Plutonium power

This is in response to Nicolas Longchamps' letter ["Fear not plutonium," Aug. 19], in which he objects to the media attention given to this issue and suggests that concerned citizens opposed to the Cassini space mission should take a chill pill or visit the NASA Internet site.

Well, I did both things. The pill went well, but the contents of the aforementionned site turned my stomach. Apparently, similar plutonium missions are planned for the near future. All these missions have one point in common, which has evaded your reader. It's one thing to detonate plutonium, as bad as that is. It's another to disperse it in the atmosphere from high altitude.

According to a leading study by Helen Caldicott, a specialist in the environmental domain, one pound of the stuff, if spread evenly, will give lung cancer to all mammals breathing on this planet.

So even if the trees in Mr. Longchamps' backyard are not directly affected, I think his comments on the subject were ill advised.

--Marc Olivier Rainville

Yes, Nicolas Longchamps, we're all getting tired of the nonsense that is damaging our world! Too bad that your ironic expressions and total trust of the use of nuclear technology in space were further fuelled by "The Sky is Falling! Eat Seaweed!" [Front, Aug. 12].

In the article, Jacquie Charlton focused on one e-mail from the contents of two years' of work at the two Stop-Cassini Web sites (www.nonviolence.org/noflyby and www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini). Both post in-depth data and dialogue on both sides of the issue (including NASA's Web address). These sites will continue in some form, even though Cassini has already flown by.

Just because the trees are green doesn't mean all is well with the direction that space, military and nuclear energy sciences are increasingly headed, often behind tightly closed doors. I hope readers will educate themselves about the true facts before making light of the continued use of plutonium. In space, as well as on earth, we need to use Appropriate Technologies. Please let's focus our resources towards those, and stop finding fun in millennium-fear jokes.

--Maggie Mandzuk

Insult to Islam

The following is further to a letter you published in your July 29 issue, by Parvin Darabi of the Dr. Homa Darami Foundation ["Mohammed's needs"].

As a praticing Muslim, I find it abhorrent and disgusting that your newspaper has the temerity to print this odious and reprehensible slander on Islam. To characterize our prophet as a "pedophile" and "womanizer" is an affront to Muslims all over the world.

--Sabri Yousseff Salah

Cork Guru!

Are you people at the Mirror devoid of even one scruple? To put Guru on the cover and then to parachute in designer Benno Russel's best friend, Mireille Silcott, to write the piece is just too much ["Lifestyle in a can," Aug. 19]. I'm all for giving friends a plug, but couldn't you have just given them a break on ad rates?

Instead of writing, "Brain drainer" under your logo on the front page, why didn't you put, "Long live the Westmount massive"?

--Anonymous

CJAD's big joke

I read Alastair Sutherland's article on CJAD ["Why CJAD sucks," Aug. 12] and it's like he read my mind. I was meaning to make some sort of plea to the public to get these anal wads off the air. I can't take those so-called "radio personalities" any more and have stopped listening to that station entirely.

And Rob Braide's memo! "We are increasingly staffed by a young, hip, socially aware group." Excuse me? What? Hello? What a huge joke. Damn. Joke of the year. It's so pathetic and funny, it's like putting a big "kick me" sign on their own backs.

--Ty

Correction

In an article titled, "The dope on Divers/Cité" [Front, Aug. 5], Project 10 was incorrectly named as winner of the best community float. The prize actually went to a combined entry from Jeunesse Lambda, GRIS-Montreal and Aux Prismes. According to president Patrice Blondin, GRIS-Montreal "works mostly in schools, breaking prejudices and building a more open and tolerant society." The organization can be reached at 590-0016.