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Dear Editor,
    Regarding Mike Levy’s Postmark “After 50 Years, Give Me a Break” [Nov 29]: Doubting Thomas’ Flaws of Life 101: First, concerning the human condition, what history teaches us is that the majority of people will often accept the explanation of their leaders regarding current events, swallow the lie, and blindly follow them right over the edge (e.g., 1940s Germany). History also teaches us that deep and powerful conspiracies do exist, are successful, and do change the course of history (e.g., Osama bin Laden’s conspiracy to fly planes into the World Trade towers).
    Second, your “recipe” calling for a sprinkling of dummies that sing in every crime: Assuring the bad guys will be caught is the same recipe used in all the bad cop shows on TV. But that’s TV, not reality. Reality is infinitely more interesting and usually more complicated.
    Third, as far as the number of people who may have been involved in JFK’s shooting, it’s quite plausible that the number of knowing participants could have been very small and loose lips easily shut (e.g., Lee Harvey Oswald).
    In the end, you seem to imply we should accept your contentions because “cops will tell you.” Just so you can’t say you’ve never been told, the smart cops will tell you the average cop is only as smart and just as dumb as the average bad guy, and some cops are the bad guys. Unsolved crimes and conspiracies might indicate that sometimes the bad guys actually outsmart the cops, which the smart cops already know. But of course, it’s very difficult to solve crimes you aren’t even aware of or don’t believe took place. It’s even possible to be just as fooled and just as blind to believe there was no conspiracy as to believe there may have been. Until you know, you don’t know. So please, give me a break.

Dear Editor,
    Regarding “Point Austin: Help the Hungry,” [News, Nov. 29]: You have done me a great service by reminding me of the Capital Area Food Bank as I search for a charity to donate to in honor of a pal, and she and her husband do the same in her town, Charlotte, N.C. Instead of exchanging material gifts, we have decided to make donations to charities that appeal to us. Last year, we donated to the shelters where our rescue pets came from. This year, your column pointed me to the food bank and then, of course, I had to make an identical donation to the Pet Food Bank of Austin and Travis County.
    Thank you for focusing attention on the great need in Central Texas so I could do my tiny part!