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THE REAL CHUCK
In his profile of Duane Peters, Rich Kane comments on “the AIDS death last year of longtime U.S. Bombs guitarist Chuck Briggs” (“Duane's Addictions,” June 22). I've seen many articles that mention Chuck's death, but never have I seen an explanation for the illness that took him. If you're gonna print something about someone that can bring on such negative connotations in small minds, then make a point with it—teach a lesson or clarify the situation. Chuck's illness was the result of drug use years ago. For more than a decade, he was not a user, and he didn't fuck around or do anything else that small minds can (unfortunately) come up with and (possibly) spin into mindless gossip. He made some mistakes a lifetime ago, and now he's gone. Chuck Briggs was hugely influential to his friends, family and girlfriend, as well as the whole punk rock scene. He should be remembered for that.
Anonymous
via e-mail Rich Kane responds: Speaking of small minds, it takes one to assume that acquiring AIDS through man-on-man sex is somehow worse than (and certainly not as punk rock as) acquiring it through shared needles, which is how you imply Briggs got the disease—unless, bizarrely, you mean to imply that small minds will delight in the fact that Briggs died from a bad blood transfusion.
IRONY DEFICIENT
Hey, Smart and Sassy Weekly Writer Doing an Article About the Dibs (Steve Lowery's “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” June 22). I am a nobody who listened to you lap up B.S. you got from the “Record Industry Man” like it was gravy and Kibbles. He wouldn't give his real name, but you still printed him like he was Deep Throat. The rest of us stood by amazed that you can't recognize a poseur. I got more and better industry connections in the address book I found on 7th Street. We all thought what a fool you are when we read your article. We thought, “Maybe THIS is why no Long Beach bands get signed. Maybe they've been playing footsie with people like this 'Record Industry Man' who get their 'Sony' business cards by mail order.”
Anonymous
via e-mail
Steve Lowery responds: Hey, Transparently Jealous Troll: I'm going to do you a favor and tell you why nobody likes you. It's not, as you suspect, only because you are stupid. It's also because you're a conniving coward. Journalism is about disagreement, though in your case, it's clearly about faulty synapses since you were unable to discern that the first line of the Dibs story—”'This is about being real,' says the record industry man who won't give his name”—is in fact suggesting that the man is perhaps not “real” and perhaps not what he claims to be. The sentence—employing something called I-R-O-N-Y—sets a tone for a story that shows what terrifically gifted, courageous and deserving artists such as the Dibs must put up with as they attempt to reach a larger audience. Of course, the other thing they must put up with is people like you.
HOORAY FOR TRADITION!
Re: the dragging of Huntington Beach Police Department Officer Kirstin Innis on Father's Day (Todd Mathews' “Summer's Here!” June 22). As a resident of Huntington Beach for nine years in the 1990s and as a parent who sent her children through schools there, your article gave me pause. As I watched downtown HB change considerably, I became concerned. Both my children worked downtown at several different businesses over the years, and even they would comment on what was transpiring. With the kind of change HB is going through, it is of utmost importance to maintain a positive living, working and playing environment in this wonderful beach community. Sometimes, this means the HBPD is more in the forefront of activities on any given day. With summer arriving, police presence in the downtown area should be more noticeable.
As my oldest child matured, went off to college and eventually came back to HB to start a career, I wholeheartedly accepted her career choice. I would not change anything today. I am as proud of Officer Kirstin Innis, my daughter, right this second as I have been at any stage of her magnificent life. Have a nice Fourth, Mr. Mathews. I hope it is a safe, happy and healthy one for you and yours.
Kay A. Lake
f ormer Huntington Beach resident
MUG SHOT
Re: Alison M. Rosen's “How to Build a Band” (June 22): I loved the positioning of my quote, right after Mr. Jeremy Popoff talked about building name recognition by posting signs for his band on the 405 freeway. My only concern is that I was the only person with whom you spoke whose picture was not included with the text.
Sergeant Dave Hill
Orange
HUG A TREE
Thanks for your article on the reforestation of Seal Beach and the efforts of community activist Jim Caviola (Dave Wielenga's “The Accidental Environmentalist,” June 22). It's interesting to see other communities experience similar problems and municipal frustrations. Our town, La Habra, may not be the ugliest town in Orange County, but it's close. Citizen efforts to improve our asphalt jungle have been slow. Until recently, the city planted 100 new trees per year and cut down 150. A recent municipal tree audit indicated we were missing 4,300 street trees citywide. We need role models like Jim Caviola.
Robert Dale
La Habra
