COOKED MEDIUM
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People want to believe; that's their fault: I really enjoyed the story on Phoenix's very own Medium. I thought Megan Irwin captured the essence of a woman who very much wants her hocus-pocus to be taken seriously ("Allison DuBois Unmasked," June 12).
It doesn't exactly surprise anybody who thinks rationally that Allison has been of no help to police, despite what you might think from the TV show she inspired. What is surprising is that she has so many people who want to believe that she has "powers."
But, you know, people want to believe in the strangest things: UFOs, that the Bush administration planned and carried out 9/11, that the Holocaust was made up, ghosts, Scientology, and religion, in general.
It's all part of that and nothing more. What I don't understand is why Ms. DuBois doesn't just cash the checks and move on. She preys on the suckers of the world. So what?! No law against taking a sucker's money.
But, no, she insists that everybody must believe in her crap, and that's what's annoying!
James Thompson, Glendale
The benevolent Ms. DuBois: I was disappointed to read the one-sided article that ran in New Times titled "Allison DuBois Unmasked." Your writer, Megan Irwin, neglected to mention the community support Ms. DuBois has offered to bereaved families.
An example of her benevolence is her spirit of volunteerism. I am a member of a group called Parents of Murdered Children. Allison DuBois volunteered to be a guest speaker at one of our meetings. With more than 60 people in attendance, Allison went from person to person, and right before our very eyes, she did accurate readings for each and every one of us who had lost a child to violence (at no charge).
Readers should not be fooled by the ambiguous negativity of this article. Ms. DuBois is a kind and generous woman who has a gift that truly does help those in need.
Mari Bailey, Phoenix
Grow up, people: Allison DuBois is a prime example of how retarded the general public can be about paranormal experience.
Guess what: The X-Files is a TV show; such things don't really happen! Medium is a TV show based on somebody who made up her very persona. Grow up, people!
J. D. Richardson, Phoenix
Too bad for whom?: Your story on Allison DuBois shows how ignorant you are about paranormal experience. It is only natural that people would question Allison. They are not on her wavelength and cannot understand how it is to have special abilities.
It's just too bad that New Times bought into all the negativity about Allison. You should be ashamed of yourselves!
Trina McDonald, Phoenix
C'mon!: I find it interesting that a few people are slamming the writer of this story (See comments attached to "Allison DuBois Unmasked"). You dumbos are the ones with a lot to learn.
Come on. DuBois is bogus. If Allison can point to instances of how she has actually performed provable psychic feats, then why didn't she tell the writer?
You know why? Because nothing she claims can be nailed down. She's just making crazy claims and cashing the checks from her TV show. And what a crock that [show] is! But, you know, it's a good gig because a fool is born every minute in this country.
Charles Moran, Phoenix
Some words about James Randi: In the New Times article, it is claimed that James Randi has "offered [Allison] DuBois, or any other psychic, $10 million if she can prove her abilities in a test that he would design." That's incorrect.
Randi, founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation, has had a longstanding challenge to anyone claiming to have paranormal abilities. The prize is $1 million, not $10 million. The test is not designed by Randi. The design of the test and what constitutes success is a mutually agreed upon by the JREF and the challenger.
The nature of the test will, of course, depend upon the claimed abilities of the challenger. No challenger has successfully passed a mutually agreed-upon preliminary test.
DuBois has been repeatedly made aware of the challenge. She claims, "[Randi] will never give anyone the money and has never shown proof that it exists. He's been asked to. I know the truth and that's good enough."
Randi has offered proof of the existence of the prize, which is being held [in a Goldman Sachs account]. If someone passes the mutually agreed-upon test, it will not be up to him to distribute the money. Interested readers can visit the JREF Web site at www.randi.org. It is quite an eye-opener to those willing to open their eyes.
Jim Carr, Phoenix
A DuBois peer calls her out: I am a medium, and I think this article is well researched and quite fair.
If you are going to put yourself out there in the public arena as a person representing the positive argument of consciousness survival, you'd better have a credible story. The onus of validating DuBois' claims are on DuBois.
Simply "crying foul" when no one from the law enforcement agencies she claims to have aided will sign an affidavit in her defense is not an acceptable explanation of the criticisms of her. I have written about this story on my own blog (http://idonethunk.blogspot.com/).
Marcel Cairo, Los Angeles
