Wake Up, Parents

Thank you for your story about the abuses of the California CPS ("Where Are the Kids?," MetroNews, Jul. This is a national problem. I am an attorney who works with parents here in Texas to keep the State from terminating their parental rights. There does appear to be a "dollar sign" on the heads of the children. The more adoptable children are almost certain not to be returned to their parents.

I hope stories like yours will cause parents to wake up before the "jack-booted thugs" come to their door to kidnap their children. I would encourage you to do further investigation into this "perversion" of the child welfare system. The emphasis should be placed on keeping families together, not separating them.

Danna Kirk Mayhall, Athens, Texas

Black Eye on SJ

Great article on the Department of Child Services. Those guys need a black eye and you are just the journalists to do it. Way to go!

Oliver Asato, Palo Alto

Real Reason for Islamic Studies

Re "Required Pleading" (MetroNews, May 3): "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. God is forgiving and merciful."—Koran 9:5

Islam is a genocidal ideology, and its core principles are at odds with the foundations of civil society.

Stanford should indeed have an Islamic studies department. It is critical that all people learn the truth about this intolerant, primitive belief system and the threat to liberal democracy it poses.

Overwhelming evidence comes from the Islamic books themselves—primarily the Koran. In the first 100 pages there are about a dozen passages that explicitly command violence against those who disagree with them. And also exhortations to beat women. Disgusting.

Name Withheld By Request, Santa Clara

View on Quakes From Out of Town

Great story by Gary Singh about the World Cup and the departed San Jose Earthquakes ("The World Cup Runneth Over," Silicon Alleys, June 7). Take note, San Jose politicians—you lost a lot of revenue from out of town fans like me who now have no reason to drive to San Jose anymore. You need to get the land for Mr. Wolff and Mr. Fisher so they can build a great place for fans from all over the country to view a returning Earthquakes team and possibly national and international games as well. With TV rights coming next year to MLS, concerts and all else you could have there, it only makes economic sense to do the right thing. Have the vision and you won't regret it!

Larry Dale Preszler, Livermore

Monster Memories

I'd just like to give my positive feedback to Steve Palopoli, who organized Metro's cult movie column reunion of the cast of the Monster Squad film ("Monster Squad Reunion," Cult Leader, May 24).

I really enjoyed the film and the presentation! I would love to support more of these types of film showings in the future. I really enjoyed myself. I wanted to thank you for making it happen.

Geoff Clark, Campbell

Steve Palopoli responds: The good folks at Camera Cinemas deserve the credit. I'd also love to support more of these types of film events locally. Bring 'em on, people!

Cars and Common Sense

It's rare to find a woman columnist who is "obsessed with cars, but [also] with protecting the environment." ("Diesel Futures," Rev, April 5). Even rarer to find that she can in a few words summarize the feeling of a foreign capital while showing good common sense in international affairs, better than that shown by the current Administration's policies as to Venezuela. Congratulations to Novella Carpenter.

Luis Rumbaut, Washington, D.C.

Leftists Like Motorcycles, Hate Andy

My feedback is directed towards your movie review of The Lost City. I am just wondering if you could send me your movie reviews on The Motorcycle Diaries; that is several minutes shorter than The Lost City, and completely in Spanish. Even with these facts, I am positive that this movie had a better review. This is truly sad. The Motorcycle Diaries, a movie that has no well-known actors, is in another language, and is truly seemingly dull at times, will most definitely have a better movie review. The reason being is because your editors, for the most part, sympathize with the principles of social reform and Marxism. I truly am upset that the individuals doing the movie reviews are not fair, but project their own philosophical Leftist beliefs on their work.

Armando, Miami, Fla.

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