Letters to the Editor

Eileen Welsome's April 20 piece on Wen Ho Lee, "Spies, Lies and Portable Tapes," is the state of the art now. Congratulations.
Jude Wanniski
via the Internet

      Normally, I'm not one for spy stories -- true or not -- but I couldn't put Eileen Welsome's story down. Move over, John LaCarré!
Jaymie Peters
Denver

      I am forever impressed by the quality and depth of your feature reporting. Your paper does vital work in this part of the United States. Congratulations for consistently excellent journalism.
Ron Harvey
via the Internet

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What is with Patricia Calhoun?

With her April 27 "The Bum's Rush," she shows that her love for the underdog knows no boundaries. Now she's championing the noble bum (excuse me -- homeless person) over the city officials who must walk through the bum's crap to get to work! Pardon me? If she thinks the homeless are such attractive additions to the "urban landscape," then why doesn't she invite them in to use Westword's fancy new bathroom?
Roy McMartin
via the Internet

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Regarding Stuart Steers's "Where the Sidewalk Ends," in the April 27 issue:

It was quite obvious that Stuart Steers doesn't live in Eagle County and was fed biased information from the anti-growth community. If Mr. Steers had done better research, he would have found out that, as usual, there are two sides to every story. Eagle County has a totally different situation from the Front Range, because it is a resort area. Mr. Steers needs to interview people other than the Eagle Town Council and manager to seek the truth.
Arthur Kittay
Eagle

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I'm surprised that Justin Berton's April 27 article "We Are Capitol Hill>" didn't mention the similarities between the murder of Stephen Elliott and that of Tom Hollar, which occurred just two blocks away in another grocery-store parking lot. There is a large time lapse, but given the facts, gang initiation or the existence of an organization or cult that practices ritual random murder seems a logical deduction.

Of course, we have come to expect any solution to these kinds of crimes by local and regional law enforcement to be mostly accidental. Certain Front Range police systems have been exposed around the world as incompetent, and after the release of the Columbine High School musical massacre video, they must be perceived as something very close to insane. Training video? For the S.W.A.N.T. (Superior Weapons And No Tactics) team?

You have certainly done your share/duty to the public, asking the right questions and pointing the right fingers. I can almost see Sheriff John Stone laughing dementedly and saying, "Let's see what Westword will do with this!"
Jimmy Greenfield
Littleton

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I just wanted to let you know that Michael Roberts's excellent "Anniversary Post-Mortem," The Message in the April 27 issue, took the words right out of my mouth concerning the press's handling of the anniversary.

I also appreciate his critique of Frank DeAngelis's fifteen minutes of fame that have actually lasted over a year now. I was at the ceremony on April 20 at Clement Park. I listened to DeAngelis's empty words about "looking to the stars" and how his tears water the plants he's planted in remembrance of the slain. What I would like to know is exactly what he saw on April 20, 1999 -- after all, he says he did see one of the gunmen. When and where did he see this gunman? What did the gunman look like? How was he dressed? I don't believe a reporter has ever posed such questions to him. I doubt he has a "canned" response for that.

I urge Westword to continue its reporting on the Columbine situation. For too long, we have had emotion-driven, fluffy stories cranked out by the press. Now it's time for serious questions to be asked, criticisms to be hurled, and names to be named.
Justin R. Tribble
Sedona, AZ

      I did not know a student, parent or teacher who experienced the Columbine shootings. I do not have a friend of a friend who was there. All I witnessed was the pallor that overcame Denver on that day and for days to come.

I have since moved to another state but still read Westword online. Despite the hope that your magazine would not cover this event as much as the other news affiliations you so sardonically mimic, I still read your weekly rag. But that ends here until your weekly, exploitative Columbine coverage comes to a close. I was hurt by the entire event, so it is difficult to imagine how devastated those who were actually part of the shootings would feel. Let us heal and, please, find another subject.

End the Columbine reporting. We (as a whole) want to move on. Give us all a break, and let the families grieve as long and hard as they need to without another chapter in the misery of murder.
Jessica Carlsen
via the Internet

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Regarding Alan Prendergast's "None Dare Call It Travesty," in the April 27 issue:

I have insider's knowledge of this event at Columbine High School, so I know more than most people as to what happened and why. I have to tell you that Prendergast has this one event very accurately portrayed. Furthermore, I was surprised to see that you would have the courage to expose the International Banksters or The New World Orderists and their puppets in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CORPORATION and UNITED NATIONS.

The ongoing conspiracy by all of these treasonous people in these groups for a One World Government that they are campaigning for is almost written word for word in the Soviet Unions Charter, which is Communism. If you expose them too much, they will retaliate by either warning you or assassinating your credibility, your character or you.

I will make one prediction that I'm sorry to say that will come true, and you can hold me to this: If the Banksters do not feel they are making enough progress to meet their agenda by getting the rest of the guns from their subjects or slaves in the United States so they will be closer to complete control of the World, they will kill more innocent children than adults, because this has more of an effect on the public.

Seek the truth, know the truth, for truth shall set you free. God will bless you for telling the truth.
Name withheld on request

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Regarding Robin Chotzinoff's "Beat Cops," in the April 20 issue:

I would add William Shatner's renditions of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" to the Fort Lupton playlist. (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobzilla/mp3/wacky/William_Shatner-Lucy_with_ Diamonds.mp3; http://www-personal.umich. edu/~bobzilla/mp3/wacky/William_Shatner-Mr_Tambourine_ Man.mp3.)

'Course, they did help Captain Kirk get that Priceline.com gig.
David Hakala
via the Internet

      Listening to the soundtrack from Cats is my idea of cruel and unusual punishment.
Janey Ransome
Denver

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I was glad to see Juliet Wittman's April 20 article "Murder by Death," concerning the sad story of Lisl Auman. I have been following this case for several years and still cannot believe this woman was charged with murder when she was in police custody at the time of the murder. This case is an example of an overzealous DA and revengeful police community taking advantage of an arcane law.

This woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is not a murderer. Locking her up for the rest of her life is only creating another victim out of this tragic shooting.
R. Porter Ingrum
University of Virginia

      Juliet Wittman's article regarding the unjust and fraudulent treatment of Lisl Auman hit home with me. What kind of world do we live in that the police can walk into a courtroom and literally intimidate the defense? I attended the trial of Lisl Auman and was appalled at the theatrics displayed on the part of the Denver Police Department.

I also must question the integrity and motives of District Attorney Bill Ritter in his decision to even charge Lisl with murder. If someone can be sitting in a police car, handcuffed, while a murder is being committed, then there are many more murderers out there than I care to imagine. Not only is the district attorney's office of this city corrupt, but the police department needs a complete overhaul. The city's "peace" officers are nothing but a gang dressed in police uniforms. They will fight, cheat and lie to win their cause at any innocent person's expense. How can they sleep at night knowing that an innocent woman is locked up for a crime she did not commit?

The real killer did us all justice by committing suicide. He is dead; therefore, this matter is dead, and Lisl should be back home rebuilding her life.
Jill Miller
via the Internet

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We just read Michael Roberts's review of 'N Sync ("Sync or Swim," April 27), and we don't like him. He's just jealous that, like, he's not popular like they are. I mean, um, why did he have to say such mean things? Wassup with that? We already have our tickets to go see their concert this summer. I can't believe what he said about "Mop Top" Chris. That was like so mean.

Can you like fire him and give his job to his daughters Ellie and Lora? They sound pretty cool and smart. They know what 'N Sync is all about. I'll buy any album as long as they like it. Well, we got to go now, our Dad has to use the computer. Bye, bye, bye.
Arkady and Natalie Jencks (ages ten and seven)
Littleton