Dear Editor:

I am a bit amazed that no names whatsoever are attached your editorial pieces week after week. Who writes your main editorial page? Is it your Editor-in-Chief? Is it your Publisher? Is it your Editorial Advisory Board? Is it some guest columnists? Is it a combination of all of the above? Whatever the case may be, it would be GREAT to see warm, human names attached to your weekly editorial page. After all, the idea is to interact and influence the local LGBT community on the issues of the day by giving them something to read and ponder about through your weekly editorial comments. I am not sure why you insist on staying incognito? If the NY Times, Wichita Eagle, The Advocate and Genre Magazine proudly display the names of folks who write their main editorials pieces in clear and unambiguous manner, i.e., on the editorial page itself somewhere under the title, then I think the Gay & Lesbian Times can do the same!

Mike Karim

Dear Editor:

It is too late to accept the argument that we must give the President the funds he asks for in order to “support the troops.” I understand that many Congressional Democrats fear the President’s insistence on continuing our failed occupation of Iraq come hell or high water would give the Republicans an election issue next year. No doubt the Republicans will use every issue they can to regain the House and Senate, but voting to perpetuate the war is giving away the store. We can do better than that.

As George Lakoff and Glenn W. Smith say in their article, “The Framers Got It Right: Congress is the Decider”, posted at http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/lakoff/the-framers-got-it-right-congress-is-the-decider/, “Congress has abdicated its duty.” Contrary to what the President says:

“Congress defines the strategic mission: the President’s job is to carry it out. He is refusing to carry out his mission. Congress allowed the President to take over its job to decide the strategic mission and to put Congress in the role of merely providing funding.... It allowed President Bush to portray Congress as responsible for the safety of our troops whereas the real responsibility lay with him.”

Based on Congresswoman Susan Davis’s vote for the supplemental appropriation and her accompanying statement, she, along with a sufficient number of other Congressional Democrats to provide a majority, fell right into the President’s rhetorical trap. As the article says: “Congress must not give in to the betrayal myth. The President was offered funding with timetables, but he turned it down—he is the betrayer.... Congress must put the safety of the troops directly in the hands of the commander-in-chief whose job it is to carry out the agenda given by Congress, which includes the safety of our troops.”

I appreciate Congresswoman Davis’ opposition to our continued failed occupation of Iraq but am sorely disappointed that she voted for the supplemental appropriation which will perpetuate it. It is critical that Congressmembers like Davis reject the President’s rhetorical trap and exercise the leadership we need to withdraw from the quagmire in Iraq and focus on real human needs like health care for all and providing adequate funding for quality public education at home. We can’t afford to wait until a new President is elected in November 2008. Too much is at stake.

Brian Polejes

Dear Editor:

In your edition of February 22, you published an article entitled, “North Park resident and author of Tales from the Tijuana Jails” to be released from prison.” There are just a few minor points that were in the article that I would like to clarify.

First, I have never been a resident of North Park. I was a loyal resident of South Park. For those of you who do not know, South Park is east of Balboa Park and south of North Park.

Second, I was never convicted of corrupting a minor in Mexico. If you read my book, you will find that I was arrested for many trumped up charges including rape, corruption of a minor, drugs, and making child pornography. None of which were true and all were finally dropped. My book, in two volumes, is available on Amazon or at the Blue Stocking bookstore in Hillcrest.

You might be interested about why I was arrested in San Diego. I met my friend Daniel while in the Mexican prison. As a former Special Forces member and a martial arts expert, he protected all the Americans inside, including many gays. I owe him my life. While a volunteer in Sir Lanka after the tsunami, he also saved many lives.

After we got out, he helped, Ed, an older friend of mine for over 35 years, who was in poor health and getting senile. Daniel caught Ed’s houseboy; Roberto, an illegal alien, stealing money from Ed using his computer.

Roberto had Daniel arrested for elder abuse. The deputy district attorney, DDA, was not interested in justice, just a conviction. Daniel and I worked ten months to gather all the evidence needed to prove him not only innocent but he saved Ed over $100,000.

I was really worried that Roberto was continuing to manipulate Ed and no one would do anything about it. Although now I can see it was a stupid thing to do, Daniel had someone he knew attempt to make a citizens arrest. When the attempt failed, the DDA dropped the elder abuse charge and arrested Daniel for attempted kidnapping. Later, I was arrested for being an accomplice.

Daniel is now in San Quentin fighting for an appeal and I am out on probation. Daniel still has many fiends in the community who back him, so we are forming a committee to help get him his freedom.

There is a lot more to this story than I have room to put in a “Letter to the Editor.” If you are interested, Please log onto my website: www.bookwarren.com/story.

Sam Warren

See www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=9236

Dear Editor:

The “Sisters” are to be applauded for their various fund-raising events. Any organization that can separate even the most narcissistic gay person from their pocket cash for these causes is to be commended. Outrageous as they may be, all of us can individually decide if this is acceptable and choose whether or not to perpetually indulge, or perpetually ignore them.

Certainly, the “Mister Sisters” have a right to protest any event they wish. The right to do so is not in question. This community will often decry “my rights” to argue for anything. In reality this goes more like “my rights/my consequences”. Many do not like, or care to consider, these consequences.

What is it they’re seeking to accomplish from an arranged protest? One gay group wants to respectfully show that there is a valid community of faith and the other wishes to be uniquely outrageous and mock the beliefs of others. Nothing conflicting here, right?

Choosing not to make this community appear so bipolar in public, the gay faith community has decided to back away due to the “Sisters’” involvement. Once again this community has split under this guise of diversity. The faith community is real and a real representation of a belief in God by gay persons. The “Sisters” are a fantasy. Let’s be very careful not to confuse diversity with fantasy and attempt to portray this fantasy as a valid way of life to the real world. The gay community may know the difference in this arena, but those outside witnessing this protest may not. (Consequences!)

Perhaps the Sisters via their own perceived notion of humility would consider not perpetuating their indulgences on this matter and remain cloistered for this event.

Bill Lullo

See www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=9618