Letters to the Editor
bushwacker00
Published Letters: 157 Editor's Choice: 20
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No
[Read the article: The battle for California, as seen by bike. Part 2]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I seriously doubt that you will have many insights during this trek. The insights, if they come, will occur after you have rested at the end. Write an article summing up the ride during the second week of June.
Now, if you want to use your bully pulpit to promote the ride, then this seems to me what the organization wants. They will use your influence and column for their agenda. If Salon wants this, then as a reader, I have little to no say in the matter.
But, you should know where I stand on other issues. I try to ride my bike to work, but I have been lazy for several months. I think organic farming is great if you are rich, but it doesn't solve the issues of world hunger. I think that solar energy should be exploited before the hydrogen economy gets going. I drive a Prius, and I ride a recumbent (when I make the effort). And, I tend to see San Francisco people as elitists. They match the Republicans like Bush who I, also, see as elitists.
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This isn't what struck me
[Read the article: What Fred Thompson means by the "rule of law"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"For Americans, these are found in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. They include a recognition of God and the fact there are certain rights that come from Him and not the government. . . ."
I read this passage, which was long before the highlighted lines, and I am struck by the ignorance. "God" is not mentioned in these two documents. The "Creator" is mentioned. But, the creator and god are not necessarily the same entity. Heck, the creator could be Evolution as a mechanism though I doubt that the Founding Fathers thought about such a concept even with the ideas of Divine Providence.
The US is a secular society. If we go away from the secularness of the government, then we certainly have violated the ideas of freedom of religion that the country was found upon , in part. I find it ironic that Thompson can talk about rule of law and bring religion in to supercede the government in a single speech.
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Racism
[Read the article: Is Oprah the new Imus?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sorry racism is using the color of someone's skin to define how they are treated by you and others. You don't need to have real power to be a racist. All you have to do is prefer one race to another race based only on skin color.
So, Oprah's comments were racist just as Imus' comments were racist. If Oprah had said that she has some really great people working for her, then there would no issue. She had to qualify it with the word "white" which made it a racist comment.
There should not be a double standard for racism. Black people can be racists. Asian people can be racist. Hispanic people can be racist. It has nothing to do with power; it has everything to do with how one looks at the world.
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What a hypocrite
[Read the article: "It is impossible to miss the discrimination against ... believers"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]How can you talk about all men being created equal yet still condone torture, death and destruction in the name of freedom? How can you blindly assume that "endowed by the Creator" means the Christian God? The Creator could be Buddha. It could be Allah. It could be Nature. It could be green aliens from Sirius.
There are so many assumptions and shading of the truth here that it would be impossible to list them all. But, how does a known adulterer get to be chosen to speak at the commencement of Liberty University? I guess actions mean less than words in this crowd.
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If the dean is too cozy...
[Read the article: Sexual harassment in art school]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Then you go to the President of the University. There is usually a higher power to appeal to. even if you didn't have tenure, it is your obligation to report this matter if you care about the students in your department.
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If you are going to take away flopping...
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Then, the charging rule should be changed (as stated in the article). But, what should be added to the charging rule is when an offensive player jumps into the defender. Right now, you can get a shooting foul called by jumping into the defender and throwing up a shot. If you jump into the defender, then it should be called as a charge because there is practically no way to defend against this tactic.
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Half-Baked
[Read the article: Ron Paul is blowing up real good]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Most of Paul's ideas are half-baked wishful thinking. I work with a die hard Libertarian, and we disagree about all sorts of things since he has a major conspiracy theory streak. But, I figure that he is far more optimistic about people while I am very cynical. When I hear about removing controls, I think about Enron and the exploitation of illegal immigrants. I think about not testing beef for mad cow. I think about the heads in the sand philosophy of people who drive gas guzzlers then complain about high gas prices.
Ron Paul's ideas sound great, but they are not realistic. They rely too much on the goodwill of other people. And, I see a great deal of selfishness in people.
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How?
[Read the article: Libby: Think about my whole life]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]How is the rest of his life relevant? The idea is that people can commit horrible crimes and rehabilitate themselves after the fact. But, going from what may be an honorable and good life to one of lying and deceit does not aid your cause. If it does anything, it should make the sentence more strict. You were a good person, then you did evil despite the fact that you lived a good life in the past.
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Kitty Not Happy
[Read the article: Her sexy T-shirt says "Kitty Not Happy" -- is that OK at work?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Yes, the LW is a bad person. The threat to slap your wife over a t-shirt is rather offensive. And, the idea that someone might be reasonable because she named her child after you is so ludicrous that the whole letter seems to be a fake. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the LW assumed she named the child after him, and he never entered into the mind of the supervisor. Or, she named her kid the same name despite this jerk.