Religious Ties
No faith: What does Jonathan James's religion have to do with the events ("Hack Pack," Tim Elfrink, May 20)? Why are none of the other accused perpetrators' religion mentioned? Is Tim Elfrink embarrassed that Albert Gonzalez, Christopher Scott, and Stephen Watt are Catholic? Of the four individuals this article focuses on, only one person's religion is named. There is something fishy about that.
Kelly P.
Cut and Paste
Big brother: Plagiarists like Gerald Posner ought to be subjected to public censure and heavily fined, with the money going to compensate the violated author ("Posner the Plagiarist, Part 2," Tim Elfrink, May 20). Perhaps more troubling is Posner's alleged "editorial cleansing" of his Wikipedia page. Although Wikipedia is hardly an authoritative source or a repository of the public record, it is an oft-consulted information site that ought to be safe from 1984-style rewriting designed to skew or obliterate facts that certain persons find disagreeable. When I was a teacher, student plagiarists received a zero on the paper and a referral to the university's Committee on Student Ethics. Typical punishment was a year's academic probation. Perhaps each of Mr. Posner's next three books ought to be subjected to plagiarism checks before they are published.
John Lauricella
Witch hunt: Ask yourself why the Miami New Times and their reporter, Tim Elfrink, are out to destroy the reputation of Gerald Posner? Why is this such a big deal? You have to know that this kind of mudslinging campaign and character assassination costs a lot of money and takes up a lot of space in their paper. Posner is a respected author of many books on very politically controversial subjects. He seems to be a gutsy investigative reporter who isn't afraid of trouble. Many of his books were best sellers. The New Times' (and Tim Elfrink's) non-stop campaign to deprive Posner of his First Amendment rights smacks of the McCarthy era.
Tony M.
No trust: Gerald Posner's misdeeds truly are a shame, as I'd enjoyed his writings before learning how much of them weren't even his at all. Now I'll need to send fan letters that also include my sincere condolences to a raft of authors previously unknown to me, those whose work Posner stole. Whom can a reader trust these days?
Mrs. Tarquin Biscuitbarrel
What the Dickens: May I suggest an opening for Mr. Posner's next book: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." He's an accomplished plagiarist, so he should feel no qualms about lifting it.
Stu
In Full Force
Stop misbehavin': You're kidding, right? ("Luke's Gospel," Luther Campbell, May 20) I can't believe I just lost five minutes of my life reading this. The police wouldn't need to be out in force on Memorial Day Weekend if people would behave. Every year there are hundreds of arrests due to fights, shootings, robberies, you name it. And all the "lily white" events you refer to don't need that kind of police force because people are out having a good time without acting crazy. If people didn't "tear up the town" as you say, police wouldn't need to prepare for that kind of behavior. Quit being so ignorant and drop the race card for once.
Ana
Animal house: First of all, when did Memorial Day Weekend become "Hip-Hop Weekend" and why is everyone pointing fingers at African-Americans/blacks? Crimes occur when there are millions of people in one place, period, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Whites at tailgate parties cause just as much of a commotion as the blacks during Memorial weekend but because of their race, the "law" and/or "city" doesn't see them as a threat!
Nikki
Yawn: Your articles are always a cry-fest about how people are racists and blacks are treated poorly. Be a real writer and write about something other than your personal feelings on society. It's getting old. Really.
Cary
