Manson Song on Guns N’ Roses Album

* The First Amendment guarantees Guns N’ Roses the right to include Charles Manson’s song on its new album (editorial, Dec. 2). Those offended by that don’t have to buy the album or listen to the song. That’s how our democracy is supposed to work. I’ll be damned if I’ll have the government, much less The Times, telling me what I can or cannot listen to. Our constitutional liberties are being eroded enough as it is.

P.S.--I find it ironic that in the same issue as your editorial, you carry a huge story on how wonderfully the new album by rapper and accused murderer Snoop Doggy Dogg is selling. That’s some double standard.

MICHAEL D. HARRIS

Tarzana

* Please recognize the difference between bad taste and freedom of expression. We know all too well about Manson and his crimes, but he has as much right as anybody to have his words published. It is our right to choose to listen to those words or not.

Honoring our constitutional rights to free speech and self-expression necessitates allowing the likes of Manson to be heard if he is able to find an audience.

We protect the rights of flag-burners, presidential hecklers, even murderers, all in the name of freedom of expression. We do so because we recognize the value of that freedom, and the rest of the world envies the fact that we are almost somehow able to maintain it without resorting to fascism.

This Manson song incident should help us to focus on broader issues, i.e., whether convicted prisoners who have financial means should have to contribute to, or totally defray the costs of their incarceration. As the law now stands we, the taxpayers, pay many thousands of dollars a year to keep a dry roof over Manson’s deranged head, and three meals a day on his table, not to mention his less notorious roommates. Many prisoners have the means to pay yet they are housed for free. Crime often does pay, and that’s the price we pay for freedom of speech.

Guns N’ Roses has managed to harness bad taste and turn it into record sales before and will probably do so again. That’s life, but what is heartening is David Geffen’s (head of the record company) open and public commentary on Guns N’ Roses lack of taste (Dec. 1).

And by the way, the Manson song is mediocre at best. The strongest message we can send is to vote out mediocrity and bad taste by not purchasing the product, rather than censoring it!

STEPHEN SACKS

Los Angeles

* Charles Manson gets rich from T-shirts. Michael Milken gets richer from videotapes.

Who says crime doesn’t pay?

BARBARA FOX

Altadena