Repairing the damage
Re: "Battle cry" (Metro Times, Jan. 31), I'm Chris Killion's brother, and I just wanted to thank you for writing the article about Chris. It was very touching and I thought that you did a great job getting the word out about what vets are going through. Chris has done exactly as you said in the article about hiding everything at first, even from his family. Our parents and I didn't realize how bad he was at first. We knew about his physical wounds, but he tried to hide his emotional wounds. He has suffered a lot since he has been home, and his family and friends do everything we can to help him. My whole family and I appreciate everything Veteran's Haven has done for my brother. Once again I want to thank you for writing this article so maybe more people can understand what these soldiers are going through. —Andrew Killion, Westland
Who will help vets?
The "Battle Cry" story was great, giving the public a real view of what returning veterans have to deal with. Reading the story I just kept on thinking of how when the war started how there was all this public war euphoria going on (i.e., the Fox News bunch and their followers). Funny how these same people aren't all that eager to help with the results of war. —Bob Krzewinski, coordinator, Veterans For Peace, Chapter 93, Ypsilanti
What's with Conyers?
Jack: Something that's been coming up in your recent columns concerning the prospect of impeaching Dubya has bothered me, and that's your concern with winding up with Cheney as president. Even if you don't share my somewhat jaded view that Cheney is essentially acting president (someone has to supervise 43, after all), I feel that is the least of our worries.
I'm not underestimating the size of the task or disregarding the pros and cons of taking it on. My greatest worry is that this caution will play into gradually smaller and more compromised measures that will eventually amount to little. Frankly, I'm also worried by Conyers' reticence. One year ago, I sat in at a town hall meeting and heard him speak eloquently about the measures he was proposing to censure both Bush and Cheney. I thought, "Great! Let's get on with it." I have to believe that the prospect of "President Cheney" was every bit as likely then, so why would he have argued it so forcefully then and not now? The fact that Dems have such a fragile majority and much to lose seems like the most reasonable argument, but ...
On a more personal note, let me thank you for giving me something to look forward to every Wednesday morning. It's an odd state of affairs when I can say with a straight face that it's worth answering one of the myriad phone sex ads advertised in your paper just to support it on the basis of the quality of its content, rather than put down $25 a month to be screwed by Gannett. —Tobin Sterritt, Royal Oak
Keep the press free
Re: Jack Lessenberry's item on Hrat Dink ("Tales from two fronts," Metro Times, Jan 31), it may be a good idea to remind the readers about the organization, "Reporters Without Borders" (www.rsf.org). While Mr. Dink's death was saddening, it was not exceptional. Every year, in all parts of the world, reporters are killed or maimed in the attempted to report the current events to the general public.
We need to remind ourselves why we have a free press, and remember to keep that way. —Matthew A. Sawtell, LaGrange Park, Ill.
He didn't deserve it
I happened to come across your article on Damion Todd, who I knew personally. I dated Damion months before the incident described in "Juvenile injustice" (Metro Times, Dec. 13) had occurred. I must say that I was shocked when I heard about it. It was so out of character of him, and I knew that it had to be some kind of mistake. As your article stated, he had no priors, had never been in any trouble with the law, and he was no drug dealer — for your reader Mr. Derek Murtagh of Hamtramack (Letters to the Editor, Metro Times, Jan. 3). So, no, he did not deserve life with no possibility of parole. I firmly believe that it was a tragic case of horrible judgment, and a loss of a young lady's life as well as Damion's. I wish him well, I hope that he gets his appeal and he is soon released. After 20 years, he has paid for his crime. —Karen Alston, Kalamazoo
Wrong about Bean
Johnny Loftus: I find it interesting your take on Sean Bean (The Hitcher soundtrack, Metro Times, Jan. 24), since he just won with 18 percent of the vote the Hello Magazine Most Attractive Man for 2006 contest against such worthies as Colin Firth, Clive Owen, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Robbie Williams, Hugh Jackman and others.
You said, "his sour facial expression, the look of a villain with an impacted tooth" was difficult to take for very long. Have you asked any of the women you know or work with if they agree with you? —Wanda Gonzalez, Bridgewater, Conn.
Road rave
I loved the Sno*Drift article ("Road warriors," Metro Times, Feb. 7) by Johnny Loftus. It was great to see a sport I love getting some coverage. I usually just pick up a Metro Times without even looking at what's on the front. Needless to say I was happily surprised to see a WRX sliding across this edition's cover!
Also, thanks for not going after what might have been the "sure thing to getting published" and trying to get an interview from nationally ranked driver Travis Pastrana. I liked that you took the time to talk to the privateers who really make this sport what it is. They're the ones who've supported it all these years when no one else had a clue. I, like you, hope the sport can grow, but still keep its roots, and stay accessible to anyone who just wants to go out and have some fun in the dirt (or in this case snow).
And please send my regards to Doug Coombe for the awesome photos. The shot on page 17 with the stop sign was especially well-composed. —Derek Hoffman, Brighton
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