James Brown for President

Notice how a two-year stand-in president who accomplished very little got priority news coverage that dominated all mainstream media.

Whereas James Brown--who was labeled the hardest working performer for his entire life, who did so much for culture, entertainment in America and for bridging cultures around the world--was usurped in the news by this white man who did so little.

I'm sure that if Ford hadn't passed away and there was no other significant death happening, the big news to usurp Brown might be something like Britney Spears and her trifling antics.

Such is the story of blacks and minorities in America. Our contributions will always be downplayed as much as possible. However, we must always know our truth and legacy. We are a great people living in a racist, arrogant, broken country!

In protest, I am turning off all TV news stations for the remainder of the week, so these propaganda stations will not get credit ratings from me.

Marion Young, California City

Yes, eight decades, sheesh

I have fond memories of the Rev. James Coffee going back to the years when his Community Baptist Church and yours truly were neighbors in the South Park of a bygone era. Imagine my delight, then, at seeing his jovial image beaming broadly last week from the page containing Lois Pearlman's "Justice Warrior" (Dec. 27).

However, I need you to help me out here. If the justly venerated Jim Coffee is indeed 73 years of age, would that not, then, place him in his eighth decade rather than his seventh, as indicated in your lead? Or should I return to school this semester and take Bonehead Math?

Michael Zebulon, Cotati

Send in the Clones!

The U.S. government has declared that food from cloned animals is safe to eat. After only five years of study, scientists and the FDA have concluded there is no difference between clones and other animals of the same species.

If you recall your history lessons, what was the cause of the Irish Potato Famine that began in 1845? The potatoes that were brought to Europe from Central and South America were clones. They all were divided from a few samples, and all had the same physical characteristics and susceptibility to the disease, phytophthora infestans, that wiped out the potato crop that was the primary subsistence of Irish peasants. The famine continued until 1871.

Also, the use of clones reduces the viability of the species that is cloned, and eliminates the natural selection process and inherent strength of a species to survive because some of its population are resistant to a particular disease. Agri-business would love to have a patent on our food sources and eliminate the freedom of choice for our farmers and consumers.

Final approval is still months away; the FDA will accept comments from the public for the next three months. Please make your concerns heard. Contact the FDA on the web: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov.

Lee E. Tolbert, Cloverdale

Sticker shock

Personally, I don't think that simply writing letters to the editor is going to stop the debacle in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they solely play to the choir.

What it's going to take are bumper stickers, banners and other "in your face," eye-catching, tactics.

I suggest making bumper stickers with a full color photo of a single flag-draped coffin on a bare tarmac with this wording: "An Army of One." I also suggest this bumper sticker: "Support the Troops; Deport the Commander in Chief."

Many families seem to think that just because their sons and daughters died or were crippled for life bringing "freedom" to the Middle East that other people's sons and daughters should march-step into pain and suffering, so that their children didn't sacrifice themselves in vain.

To that selfish mindset, I offer this bumper sticker: "I Didn't Raise My Child to Be Cannon Fodder."

Our sons and daughters should never have been sent off to fight a useless Bush-league war.

Jeff Coykendall, Los Gatos

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