" in the last "Page Two" article [May 28].
    The diarist achieves a universal perspective by reflecting upon personal issues – admittedly a difficult task for a busy and important person like yourself, who must bone up on his weekly article while showering, as you describe it. I could think of no other reason except for a distracting schedule to explain why your recent "diary entries" reveal no growing concern for the future of your son. After all, the country is officially at war with an officially protean adversary. A 10-year war, by official estimates. Very soon now, our young men (and women, presumably) will be called up into the armed services. Every sign indicates a draft coming, regardless of the results of this next "free" election. Yet, your outrage these days is reserved for liberals who keep irrationally embracing the oppressed, even as the oppressed uprise and organize and blow themselves to smithereens.
    Now, hasn't your paper pledged allegiance all these years to liberal standards like judicial fairness and sustainable growth and freedom of expression and so forth? I must say, sir, you sometimes appear as a wolf in sheep's clothing. I have begun to wonder who signs your paycheck. So, please tell us, is the Chronicle owned by the same media conglomerate that runs the Houston Press and the Phoenix weekly and other similar "alternative" papers in the other major cities of this country? Inform us if they do, because we deserve to know our enemy.

Dear Editor (and Austin),
   I really enjoyed Belinda Acosta's May 28 article and tribute piece to Gloria Anzaldua ["TV Eye," Screens].
   I also enjoyed the reflections she had regarding the lack of prominent Latino/Hispanic figures in mainstream TV. I must admit, now at 25, I can see that I am a direct product of this.
   Like many Hispanic-Americans today, my culture is one of many paths. Raised in the U.S. just outside of Dallas, I grew up with a positive image at home but a negative one in the public. This forced me to put a "cultural" mental block up, and I eventually turned my back on my roots and my heritage.
   It's a shame to see that the struggle for Hispanic America has been a movement to recognize us beyond this "invisible" society we are often viewed as. And it's far more detrimental to "not exist" than to have a strong voice and speak out.
   As Hispanics, we must speak out more or face cultural extinction.
   I am happy to say that I am being tapped by national production companies to explore this issue of growing up on "both sides of the fence," and the program I produce locally, the Austin Music Network Student Filmmakers Showcase, is one of the reasons for this. AMN SFS employs a very diverse group of student interns, including two Hispanics and one African-American, and eight of the 11 students are female.
   I hope that soon I can offer a broader range of film and television for future generations.

Dear Editor,
   The main issue turns out not to be whether to lease or sell Mueller, but whether in either case the council can serve the public interest ["The New Mueller: Prepare for Landing!" News, May 21]. Under the theory that subsidizing the "haves" lets jobs etc. trickle down to the "have-not" masses, the council has persuaded itself that it does serve the public interest to approve the biggest subsidy in Austin's history – selling Mueller to Catellus Development Corporation, the second-largest landholder in western United States, for what we calculate is around $169 million, not even enough to pay for the infrastructure that the city must put in. Unlike any other landowner, our landowning city is not charging for the real value of the location plus the cost for putting in the infrastructure plus a modest profit margin, say 15%. All that could add up to as much as $402 million. If converted to yearly lease revenue, what a permanent break that could have been for Austin taxpayers and those hoping for better city services.
   By unnecessarily committing itself in advance to selling all of Mueller, the city is also committing itself to turning over to the new owner critical control of what gets built on Mueller.
   This public land in town becomes even more valuable if it's true that gas prices aren't coming down. One thing is certain. You don't sell public land for a song to private owners from humanitarian motives. Two words come to mind to explain what has happened so far: Greed won.

Dear Sirs,
   I have just read the article in The Austin Chronicle about the proposed projects on Hamilton Pool Road and I am appalled ["Westward Ho!" News, May 28]. No one seems to care anymore about the sensitivity of the Edwards Aquifer, the rich beauty of that area, the unique hidden treasure of Blue Hole (a longtime secret swimming hole), nor the overdevelopment of already congested Austin. I am so sad to see the landscape being shaped by rich, money-hungry, careless out-of-towners. The thought that the future holds more strip malls and suburban sprawl, with politicians and developers deciding how to drastically change the Hill Country into a money trap for California consumers. Ruining our land for what benefit or future generation's benefit? My children will not be able to see the heart of Austin. The impact alone on the Edwards Aquifer should stop all development in the area. What about the Recharge Zone? What about the water quality for the rest of us? Does anyone care what the people of Austin think? This land is all of ours and we have the right to say "no." After years of enjoying the hidden places like Hamilton Pool, because it is such a gorgeous drive out there during the springtime, I fear it won't be that way forever. The LCRA is the middleman in all this and y'all ought to be ashamed. Disheartening to say the least that there isn't anyone standing up for the true Austin. The most scenic of all of Texas, an oasis, or was an oasis. Maybe when the development is done (if we don't stop it), one of you guys that is working on this project will drive out there in 10 years and see the sad destruction and environmental degradation caused by careless developers and disinformed citizens. I hope you guys can sleep at night,,,,, because I can't.

Dear Editor,
   To all the bellyachers that want to blame Ralph Nader and/or Florida for Gore's inability to secure the presidency four years ago: I can't believe that the debate over who cost Gore the election is still going on. The election irregularities in North Florida were nothing new. I witnessed it the 10 years I lived there. That part of the country is the most blatantly racist community that I've ever seen. Combine that with the Southern Baptists' control over the politics of the region and the privilege of the vote can and will be denied to the unempowered. It was simply business as usual. The only difference was that in the 2000 presidential election the national spotlight shone on the situation. Maybe Gore's "loss" was a good thing in the long term for democracy in our country because it should focus attention on the flawed regions in Florida this election. Maybe the attention will make them play by the rules in this swing state.
   Ralph Nader is a pain the ass, but that is his chosen profession. He is the constantly squeaking wheel in this democratic machine. Call him what you will, but don't blame him for speaking his mind and calling out the hypocrisies of the two major political parties.
   To those that blame Nader and Florida for Bush's rise to prominence, please explain to me why this fact isn't the true reason that Gore "lost": Gore's home state of Tennessee went to GWB. If Gore could have won the state where he and his family were a huge political force for two generations, then Nader and Florida would have been moot. Even Dukakis and Mondale won their home states.
   I'm sure Carl Rove and Ralph Reed aren't sweating Texas, and the DNC and the Kerry camp won't be spending much time campaigning in Massachusetts after the convention.
   I'll see you at the polls. I'll be the one voting my conscience.

Dear Editor,
   Communication. How is it possible when flooded with a barrage of electronica? The human voice is lost. The heavens are radioactive. The earth has become a bed for asphalt, concrete, and steel. What sleep is there?

Dear Editor,
   I must inform your readers that the choice to purchase items made in Korea supports Korea's cruel dog market trade, where Korean pets and strays alike are placed in sacks and pounded against the ground, sometimes boiled alive or "torn apart" alive for fresher tasting meat. For those dogs not facing such immediate cruelty, they are left to watch all of this from their overcrowded cages. All this is committed despite the 1991 law that prohibits the human consumption of dogs. Please veto all Korean products now.

Dear Editor:
   If people are wondering how the American soldiers were able to commit those heinous acts in Iraq, take trophy pictures, and then sleep at night, check this out: Last week a woman was woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of a dog yelping for its life. She was horrified to find a dog in a plastic bag, beaten with a baseball bat, and thrown down a 20-foot ravine behind her house. With the help of the APD, who answered the call within three minutes, wrapped the dog in a blanket, and took it to emergency care in their squad car, she was able to save this dog's life (now known as Forest). There will be a benefit at Jo's coffee shop on June 18th, all proceeds to be spent on vet bills. Cruelty starts at home – but so does love – keep hope alive!

Dear Editor,
   The crack about Jenna Bush in last week's "Naked City" [News, May 28] was totally inappropriate. Punishing children for the sins of their parents is the sort of thing a Republican would do. When you stoop to their level, you're no better than they are. In point of fact, Jenna's youthful antics, committed in spite of the embarrassment they created for her infamous father, are an indicator of the kind of high spirits that we could use more of in Austin, the opinions of aging, crabby ex-hippies notwithstanding.

Greetings!
   I am roommates with one of the coolest people on Earth. His name is Jonas Miller. He is a totally committed reader of the Chronicle.
   This afternoon I accidentally mutilated the front page of a Chronicle that I thought was no longer needed. He went berserk! Absolutely insane. My first thought was (having been a Communications major at one time) there are probably five or six million of these in an office building somewhere in Austin.
   So, my question to you is, is it possible that I can get a copy of the Chronicle Vol. 23, No. 38? if this is possible, it would be greatly appreciated. I have a deep desire to prove to him that that particular copy wasn't the last one on Earth, and that he can get another.
   Thank you so much.

Dear Editor,
   We would like to talk to you about the impending smoking ordinance and its affect on our business. The current ordinance has not allowed one single restaurant to get a permit. The only people who have received permits are strictly bars. The ordinance was supposed to not affect live music venues, however it is completely the opposite in our case. Why? Because a restaurant cannot meet the 70% food sales to 30% liquor sales requirement if it serves food all day. The requirement does not allow us to not serve food and split our sales during that time when the live music is playing. Therefore if you are a club with no food, no problem. A restaurant? Your choice to eliminate food sales or cancel all music because we can't compete on a level playing field. In addition, with the ordinance the way it was written we were able to comply with and did over $100,000 in renovations to be a live music venue. Now, with the "between the lines" requirements we would have to spend another $200,000 to comply. There is much more to talk about but too long to list in an e-mail. I have all the names for all the city personnel and engineers we have talked to.

Dear Editor,
   I am a fan of toll roads, but Mike Clark-Madison's "For Whom the Road Tolls" [News, May 21] provided a simplistic view of the CTRMA.
   Instead of planning alternative roadways or HOV lanes, the CTRMA is trumpeting "additional capacity." As an Eastside resident, I enthusiastically watched as TxDOT began expanding U.S. 183 into a full-fledged highway, with two lanes of high-speed roadway and two lanes of stop-and-go access road. Now CTRMA is telling me the high speed roadway being paid for with tax dollars is additional capacity, and I can pay a toll for the "new road" or continue to use the same, inadequate lanes of stop-and-go road, now known as "access road." All right, admittedly TxDOT is in a cash crunch and we should all pay our way, but let us look to the west side of town, shall we?
   While the Eastside has stop-and-go lanes along 183, the west side has free highway along Loop 1. When CTRMA comes in, west-side residents will still have three lanes of free highway, plus two new lanes of toll way. While the Eastside has to choose between stop-and-go and a highway, west-side citizens will have nothing but highway to choose from. In other words, the citizens least able to afford tolls will have no choice but to use them.
   While I want to see some toll roads built in our region, I don't like CTRMA's all-or-nothing approach. Ask yourself: Where will the profits from the toll roads go? Will noncompete clauses signed to guarantee profits allow for improvements to I-35 over the next 30 years? Why aren't we spending this money on public transit projects? Do we want 45 to be connected over the aquifer? In the final analysis, CTRMA is thumbing its nose at ECT and is simply sounding the bugle call of the road warriors.

   [Mike Clark-Madison responds: I think the writer's right about the equity issue in the sense that the U.S. 183/Texas 71 East segments should have been done long ago, long before South MoPac or Loop 360, and weren't because they're on the Eastside (not the entire reason, but a big one). But we need to remember that we can solve the equity problem simply by tolling existing roads, up to and including I-35, which is politically threatening right now but by no means impossible. (I should note that TxDOT insists that nothing in the SH 130 noncompetes prevents the agency from improving I-35, and the CTRMA's current plan does not connect SH 45 over the aquifer.) Progressives can and must continue to be vigilant in ensuring that the road plan doesn't lead to further inequity (or further sprawl), but they can do that without opposing the current CTRMA plan itself. That's where I'm at.]

Austin Chronicle,
   TxDOT's "Toll Finance 101" proves to be a smoking gun ["For Whom the Road Tolls," News, May 21]:
   Look at www.texastollways.com/resourcelib.shtml, part three, titled "Toll Finance 101," page 10.
   It shows TxDOT's plan to force drivers on toll roads by:
   1) limiting free alternatives;
   2) avoiding frontage roads (or using discontinuous frontage roads); and
   3) not providing new free-access roads.

Dear Editor,
   This is rich – I give a direct quote from John Kerry himself, asking how anyone, Democrat or Republican for that matter, could endorse someone who admits to committing war crimes ["Postmarks" online, May 27]. And that's "baiting"? I guess what we should call it from the Chronicle's perspective is "dodging." Wonder how many veterans work at the Chronicle?

Dear Editor,
   I love your paper for the entertainment, information, and the belly laughs I get when reading the letters you print from the laughable left fringe. Where do you find these deluded people? Gore lost the election because Gore ran a lousy campaign, apparently did not understand the Electoral College, and managed to lose his own home state. (When was the last time, if ever, a major party candidate had the talent to do that?) And I love the bit about a Republican conspiracy to make the butterfly ballot disqualify all those Gore voters (fortuitously ignoring the fact that the ballot was designed and implemented by Democrat-elected officials; now that's a hell of a Republican conspiracy). I even recall recently reading on your pages how farmers vote Republican even though Republican policies are bad for farmers, now this had to be written by someone that probably never set foot on a farm, but by being ultraliberal, they of course know better than those poor stupid fools that actually work on farms. People, you cannot keep making these kinds of arguments and have any credibility. (How about this, just maybe a farmer knows more about what is good for farmers than nonfarmers do – wow, who would have thought.)
   While I certainly enjoy good political discourse, it does require some degree of intelligent argument. I would really enjoy reading better thought-out points of view that do not make ludicrous conclusions (like 9/11 would not have happened if Gore had been elected – huh? Radical Muslims hate all of us because we aren't radical Muslims). Come on, you can do it. This upcoming election is going to be a hard fought and close one; we the people desire some intelligent discussion and not pure dogma. Consider the gauntlet thrown.

Dear Editor,
   On the subject of equal rights to marry, I recently read this quote from George W. Bush: "The sacred institution of marriage should not be redefined by a few activist judges. All Americans have a right to be heard in this debate."
   The word "sacred" is the problem here. Why are any judges defining what is "sacred" under the law over all Americans? What ever happened to the separation of church and state? What ever happened to "Liberty and Justice for All"?
   I am sickened by the fact that Christian morality dictates the law over my body and my life. I don't feel the need to worship or to submit myself to the authority of a husband or god; I don't believe in things that can't be seen, heard, or felt, and I don't want to be ruled by people who do.

Dear Editor,
   I have just finished reading Michael King's article "Pardoned by Satan" [News, May 28], and my heart is saddened. Many of us live in fear, but our fear should not blind us to the events of our material world. Photographs have been shown from Iraq, but those photographs could have easily come from inside our own Texas prisons. Most people don't know that there is no air-conditioning or central heating for offenders in Texas prisons. Prisoner rape is common, but little is done to decrease it – much less stop it. The karmic consequences of not treating another human being as a human being I don't even want to think about. I challenge my fellow Texans to drive to Huntsville after making a visitation appointment with an offender in a maximum or "super-max" security prison and look the person straight in the eye. If compassion is not the first thing you feel, then I recommend you contacting your clergy of choice ASAP.

Dear Editor,
   I was dismayed to learn in last week's Chronicle ["Naked City," May 28] that several area hospitals are eliminating lactation services. I am a huge proponent of breast-feeding, having nursed two children myself. The first few days after a baby is born are crucial in the establishment of breast-feeding for mother and baby (and for some, it takes several trying weeks to get it together). Many women want to breast-feed but need some education in order to help their babies nurse properly. If it's done wrong, an infant can become malnourished or fail to thrive, and a pediatrician might suggest a switch to formula. A lactation consultant who is available in the hospital is often the only person who can help a new mother and baby get breast-feeding off the ground. I needn't go into the benefits of breast-feeding for both baby and mother – surely the hospital administrators know them. So I am perplexed that they would make a decision that could potentially adversely affect so many. Of course, poor women and their children stand to lose the most here, since they likely can't afford an outside lactation consultant, but even women with financial resources might give up on breast-feeding if they don't have available postpartum support.
   I urge the administrators of these hospitals to reconsider this damaging decision.

Dear Editor,
   Thanks for Michael Ventura's "Letters @ 3am" [May 14] focusing on the possible return of a military draft. Ventura made several good points, but clarification is needed about seeking conscientious objector status in the event of a draft. Case law during the Vietnam War made it possible for young people to apply for conscientious objector status based on "moral or ethical" grounds, not only religious grounds. One need not follow any religious practice or belong to any religious group in order to prove a well-founded objection to participation in war, nor would one need a statement from a pastor to support one's claim. Also, it's not too late for high school seniors or college students to assemble a CO claim. It is recommended that young people create files for themselves of documents that would support a CO claim, including written statements from adults who can vouch for their sincerity. Such files should also contain one's own statement of belief regarding war, papers or reports one may have written for school, or fliers saved from events one has attended that show one's objection to war.
   Is a military draft likely? Opinions differ, but if there were a draft, those turning 20 would likely be drafted first, and they would have little time to prepare a CO claim. So, it would be wise to start putting together materials now, even if it just means collecting supporting documents in a shoebox. I don't share Ventura's sense of imminence about a draft, but I agree that a draft would likely include women this time around.
   For more information, contact The Center on Conscience & War at www.nisbco.org, the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors at www.objector.org, or locally, Nonmilitary Options for Youth at 467-2946. Enlisted personnel can call the GI Rights Hotline at 800/394-9544.

Dear Editor:
   Once, anyone who doubted our country's direction or its leaders were told simply: "America – Love It or Leave It." To love blindly. Or leave.
   Now, of course, so-called conservatives fume and decry our status quo: "What about family values?" or, "This isn't my country!" And, finally, always: "Damn this liberal media bias!" Angry talk is cheap, solutions never forthcoming.
   Instead, they pine for the "good ol' days (circa 1952)," when everything was hunky-dory. The increased freedom most of us have gained since that oppressive time means nothing, as they gaze longingly back toward their theocratic and monochromatic origins.
   But, unable to travel time, neoconservatives now attempt to unstitch the last half-century's greatest accomplishments: human rights for women and minorities, environmentalism, peace activism, art, science – you name it. Present-day American society and culture confuses, frightens, and angers them. Armed daily with millions of broadcast hours, the right-wingers who complain the most can now complain the loudest. And they express nothing but disdain for our America.
   The time has come for the rest of us to stand up for our America – the America for all of us, regardless of our color, culture, or religion. The current lockstep, right-wing mindset is only an annoyance. In the long run, our country will continue its expansion of both human rights and mindful innovation. That is what America is about.
   So, for all you angry, hateful conservatives, the time has come for you to leave America. To love us or leave us.

Dear Editor:
   I'd like to respond to the May 21 article, "Shuttle Bus Battle" [News]. The statement "UT shuttle drivers consistently handle a comparable workload" to Capital Metro operators is inaccurate. ATC/Vancom shuttle bus operators are part-time, seasonal employees who average 1,228 hours of work per year – just over half as many as full-time Capital Metro operators, who average 2,080 hours per year.
   Likening the work, salaries, and benefits of the two is not a fair comparison. It would be more accurate to compare the UT shuttle drivers to Capital Metro's part-time operators, who earn from $12.49 to $14.28 per hour. Capital Metro contributes 50% of the cost of part-time drivers' health insurance. ATC drivers are eligible for insurance if they work about 25 hours per week and can become eligible for 100% coverage based on seniority. ATC/Vancom does provide dental insurance coverage as well as paid time off, contrary to what is listed in the article. In fact, ATC/Vancom offers more extensive health insurance coverage than both UT and the city of Austin. And UT shuttle drivers have a benefit that Capital Metro operators do not: They are given 20 discretionary unpaid days off each year, and can give as little as three hours' notice to take such a day off.
   Regarding federal funds: "Formula" funds are awarded based on several criteria, one of which is ridership. Across our service area, those funds go toward the purchase of new buses, shelters, and benches at bus stops and other capital expenditures. Since UT is in our service area, they also benefit from these funds. The amount received in fiscal 2003 that can be attributed to UT ridership is an estimated $1.3 million. Compare that to the yearly cost of purchasing UT shuttle vehicles: about $1.9 million per year.
   In response to the assertion that Capital Metro "just wants the numbers" from UT ridership, I'd like to point out some numbers of our own: the countless hours our planning department spends with UT students, faculty, and staff each year, designing, revising, and improving the UT shuttle routes; the dozens of customer service team members available to our UT riders; and this spring's doubling of ridership on the E-bus, which was created directly at the urging of student riders. Finally, I point to the most recent UT shuttle rider poll, in which the shuttle service received higher scores this year in every category, and 87% of respondents rated shuttle safety as "excellent or good."
   We are committed to our partnership with UT and its riders, and will continue to focus on providing safe, efficient, quality service to everyone we serve.

Dear Editor,
   "Misrepresentation Drives Projects" is the conclusion of Research Director Dr. Bent Flyvbjerg at Aalborg University. Dr. Flyvbjerg has conducted studies of 258 transportation projects spanning 70 years. This is the largest study of its kind, scrutinizing projects in five continents and 20 nations, worth a whooping 90 billion 1995 U.S. dollars. He mentions rail as the most deceptive with an average 45% cost escalation. His data reveals little is known about the cost effectiveness and performance of these projects. The data has consistently shown significant cost overruns in 90% of all the projects. This has gone on for over 70 years! Why? Might the misrepresentations be deliberate? After all, there is a lot of money to be made by engineers, contractors, bankers, landowners, and developers aka the Robinson track property. Of course, public officials receive larger budgets and "monuments" to the empires they build.
   It is not to say some of these projects (rail not one of them) might be worth the expenditure; they are just often grossly misrepresented, and that is to say, promoters "lie" about them.
   I suspect this will be the case with the latest Capital Metro adventure into passenger rail transportation. A much larger project than the 2000 proposal, without the true costs given. I will be looking at and challenging Metro's "facts and figures." Perhaps we taxpayers can start to break the cycle of promoting large public projects by lying.
   I suggest voters and taxpayers ask Metro the following main points, which they haven't had the inclination to bring up.
   1) What will be the total cost for the entire plan? Will you be voting to give Metro a blank check to complete the scheme?
   2) How long will it take to complete?
   3) Demand accurate ridership numbers and cost per rider.
   4) Where will the difference come from if the fare box does not collect operating expenses? (Typically the fare box pays less than 20% of operating costs.)

Dear Editor,
   Lest anyone misinterpret my previous letter ["Postmarks" online, May 20], it was intended as a humorous attempt to illustrate a grossly inverted Orwellian sense of national priorities. I am not angry about any of it, but when I go over in my mind what has gone on in the last 40 years it does make my head spin in disbelief, which gets worse when, for example, I hear about another huge chunk of American jobs being outsourced to a foreign country and then some high-level spokesman paints a happy face on it, telling me that it's good for us and nobody in the mainstream media even challenges it. (Gee, Wally, unemployment is swell!)
    But it's our fault. We have let this kind of stuff accumulate until it's now beyond ridiculous. It can happen anywhere when half the people in a free country no longer give a damn. So all of you people who never vote please get up off your asses and do so. Even if you can't find anybody or anything to vote for, there's always someone or something to vote against. The millions of average people in the U.S. who complain that they have no say and therefore don't vote are fools unaware of the power they have to change the world and how much damage they have caused already with this attitude. These people, not Ralph Nader, got Bush elected by a measly 25% of eligible voters. Global warming, corporate crime, foreign policy, jobs, street crime, medical costs, you name it. It's in our power to at least try to start fixing these things if enough lazy people will drag themselves to a booth now and then – and maybe even fork over a few bucks to activist organizations that try to help raise awareness.

Chron,
   Just so you know – in my angry tirade of May 24 ("What the Hell Is Wrong With the Democrats?") ["Postmarks"], the phrase which appears as "Bush is president now" actually was intended to be "Bush is resident now." I specifically will not refer to Dubya as "president"; presidents are elected, Dubya was installed. He's an el presidente at best. I can see how resident seems like a missing "p" typo, though, so I'll just stick to "Dubya" from now on. Sorry for the confusing terminology.
   Thanks, by the way, for providing a public forum for angry tirades from every political direction.

Dear Editor,
   I was still wondering about the Democrats apparently fixin' to nominate someone who admitted to war crimes, serious offenses, including using anti-aircraft weapons on civilians, firing on civilians in free-fire zones, executing wounded enemy soldiers, and burning villages. Is this the best you have to offer? Spin that, Louis; see if you can avoid answering the question again.

Louis,
   Enough! I'm fed up with your relentless diatribes against Ralph Nader ["Page Two," May 21], blaming him for Al Gore's defeat in 2000 and fearful of his impact on this year's election. These outrageous attacks have got to stop.
   You've lost perspective, friend. Take a step back and look at yourself, supposedly a reasonable, progressive, and articulate member of our community. You're trashing one of the most dedicated and effective public servants this country has ever had. Get a grip. You ought to be thankful we have the likes of Nader, a true patriot with some honesty and integrity, working to expose and fix an obviously corrupt, broken system. You ought to welcome his contribution to the public dialogue, cheering him on. Instead you do us all a disservice with your obsessive, hysterical ranting.
   Perhaps you're intentionally scapegoating Nader to help ensure a Kerry victory in November. But, honestly – why don't you focus your bitterness and disappointment on more appropriate and deserving subjects? You and so many others who insist on assigning blame for the 2000 debacle want to point fingers? How about the millions of Democrats that voted for Bush, 250,000 of them in Florida? Gore couldn't even carry his own home state, or Clinton's. If he had done either, Florida would be irrelevant. How about the Dems try advancing an inclusive agenda that addresses some of the issues that drove Greens away in the first place instead of vilifying anyone not in lockstep with the "Anybody but Bush" mantra?
   Just admit that the failure of the Democrats lies with the Democratic Party and nowhere else, especially not with Ralph Nader. At the very least, I think you owe him an apology.

   [Louis Black Responds: Who has lost perspective? Do you accept responsibility for what Nader's candidacy wrought? The Naderites mostly seem to ignore that even though Gore ran a "lackluster" campaign, he won the popular vote. Talking about blaming others so you are not forced to confront your own culpability? Maybe, just maybe, my "obsessive, hysterical ranting" is a consequence of the very real damage done to working people, the poor, underserved communities, education, the environment, and health by Nader's 2000 candidacy, which neither he nor you accept responsibility for and seem quite eager to do again. By the way: How is Nader a "public servant"? Isn't he actually a representative of "special interests" even though many of us might agree with his causes?]