Abdi's Side
Thank you so much for this piece [May 12, City Weekly, "My Life After the Bullets"]. I personally have not forgotten this tragic event and have been really disturbed by the lack of attention the story has been receiving. I was appalled by the shooting when it happened and I have continued searching for news stories on it since then, but this is the first I have found in weeks. I only wish I had caught the other article mentioned. I hope your paper continues to report not only on what's going on officially but also on Mohamed himself and his side of the story.

I felt from the beginning that there was much more to it than what the police have said officially. I also feel that, unless there continues to be pressure from the public and attention on the story, we aren't as likely to see the release of the footage or a resolution to the case. It is refreshing to hear from the young man himself an admission that he has made mistakes and is trying to change himself. The opportunity for his voice to be heard is an important step in that process.

Thank you for giving him the chance to respond to all the things that have been said about him. Whether people agree with him or not, he has as much right to be heard as the official voice.
Amanda Faulkner
Magna

Family Ties
I enjoyed the short piece by Kimball Bennion on Gingger Shankar [May 19, City Weekly, "Her Mother's Due"], but couldn't help but wonder about her relationship with Nora Jones, a daughter of Ravi Shankar, who quite obviously is part of "a larger family tradition."
John Paul Brophy
Salt Lake City

Author's Response: In simple terms of their family tree, the relationship between Gingger Shankar and Norah Jones is pretty distant: Gingger Shankar is Ravi's great niece, but her mother and grandmother raised her largely within the family's musical traditions.
Norah Jones, Ravi's daughter, grew up mostly estranged from her father. She formed her own musical path as a teenager in Texas and changed her name from Geetali Shankar.
The children of famous families are often forced to come to terms with the names they inherit. Both women have done so in very different and interesting ways.

Correction: Last week's opinion piece ["The Draft"] failed to acknowledge John Rasmuson as the author.