As a frequent visitor to the Central Coast, I make it a point to check up on the affairs of SLO. New Times has always been a good way to sample the pulse of SLO's cultural and political life, but I was truly offended by your publishing the letter from Kitty Crockett in which she referred to homeless people as "roaches."

My issue is not with the author as much as with the editor for having printed such a hateful and defamatory item. Ms. Crockett's brand of bigotry may be commonplace at cocktail parties among range vigilantes or gated-community elites, but the pages of New Times are a haven for more civil discourse. Surely New Times could have found someone of Ms. Crockett's persuasion who could argue her point without descending to hate speech. But then again, maybe not.

Evan Davis

Columbus, Ohio