Booked for Shamelessness
Live to tell: Your cover story about Andrés López, the Colombian cocaine king turned informant, is a tale of sin, harm, and regrettable neglect, not romance ("Florecita's Cartel," Tim Elfrink, February 10). I hope López survives to relate the tragedies, misguidance, and destruction he and others unfortunately knew so well.
W.R. Landwer
TV fodder: This tale is a forgettable episode of CSI: Miami at best.
Anonymous
Criminal purchase: Do you know how many people López killed in Colombia? How many widows and orphans are living in extreme poverty because of guys like him? Does becoming a snitch for the DEA redeem him from killing hundreds of people? Now he is making more money selling books, and he is walking the streets of Brickell, South Beach, and Coconut Grove with a Colombian beauty. In the meantime, hundreds are begging for a piece of bread in Tuluá, Cartago, Palmira, Yumbo, and even Cali because their relatives were killed by this guy and his criminal gangs. That's not fair. Everyone who buys a book from a criminal is a criminal.
Kobyn
Let Them Skate
Timid youth: Your story about skateboarding in Cuba shows that if you give kids a skateboard and a bottle of rum, they'll be happy ("Che on Wheels," Jorge Casuso, February 10). The Castro brothers will continue ruling. Poor Ladies in White. If it wasn't for them, there would be no one protesting in that oppressive country. The Ladies in White have more balls than Cuba's youth.
Elpinareno
Rip it up: Awesome to see this. Skate on, Cuban brothers and sisters.
Neggie
Yelling Fire
Blowing smoke: Regarding the article about the whistleblower who sued Argus Fire & Casualty Insurance Company ("Fire Damage," Michael Miller, February 10): Just last week, an adjuster from Argus came out to inspect a roof leak and said the company's management told all adjusters to deny claims filed for wear-and-tear. Even before the adjuster had a chance to look at the damage, he was told the company would not pay. That is unfair.
Vogria1
Hoodwinked
Check the facts: I'm extremely disappointed with the writer's approach to the article about the Brownsville neighborhood ("Apocalypse Brownsville," Gus Garcia-Roberts, February 10). He decided to use vague and general comments such as, "Brownsville is Miami's most blighted neighborhood," without stating any facts. There is little cohesiveness in the article, and the writer displays no journalistic strategy or intellectual integrity.
Anonymous
Signing Off
Expanded horizons: Regarding the column denouncing local high school coaches who don't urge their players to attend University of Miami ("Luke's Gospel," Luther Campbell, February 10): Perhaps individual coaches have recognized that a particular student could benefit from getting away from his or her current environment. Most high school coaches advocate for their players and offer them guidance from a perspective based on those students' needs, not what's good for UM or Uncle Luke.
Rahalt
Hit the road: Going away to school allows a child to develop and evolve outside the comfort zone of his or her parents. Regardless of which school the student attends, leaving home is often a great choice. I will encourage my children to go away to school. They are welcome to come back to Miami after college, but they need to experience living on their own away from home.
Francin
Close-minded: This is the most biased piece of crap I have ever read. Is there something wrong with a head coach, who probably didn't even attend University of Miami, telling a kid to look at other schools? Why hinder an open-minded child from visiting another place? All that would do is cause UM to pick and deny kids like it's a factory line. Shame on you, Luke.
Darrell
Times changing: Don't forget that, in the last few years, there have been far too many great players from Miami that have been ignored by the U. As a UM fan, I respect that Coach Golden apologized to the local teams for the way the previous regime did business. It's a sign that UM coaches will approach local talent, who will hopefully stay local.
Cito
Correction
The Music item "So High, So Low" (February 10) misidentified the group that sponsored Matisyahu's recent concert at Adrienne Arsht Center's Knight Concert Hall. It was Birthright Israel NEXT South Florida, not Birthright Israel. We regret the error.
