Letters may be edited for clarity and length. E-mail to le*****@oc******.com, or send to Letters to the Editor, c/o OC Weekly, 1666 N. Main St., Ste. 500, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Or fax to (714) 550-5908.
THE COSTA LOVE IN LONDON
I've only been to this website today because of the article by Ellen on Matt Costa [Ellen Griley's “The Costa Fame,” Aug. 25]. I'm in London, U.K., so I wouldn't get the magazine, but I just wanted to say great, great article. I'm a fan but don't hear much about Matt, just go to his gigs. It sort of feels like catching up and seeing what they are up to. Weird . . . Anyway, I'll be back to read other stuff. Keep supporting Matt. Cheers.
Dee
London, U.K.
FIGHT! THE PEEPS VS. THE 241
Just wanna give you some respect here real quick for engaging yourself in the fight against the 241 toll road [Alex Brant-Zawadzki's “Hey, Porter!” Aug. 18]. Keep it up and keep us all wide awake about what's goin' on! If you want, there'll also be a chance to report some positive things that are happening in this case right now: we are in the process of setting up a couple of concerts in San Clemente in order to raise awareness among the locals and also to draw more positive attention to our issue. The “Save Trestles” concerts will be held at a small bar in town; the Beach Fire Bar and Grill is gonna host one in September. You are invited to come check it out, and maybe write a small article in the OC Weeklyabout it.
Saskia Macleod
Via e-mail
DOES THIS MEAN WE'RE PART OF THE ILLUMINATI?!
Wow, thanks for the disinfo [Nick Schou's “Bohemian Grove Exposes Itself!” Sept. 1]. I guess it's just not bad enough that we have a bunch of rich elite dressing up in women's clothes, getting drunk and stoned, and fucking everything that walked. I suppose it's okay for public officials to hide away and conduct politics and business with private interests, which I might add is illegal to do. I guess it's okay for them to ship in dope and gay prostitutes. After all, why not, they're all God-fearing Christian soldiers in our government institutions. Imagine if those in power knew that a group of regular citizens were hiding away in the woods and doing the things that the elite get away with at Bohemian Grove. There'd be an FBI raid ASAP. I suppose the law doesn't apply to the lawgivers. Corporate media is already doing wonders in blinding people to the truth. Most have never even heard of Bohemian Grove, but then again, the elite like it that way. Why arm the establishment by helping to dissuade people from seeing the truth? Why join the bad guys? Is it intentional? Alternative media is growing, it's time to decide where we stand, and recognize on whose backs we climb over to gain our position. Journalists have a responsibility to seek the truth and shine a light on it, not to blur it with straw men theories and disinfo like your article on Bohemian Grove. Your informant clearly isn't “in the know” on what's going on at the Grove. Why should he, he was only a stable boy for the rich. Even if the Cremation of Care ceremony really is just a game, a frivolous journey into silliness for our beloved leaders, do you really want to trust your country and your government to a bunch of alcoholic, bisexual, drug-addicted, adulterous, wife-swapping thugs? And burning human effigies while cloaked in robes and hoods is what these creeps do to “let down their hair”? Are you fucking kidding me? What a man does behind closed doors is his choice and right, but the elite at the Grove are blatantly flaunting it for all to see, mainly because of ignorance, lack of interest and media influence. Thanks for helping them. You article only reiterates my point of media collusion. Plenty of well-respected journalists and whistleblowers have already filled us in on what really goes on at the Grove. With articles like yours, who needs government-sponsored propaganda?
Ethan Logue
Via e-mail
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE—LINDA AND THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY
This letter is an addendum to my e-mail of Sept. 2 in response to Linda Reifschneider's letter to the editor [“Babar-ians at the Gate,” Aug. 18]. In addition to hiding her own biased affiliation with the AZA while accusing Mr. Lowery of biased reporting, and in addition to deceiving your readers about the cruel use of bullhooks/ankuses by elephant “trainers” (tell me, what human hands come equipped with sharp curved metal hooks capable of penetrating at least an inch into an elephant's flesh?), Ms. Reifschneider also appears to misrepresent herself to your readers as an elephant “owner” when she was listed as a sponsor, not the owner, of an elephant. It is my understanding that Ms. Reifschneider, who lives in the U.S., not Thailand, generously donated funds to the Serengeti Foundation USA for the purchase of a 90-year-old ailing working Thai elephant, Thong Bai, in early 2005, and also generously provided for Thong Bai's care at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand for the remainder of her life. Because Thong Bai was too old and sick to work any longer, her owner probably sold her for less than $3,000—the cost of the purchase can probably be obtained from the Serengeti Foundation. Sadly, Thong Bai just passed away a few weeks ago in Nature Park. According to reports on their website, her 20-month retirement at the sanctuary, after nine decades of working, was happy and her death appeared to be pain-free and peaceful, surrounded by her best elephant friend and the loving staff at the sanctuary. Linda Reifschneider did a wonderful thing by paying for Thong Bai's freedom and retirement.
Elyse Bell
Waltham, MA
