Dear Editors:
I just finished reading your latest “words of wisdom.” Isn’t it about time you knocked it off? Words are works, I agree, but more appropriate adjectives may be found in any pocket dictionary.
You must be aware of the fact that “straight” people find your choice of words more than a little distasteful. If you’re trying to “turn on” the squares, come on slow, in a way acceptable to all.
If you print the newspaper only for the “heads” (who are a separate society by choice) you’re contradicting yourself with every issue. Separate societies? You chose it.
Separate language for heads and squares? They can talk yours, can you talk theirs?
The word “fuck” has been around for a long time; it’s a slang word meaning a good and beautiful act. Learn how to use it maybe the squares won’t take offense.
It’s O.K. to state your opinions on the “pigs” and the establishment, in fact, you may even help in making a better country. It’s still young and could use help in growing and improving and if you find it still doesn’t suit your taste, get your ass out—you can still write letters to the establishment.
Please don’t take offense at anything I’ve written, it’s just an opinion and I’m sure you welcome criticism and suggestions just as the establishment is expected to do.
A Friend,
Suzie
Editors’ Note: We welcome all letters—those of criticism, praise, comment or whatever. However, we dislike having to edit extremely long letters down to a usable length like we had to in the one above. Please keep letters to about 200 words and if possible send them in typewritten and double-spaced. But we would rather have a handwritten letter than none at all, so keep them coming.
Dear Fifth Estate,
“Mother’s Little Helper” by Bob Fleck [FE #90, October 16-29, 1969], was a totally ignorant and uninformed article illustrating an even lower quality of writing than one would expect of the U.S. Dept. of Narcotics.
Besides misspelling almost every drug named in the article, almost every fact cited is in error. The amphetamine drugs were not developed in the late 1940s, for example, as “metabolic regulators.” Benzedrine was first synthesized by Alles in Los Angeles in 1927. Methedrine was first synthesized by Ogata in Japan in 1919. Neither was developed for use as metabolic regulators, but for various other purposes.
Fifth Estate is hardly identified with quality writing, but need you reduce your status even further by printing such complete garbage?
Angus McDonald
Dear People of the 5th Estate,
You can’t realize what a relief it is to find a paper that doesn’t waste 6 pages on cheap-shit ads—such as the Los Angeles Free Press, Village Voice, and East Village Other.
I believe those ads are not only a waste of time but an insult to the readers’ mentality. It is apparent that the above mentioned newspapers run these ads only for the money they can get for advertising.
I hope your newspaper feels the same and will continue to refuse running the “dirty old man” ads for french ticklers, and man to man to woman sex aids. What shit!
All my love,
Elaine
Editors’ Note: Fifth Estate policy on our Unclassified section is to no longer accept any sexploitation ads, that is, ads that attempt to commercialize, commoditize or exploit people’s sexual fears and anxieties.
All personal ads will continue. The ones that will be stopped are those where the advertiser’s relationship to the respondent is one of seeking profit. The few ads of an objectionable nature that remain (French ticklers, etc.) were accepted on a contract basis and will soon cease.
Dear Fifth Estate,
Received your August issue on “The crime and punishment of John Sinclair” [FE #85, August 7-20, 1969] and was amazed at “society’s justice.”
Thank you for keeping me up to date. I only receive half of your issues, but at no fault of yours. Someone along the way must also enjoy your paper or else maybe some straight fucking pig doesn’t like the truth.
All my friends dig your paper. Keep up the good work.
Gerald A. Kain
HHC, 15th ORD BN.
APO NY 09175
An Open Letter to Woman’s Liberation Movement:
You people are a bunch of hypocrites!
Liberation from straight-monogamy? So you can screw those males you want—when you want? So how are you different from your straight sisters! The average female, secretly or otherwise, will screw around with guys she goes for.
The real spirit of liberation is to screw around with guys you don’t go for as well as guys you do. Like myself for instance.
Okay, call me a dirty old man. But you didn’t hear yet that a dirty old man needs love too, that he’s no more than a victim of a sex-fear system?
What are you doing to smash this system, other than basking in your private liberatory pool!
I believe it was Debs who said that one’s liberation is impossible while somebody else is in chains. You have chains which we males have to help break, but goddamit we have chains too, often called lack-of-nooky.
So let’s spread those liberatory legs to all!
Dirty middle-aged man
Dear Fifth Estate:
I am now in my 7th month here in ‘Nam.
My existence as a grunt has given me not a fucker thing I want.
I came across your “Tell it like it is” paper the other day. I really got into it.
Will you send me your paper and I will do my best to make sure my brothers see it.
Don’t stop the press, lets try to tell everyone that we are all brothers and sisters and peace shall rule the world.
Love,
Rodger
Vietnam
Dear Editors:
Right now I’m sitting down watching the TV-2 news. The reason I’m writing is because I just finished listening to a report about a local black brother who got life imprisonment at hard labor and solitary confinement for offing a pig and a store owner.
I’m not saying that he’s innocent, because I wasn’t there, but what I’m pointing out is another example of racism in our local courts. When a cop kills a black man, it’s usually called “excusable homicide,” or when a white man (non-pig) kills a black man, the person usually spends no more than a few nights in the clink and gets off on $5,000 bond, then goes completely free for the next 2 years until somebody finally remembers to bring him to trial.
But when a black person kills a white person he is immediately locked up, receives all sorts of sensationalist-like media coverage from the News, Free Press, TV-2, etc., and if they’re lucky enough to have a bond set it is usually in the upwards of $25,000 to $50,000. This would mean that they would usually spend all the time between their arrest and their trial in jail when a white man, under a lower bond, would be free in a matter of a few days.
Do you call this equal justice?
Up against the wall, Johannes Spreen, thars a revolution brewing in them Thar hills.
Peace in ’70
Dave Miesel
Dear Editor,
I have just read your paper for the first time and I felt that it seems to be a very good paper and I really dig it.
I have just started college here in Detroit after several years of traveling around this country and the world from 1962 to ’68, at which time I caught a bust by the feds and I had a chance to get a good first-hand look at one of our really unbelievable social institutions.
All I can say is if you people really intend to try and change this nation into something worth being a part of, I give you my best wishes as the justice dept. is prepared and ready to take almost any measures necessary to repress your activities.
One thing that has bothered me to a great extent after reading all the literature at my disposal over the last two years is that I find that the only group that seems to be making any real headway in an effort to change things in this country is the Black Panthers.
The Panthers seem to have strict channels of command and they don’t just tell their followers to get out there and commit acts of violence; they get down themselves.
I feel these people—Cleaver, Newton, Seale—know that you can’t just tell people to do it, you have to set them (the people) an example. If you want their support you have to prove yourself.
So, all I have to say to the SDS, Sinclair, the White Panthers, or any of these other groups is if you really want support, you had better get rid of this preoccupation with drugs you have and get down to practicing what you preach. I think when and if you do, you will find yourself with plenty of support.
If we had a white or mixed organization like the Black Panthers I would be first in line to join. It’s a shame the Black Panthers don’t take whites into their ranks.
If you should care to publish this, I would prefer that you don’t use my name as I still have a federal parole officer to contend with.
Name Withheld