The royal power of the press
When was William Shakespeare knighted? (“The richness of S, two Sirs: Shakespeare and Stoppard,” p. 12). Presumably posthumously, by the Village News on July 12!

Wilfred J. Westlake, La Jolla
” Theater critic Charlene Baldridge replies: Yes. Silly error. But of course we’d knight him if we could.

Competing theories confuse people
The Los Angeles Times had an interesting piece recently, by Mike Boehm, on the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit taking place at the San Diego Natural History Museum (“Museum unrolls Dead Sea Scrolls,” Village News, July 12, page B·1). They asked the curator, Dr. Risa Levitt Kohn, why the museum has carefully excluded all scholars who oppose the old, and increasingly contested, theory of scroll origins from the lecture series accompanying the exhibit, and she came up with a good reply: “You don’t want to confuse people with so many competing theories, so they walk away, saying, ‘Well, nobody really knows anything!'”
I for one find that extremely convincing. The last thing in the world we would want is for people to understand why there is more than one interpretation of the facts. After all, that would only confuse them, and in their confused state they might become depressed, or behave in an irrational manner. They might even start asking why the museum has not explained how it has come about that an entire series of major scholars have rejected the old theory over the past decade, not in favor of “so many competing theories,” but in favor of one competing theory. Yes, we must protect people from the truth at all costs.
For a somewhat different perspective, see the article by University of Chicago historian Norman Golb entitled “Fact and Fiction in Current Exhibitions of the Dead Sea Scrolls”A Critical Notebook for Viewers.” And see his editorial in The Forward, “Take Claims about Dead Sea Scrolls with a Grain of Salt.”
A chronology of this controversy is now available on-line.
Charles Gadda, New York, N.Y.

Seals have more rights than people
City Attorney Michael Aguirre needs to be reined in. By attacking Mayor Sanders, Mr. Aguirre jeopardizes San Diego’s economic recovery. A national headline reading “City Attorney Accuses San Diego Mayor of Corruption” would be bad for San Diego since people not familiar with Mr. Aguirre and his political motivations may actually believe that the charges are credible. And while Mr. Aguirre has gone out of his way to illicitly attack Mayor Sanders, he has simultaneously failed to do his job. In serving his own agenda and a special interest group of activists, the so-called “Animal Protection Rescue League,” he has neglected to enforce the municipal code. His office has written multiple letters that, in essence, instruct San Diego lifeguards and the San Diego Police Department to stand down to APRL activists.
Far from being harried and abused, the harbor seal population, which according to federal law is not even endangered, is so prolific that seals are appearing on beaches throughout San Diego County and are becoming a nuisance. This is what Mr. Aguirre is supporting. In one case, a beachgoer was assaulted and choked by a member of the APRL, for going swimming against APRL wishes. There are cases of visitors, among whom are members of our armed services, being verbally taunted and chased to their cars with video cameras. These events are on record with the San Diego Police Department, and there are damning videos of numerous other incidents. And yet, Mr. Aguirre’s office would never prosecute a complaint about the behavior of members of the APRL at the La Jolla Children’s Pool.
While the false charges have not hurt Mayor Sanders, they have hurt San Diego’s reputation and economy. Businesses do not want to do business in a perceived corrupt city.
By supporting the APRL and ignoring their violations of the law, Mr. Aguirre ignores the rule of law and deprives our children of a wonderful beach. He gives de facto special rights to “environmental advocates,” who have no scientific leg to stand on, and gives more rights to seals than to people. This is unacceptable. Mr. Aguirre needs to be reined in.
Please do not support the city attorney in his self-interested, politically motivated dereliction of duty. We respectfully request that the City Council wait until the [Valerie] O’Sullivan case ends before authorizing the expenditure of more time, effort and money. This is just one more case that Attorney Michael Aguirre will lose.
Anthony Porrello, San Diego