Odious as the Klan are, they did not commit treason against the United States.

I would like to echo Russell Smith's request that you not conflate the Ku Klux Klan with Confederates (The Mail, Sept. 25). Odious as the Klan are, they did not commit treason against the United States. They advocate racial segregation and believe that nonwhites are inferior, but they don't advocate subjugation of another race in chattel slavery. Historically the Klan has often been violent, but very few current Klanspersons have taken up arms to defend white superiority. So yes, such a comparison is unfair-to the Klan.

Those of us with ancestors who supported the Confederacy should accept our heritage as a sober opportunity to reflect on the fallibility of human beings, not as a mark of honor.

Allan Massie

Towson

Raf Rules

It has been a pleasure to see Rafael Alvarez's byline in the

City Paper

the last two issues. I have enjoyed his unique insight into all things Baltimore and his style of writing. Mr. Alvarez has informed and entertained the Baltimore community for many years through his skill as a man of the written word with his newspaper articles, books, writing for televison-and

CP

. I will be looking forward to each new issue of

CP

in the hopes of finding more from Rafael Alvarez inside.

Jerry Smith

Baltimore

Trademarks Rule™

Once again,

City Paper

appears to be playing fast and loose with the Trademark symbol (™). I first brought up this issue in The Mail two years ago (

). when you appropriated the registered trademark Digi-Cam™ for a

CP

feature. Now Mr. Wrong (

) has gone ape-shit, presenting BESTY™ more times than I cared to count in connection with the

CP

mascot of that moniker, apparently feeling smug that he knows what alt does and we don't. Your fact checker (if you even employ one for Mr. Wrong) could easily have determined that the real registered trademark BESTY™ is owned by one Kathy Ann Chermak of Visalia, Calif., who has used it in connection with dog collars and leashes since 2008. Expect a cease-and-desist letter from Ms. Chermak's attorney any day now.

City Paper

can, and probably should, pony up the $300 fee to secure a legal trademark of BESTY™ for any appropriate goods-and-services category except dog collars and leashes, but pretending a trademark for BESTY, the

CP

mascot, exists when it does not is not recommended.

John Grant

Baltimore