Paparazzi

Re “Senator, Actors Focus on Bill to Curb Paparazzi,” Feb. 16:

On a purely human level, it is difficult not to be offended, even appalled, by some of the more vulgar extremes to which certain elements of the paparazzi will go in seeking to satisfy their celebrity-crazed clientele. But the fortunes of movie stars, television personalities, professional athletes and other such pop-culture luminaries derive directly from the fame that they themselves aggressively promote and meticulously cultivate.

Having been ravaged by the press as much as, if not more than, any other American president, Thomas Jefferson was known to harbor a virulent (and largely justified) enmity toward the Fourth Estate. It was also his oft-expressed belief that a free, unfettered press is a necessary evil to the preservation of an open, democratic society. So before embarking on the dangerously slippery slope of pruning back the 1st Amendment, Sen. Dianne Feinstein ought to keep in mind that most of those remonstrating the loudest made their own Procrustean beds and that all of us--even movie stars--must learn to take the good with the bad.

BASIL GEORGE DEZES

Beverly Hills

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I am appalled and disheartened that Sen. Feinstein believes the most pressing issue facing our state is that of celebrities being hounded by the paparazzi. We are living in a state in which our public schools are rated among the worst in the nation; drive-by shootings are becoming commonplace; gangs are a serious threat to our safety; bank robbers are now wearing body armor, jeopardizing the lives of law-abiding citizens and the police we hire to protect us--the list goes on. Yet this is how Feinstein is spending her time and our taxpayer dollars.

DIANE SMITH

Valencia