TRUE COLORS

And so now you have finally revealed who and what you truly are (The End of Sami, "Final Persecution," by John Sugg, May 10-16). Amazing that you are so sensitive to the alleged Israeli misdeeds, virtually all of which are based on extremist propaganda, all of which you swallow whole, and then take on the role of a willing dupe. But the fact of the matter is that you leftwing, fringe-nuts scream about justice and when it's meted out you bleat at how you "wuz robbed." Osama Al-Arian was and is a scumbag, whose history reveals him to be an important part of the international PIJ network, the sole goal of which is to kill non-Muslims. No amount of your dissembling can change that. Finally, how sad that you refer to a single article by Susan Martin based on a single reference to discredit the efforts to smoke out and boot out Osama Al Arian. Based on your track record you should be accustomed to losing by now. So get used to it and stop your whining and lying. You have now confirmed your status as a bona fide anti-Semite, which I strongly suspected a long time ago.

Dan Calabria

Via e-mail

FACING THE STORM

I read your article (Political Whore, "In Ronda's Defense," by Wayne Garcia, May 3-9) concerning ronda storms (that's little r, little s … little, as in petty) and would like to comment on it. While Mr. Ruechel's statement that what she said is her opinion is technically correct, I firmly believe as Mr. Taylor pointed out that if an inflammatory statement was made with a racial bias the perpetrator would be challenged then and there on the spot, and great pains would be taken to point out that the opinion expressed was not that of the moderator or the station. The fact that Storms is allowed to spew her venom unchallenged and then to have her defended by the moderator only reinforces the belief that what she said is his opinion as well. Everyone knows that gays and lesbians are the last group that it is "OK" to hate, vilify and discriminate against, and to allow these statements to go unchallenged only perpetuates that conduct.

Neil Williamson

Tampa

REAGAN REVISED

Warren Smith's letter (re: Going Postal, "Listen Up, Carter," April 26-May 2) in response to John Sugg's column, "Listen Up, Democrats," warrants its own response. History revisionists like Smith seek to elevate Ronald Reagan to sainthood. It is true that Reagan, who, like both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, did not serve his country in combat, was brave enough to invade and conquer Grenada. But he did little else. Most people do not realize that the United States suffered more hostage takeovers under Reagan than under Jimmy Carter. And the claim that Reagan's buildup of our defense budget frightened the Soviet Union into ending communism is ridiculous. Communism in the Soviet Union probably did collapse under its own weight, but it is doubtful that Reagan had very much to do with it; we are fortunate that there was an intelligent man like Gorbachev in charge who recognized the need for change in the Soviet Union and was brave enough to move his country in that direction.

Reagan revisionists tell the lie that Carter reduced military spending; he did not! He simply increased military spending less than Reagan did. And while Reagan did spend more on the military, he also insisted on tax cuts at the same time and consequently ran up the largest deficit in our nation's history, more than all the other presidents before him combined! The revisionists would have us believe that the deficits happened because Reagan had a Democrat-controlled Congress and that is also a lie; the Congress approved LESS than Reagan requested in his annual budget proposals. Had the Congress not done so, the debt level would have been even worse.

Instead of praising Reagan for being warlike, I admire Carter for his common sense, as well as for his decency. One can only wish that a man like Carter were in the White House today. The Reagan revisionists are trying to place his name on almost everything that is not moving, including places here in Tampa. I hope they do not succeed and make those of us who remember how bad his administration really was suffer.

Robert Monroe

Tampa

This article appears in May 17-23, 2006.