GOOD JUJU

THANKS VERY MUCH for your coverage of the Pele Juju reunion. It's been a long time coming and much welcomed.

For the record, Pele Juju's manager is me--Marc Margolis. David Claytor, my dear friend and most valued colleague, is the "road manager" who takes care of all the logistics for the band. We have worked together as a team for all the years of Pele Juju. However the details you recounted regarding the bands being reunited were initiated by me--just for the record.

Marc Margolis, Oakland

BAD BUJU

THE UPCOMING performance at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz of reggae artist Buju Banton should be canceled. (This letter was sent before last Sunday--Editor.) The fact that the Catalyst is having such an event is disgusting. This is a man who is not just guilty of hate speech against gays, he is guilty of criminal fighting words that incite violence, urging his fans to "Shoot gays! Burn gays! Throw acid in gays' faces!" This man continues to use this language both in the U.S. and Jamaica, very recently, and has never apologized nor recanted any of his violently hateful fighting words of action against gays.

The Catalyst says, more or less, "Oh, no worries, it's OK, he promised not to use any hateful words or music, we promise--by the way, it's a case of free speech." This is a disgrace against this community. No sooner should we allow criminals, rapists or child molesters to speak in our community, even if they promise not to talk about their crimes--what a stupid, shallow excuse of the Catalyst to make. What fascist state did they crawl out of, where inciting violence against innocents is not only tolerated but promoted? This is not an exaggeration, because that is precisely what they are doing by promoting this criminal with the shallow proviso that he not say any of his bad words here. He agreed--now doesn't that transform him into a great guy!

Venues in Indiana, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and, as of today (9/28/06), Oakland, have canceled Banton's shows due to a vocal community response (and club owners that respect their communities). His recent good deeds that were reported in the Sentinel are similar to siding with Hamas because it provides medical and food aid to the people it was responsible for displacing, maiming and killing in its terrorist efforts to annihilate Israel. Let's face it, this is a man with evil and hate in his heart and unless and until he totally denounces that and makes full amends for the harm he has caused, he doesn't belong performing in this community or in this nation.

Scott Brown, Santa Cruz

A PEANUT FOR AMERICA'S ELEPHANT

THANK YOU for publishing Steve Bhaerman's feature on David Ray Griffin ("Unquestioned Answers," Cover Story, Sept. 6).

What a refreshing break from the snarky articles that pass for journalism on the issue of the 9/11 Truth movement.

The questions about 9/11 that continue to go unanswered by this administration are the proverbial elephant in America's living room that the media has pretended not to see. It's good to know that someone has the courage to report what is really happening. Reporting is, after all, a publisher's job.

Keep up the good work.

Martha Lawrence, Escondido

ALL CAPS MAKES YOU LOOK SMARTER

THE LEFT WING CONSPIRACY PARANOIA REACHED A NEW LOW. WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE NUT CASES LIKE RAY GRIFFiN? HOW SHAMEFUL TO READ SUCH OBVIOUS BULLSHIT ON 9/11. GROW UP AND GET REAL. A FLYING SAUCER MANNED BY YOUR HANDLERS AT THE ACLU AND DNC HELPING THE DUMB ASS ISLAMIC FASCISTS FIND VIRGIN PIGS IN SPACE FOR WHEN THEY KILL THEIR CHILDREN AND THEMSELVES FOR REWARD MONEY FROM THE RETARDED EUNUCH MIDGET AND HIS FAT UGLY BEARDED IDIOT BUDDIES WHO RUN IRAN IS MORE LIKELY THEN YOUR DUMB CLERIC FANTASY.

Barry Minkin, San Jose

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