-Power to the Prince

I BEG TO DIFFER regarding your article on Prince ("Nothing Compares 2 Sue," Arts, Dec. 19). Yes, he's eccentric, but aren't all geniuses and artists a bit left of center? You never mentioned his sheer perfection of music in any form in which he has reinvented himself over the last 26 years. I defend Prince and all of his idiosyncrasies. He's always been amazing in his live performances. I don't want to know his political or religious beliefs. I think this article perpetuates the "weird" Prince you would like us to believe. 

Karyn Lobley, Santa Rosa

A Gentleman And A Scholar

I SAY BRAVO that Metro Santa Cruz has not fired DeCinzo as requested by so many so-called "open-minded" liberal write-ins. When you get that many responses to a cartoon, you know you have a winner on your staff. Mr. Kessler (Letters, Nov. 21) states that he and friends will discontinue reading your paper. That's great since I usually have a hard time finding one unless I pick up an issue right after they are in distribution.This is one of those mundane letters of praise (ha!). Keep up the good, pointed satire. Your circulation of papers probably equals that of the Sentinel.

 Richard A. Muzzio, Soquel

The Horror, The Horror

WHILE I DO UNDERSTAND the concerns of the readers who have written to express their disapproval of the Oct. 24 DeCinzo cartoon, I would like to pose this question: When has DeCinzo ever had a compassionate stance on anything? Are we really shocked?

He is nothing more than a shockmonger who is trying to separate himself from the other cartoonists—a miniature version of an Ann Coulter, a Howard Stern—an "I'll say anything to get a response" pen-and-ink jockey. The type of person who doesn't even hold the opinion that they are expressing, as long as they can appear controversial and glean the bitterness of their audience, subsequently selling another cartoon next week.

I do not believe in censorship, but I did realize quite a while ago that DeCinzo is a severely troubled man. Just as psychologists suggest that we "are all the characters in our dreams," could it be that Mr. DeCinzo is all the characters that he loathes in his own cartoons? I feel sorry for him—his world must be an extremely bleak place, void of compassion, empathy and tenderness.

Lynn Jacob, Santa Cruz

Bring on The Supertankers!

I'M GLAD the DC 10 Supertanker aircraft is finally being used to fight the wildfires in California, but the criminal issue is and has been, for over 12 years, that the U.S. Forest Service refuses to use it on federal land, which forces California's firefighting agency to wait for the fire to burn onto state property so they can use it. Of course by that time the fire has developed into a massive holocaust destroying many homes and lives when it could have been stopped in hours if the U.S. Forest Service would only use the Supertankers in the beginning of the fire! It's outrageous to behold the unnecessary massive wildfire holocausts in California being presided over by the U.S. Forest Service, which still refuses to use the Supertanker aircraft that could have stopped these fires at the beginning. This apparent scorched earth policy of the U.S. Forest Service must be stopped and the officials prosecuted! We have to force the U.S. Forest Service to protect our lives, homes, and forests—not destroy them.

Larry Hamblin, Hesperia

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