Ghandi: Not a Vegan Propagandist Annie Griffin in her Letter to the Editor [Letters, January 2-8] begins by misquoting Gandhi, to wit "you can judge the character of a nation by the way it treats its animals." Sorry Ms. Griffin, but Gandhi did not say that, what he said was more to the effect, "You will know a country by the way it treats its minorities." Gandhi began his movements against discrimination when he was physically removed from a train in South Africa because of his skin color, not because he was an animal.

His most important writing was "Indian Home Rule," 1909, in which many years later he said he would change only one word. In this writing he expressed his displeasure with doctors, lawyers, civilization, and his great love for India and its people. He expresses his desire to pursue passive resistance and to remove discrimination and because of this, Britain banned the book. Thus his comment about "...knowing a country..." The small book is being republished by Monterey Publishing.

Don Eddy/Carmel Highlands

Plants Kill People, Too

Here we go again with the Disney-ization, the Bambi-ization of nature. Ms. Annie Griffin prefers to murder plants instead of animals-both being living things-and that''s cool, but quit the anthropomorphic nonsense!

All life must feed off life to survive, period! We humans are no exception. Nature is not some pretty water color of a benign bucolic setting. Nature is simply indifferent, perhaps brutally so. Bugs killing bugs, mammals killing mammals, birds killing birds, all of them killing one another, and bacteria killing all of them eventually. And, yes, Ms. Griffin, plants murdering plants and other creatures!

Jeffrey Van Middlebrow/Pacific Grove

Another Jew for Jesus

At the time of good feelings towards others (as expounded by several religions), I encounter another winning expression of anti-spiritualism [Letters, Dec. 12-18]. According to the writer we are supposed to "Keep the Christ out of Christmas"; not realistic! Befuddling that he can compromise to take his kids to see the tree lighting and see and share the joys they experience from much of the ceremony but his selective hypersensitivity overwhelms him at the sound of "Silent Night" (one of the most beautiful of songs), at the request that those in attendance reflect on "what Christmas is all about" (I always thought the answer was "Peace on earth; goodwill to mankind"-not very threatening!) and the presence of a Priest giving an invocation (So don''t pray along). Maybe the city should include other religions'' elements. But don''t take away from the good that is offered and shared.

I was brought up Jewish. I don''t believe in the religious aspects of Christmas. But anything that causes people to experience and share good thoughts and feelings makes for a better society. If only we could spread this throughout the year and the world.

As to the follow-up response by N. Carroll telling non-Christians to "stay home" [Letters, Dec. 19-25], her response is narrow-minded, offensive and very un-Christian.

Jesus could teach her a lot! She also ignores the issue of taxpayer funds supporting specific religions.

David Horn/Carmel