See how they like 'real' life!

Reading about or listening to the Goldman-Sachs executives before the Senate Committee in these last months, I remember that the real division in this country isn't conservatives and liberals, or Republicans and Democrats, or even the extreme right or extreme left. The real division is the same one that's been here since the first human who figured out he wanted what another human had: greed. The real division is between the haves and the have-nots, the rich and the poor. To this we might now add: the used-to-be rich and the middle class.

After gutting the poor and convincing the middle class that these were the parasites depleting the system, the rich in recent years have gone after the middle class. And in the process, they have robbed many hard-working people of their livelihoods or retirements; things that they themselves—the rich—enjoy quite brazenly, thank you very much.

Meanwhile the Goldman-Sachs guys look down their noses at working-class folks foolish enough to trust them with their hard-earned cash. And then stare back with contempt at the politicians who dare to question them. Not an ounce of humility between them. No regret and, apparently, no regard for the enormous suffering they are responsible for.

In my field, we have a term for people like this: sociopaths.

And what is our punishment for men so adept at robbing others? Give them more money! Big mistake, I think. These guys represent the absolute worst of our society, our species and the capitalist system. Personally, I'm disappointed they are not being severely punished for their crimes against the middle class. A logical punishment in my view, and one worse than prison, would be that they are forever banned from working in the banking industry, their bank accounts seized and they be forced to get real jobs to support themselves and their families. The fairest punishment I can imagine is these white-collar thieves working at 7-11, driving a truck or being greeters at Wal-Mart.

Kevin Russell

Sebastopol

That is just so cool

I just finished reading Juliane Poirier's article "Gumming up the Works" (Green Zone, May 26), and my first reaction was to want to help Laretta Powell in whatever small way I can. I'm sure there are many Bohemian readers who felt the same.

I'm wondering if there is a means for doing so that would be easy and fast—say, a website that lets one make donations for local causes such as that of Ms. Powell? I don't have much money myself, but I could definitely donate $10–$20, and I'm thinking if others in our community are like-minded, Ms. Powell could have her teeth in a jiffy without Ms. Denny having to take on the task all by herself.

Could you assist with this or direct us somehow through your paper?

Kelly M. Estrada, Ph.D.

Associate Professor/Faculty in Residence

CSSE Department, SSU

Dear Dr. Estrada: Thank you for both your compassion and your killer idea. You and other readers who would like to help Ms. Powell pay for a new set of teeth are welcome to contact her directly: 707.287.1242.

Dept. of TF

Those able to parse the aggressive font of last eek's cover may have noticed that a letter as strangely ithheld. As ev'e kno n lo these many years, a good dubya is darned hard to find, and hile e had one to start ith, it disappeared at the printer's. Maybe it just didn't like it there; e dunno. E do kno that e ere bummed and e hasten to apologize to all eekly readers.

In a further bit of bummedness, please know that photographer Norah Burrows took that hot shot of singer-songwriter Rose Logue found on our June 2 Calendar page. Perhaps her photo credit ran off with the dubs?

The Ed.

Secretly preferring the sweet symmetry of the letter 'h'

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