Dear Editor,

Not to be mean to Mr. Limbaugh, but he hardly seems to be in a position to be making fun of the size of anyone else's butts, ankles, feet, or any other body part. Doesn't he have a mirror?

Sincerely,

Shaun

Dear LW,

Maybe part of the difficulty is that the kind of man who would want to have sex with you the first time he meets you is not the kind of man that you need for a long-term relationship. You seem to have a pretty low opinion of men. In fact, men can make decisions about who they are going to sleep with and can make such decisions based on more than just their libido.

I suspect that most men who are looking for a long-term relationship are not going to be attracted to a "party-girl", assuming that a woman who has sex the first time out is also not the best long-term investment. This may not be fair, but it's probably an accurate assessment of the way many men think - and, I suspect, it has more than a bit of truth to it.

So, don't just examine your behaviour; also take a look at the men who you are drawn to and figure out if that is half (or more) of your problem in finding a committed relationship.

Sincerely,

Shaun

Dear Kate,

Thanks for stating this plainly. Polanski has no defense and only the most deluded fools would claim that what he did was somehow excusable. And - surprise! - one's past suffering is not an excuse for harming others. It might be an explanation of why you would be inclined to harm others, but it does not give you a free pass on inflicting harm - indeed, if anything, it creates more of an obligation to be sensitive to the harm done to others.

It is telling that even in France, it is only the artistic and political elites who are getting upset about this. Most average French people appreciate the reality that Polanski is a child rapist.

So, let's stop skewing this discussion. Polanski deserves no sympathy and it's about time he was brought to justice.

Sincerely,

Shaun Narine

Dear Kate,

I think that I agree with this article, but I'm not sure. I should point out that the number of people defending Roman Polanski is dropping by the hour. The French government is no longer doing so; indeed, it seems to be shifting in the other direction. The Polish PM has indicated his government's willingness to let process play out. And these backtracks have occurred because of popular outrage within France and Poland over real and perceived support for Polanski from these states' governments. The truth is that most decent, sound-minded people of whatever political persuasion find what Polanski did reprehensible and have little use for his defenders and apologists.

In this context, I'm not quite sure on how you are linking the Polanski situation to the "Hound Dog" situation. I suspect that many of the same people condemning Polanski are the same who condemned "Hound Dog". But many of those who supported "Hound Dog" are also condemning Polanski. I'm not sure that the strange creature who condemned "Hound Dog" and is now apologizing for Polanski actually exists.

Sincerely,

Shaun

Dear Editor,

What exactly is Art Guerilla's point? The girl who was raped by Roman Polanski was raped - she did not consent, she actually protested his actions. So, unquestionable case of outright rape. Pretty much a black and white issue. Questions about the age of consent are irrelevant.

Sincerely,

Shaun

Hi! It's been a while since I last watched Dexter, but isn't he still following the "Code of Harry"? Or is he not? The last time I watched, there was a suggestion that Dexter was getting away from the Code, at least in part because he had come to realize his own part in his stepfather's death. Also, he killed a pedophile who was stalking his stepdaughter, an act of "fatherhood" that was clearly in violation of the code. But his act of protectiveness seemed to be excusable (in his mind) by the fact that he was the girl's new father and he was responding to a threat to his family.

If he is still following his code, of course, then killing Rita is out of the question, unless she has killed someone herself.

In the Dexter books (haven't read these, but know a bit about them) Rita's children both know what Dexter does and are also aspiring serial killers. I don't think that this idea has played out in the TV series, but it would be interesting to see if this does emerge as an element of the plot, over the long-term.

Shaun

Dear Ms. Williams,

I sympathize with your point of view. But, as many people have pointed out, the issue is no longer about Polanski's victim at all. He pled guilty and then skipped the country. Ms. Reimer has been pulled back into this situation by the media, but the case itself is already over and her involvement, in a legal sense, is ended.

Moreover, the crime committed here was against the victim but also against society. Harassing and belittling the victim as a way to get charges dropped (if that idea even applied in this case) is a horrible precedent to set.

As for Gore Vidal, he is sadly symptomatic of a leisure class which has no moral anchor and thus nothing to say of importance about questions of morality. Mr. Vidal has disgraced himself. He should apologize publically, then be quiet. It is sad that what may be one of his last public utterings should be so reprehensible.

Sincerely,

Shaun Narine