Letters to the Editor
capitalist_pig
Published Letters: 39 Editor's Choice: 2
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My visceral and bourgeoisie reaction to Vollmann:
[Read the article: Embarrassment of riches]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]GROSS!
He has a penchant for sleeping with prostitutes from all over the and he lets homeless people defecate right out side of his home?
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a crazy cleaning machine. But I am the product of a working class, hispanic mom, who placed special emphasis on hygiene. She, in turn, recieved her hygiene neurosis from my hard working, hard drinking, and hard laughing Mexican grandmother.
But, dude, can't Vollmann erect some makeshift sinks or showers for his homeless guests? It would seem to me that that would make their lives a little bit less wretched, but then, of course, Vollman wouldn't be able to bask in their serial misery and then he would be a little more rich. Bummer.
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Mr. Sugarman,
[Read the article: Embarrassment of riches]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I hate to break it to you, but not everyone lives in San Francisco. Some of us (gasp) live in fly over states, the south, and even (double gasp) Texas. It is definitely cheaper to live in these locations than in San Francisco. That said, I think it would be difficult to live on 12,800 a year unless you live in a relatively small town near a lot of supportive friends and relatives or you are in college.
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Zoo
[Read the article: Beyond the Multiplex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I do not condone zoophilia, but feel very sympathetic toward these men. I pity their choice or mental illnees. I feel bad for them that they feel or are compelled to degrade themselves in such a way. Everytime they engage in a sexual act with a horse, an irrational creature governed by instinct, they hurt themselves. They hurt themselves physically, obviously -
"Devor and his co-writer, Charles Mudede, set out to explore the infamous story of "Mr. Hands," the Seattle man who died of internal injuries in July 2005 after having sex with an Arabian stallion at a remote ranch near Enumclaw, Wash." -
and, well, mentally, because somehow they have convinced themselves that this is okay. Or perhaps society or mental illness or the commarderie of other like-minded thinkers has allowed them license to engage in zoophilia without remorse. Who knows? Sure, they make this choice and that is their right, or was, but its not a good choice all things considered.
As for animal abuse, I agree with some of the folks in the article, I'm not sure that the animal cares. As for exploitation, this is not a donkey show, they are doing this ultimately to themselves,not forcing others to do it for other's lurid excitement and for their profit.
Because I think they are degrading themselves and I think that is regrettable and sad, I am sympathetic towards these men.
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brightstar
[Read the article: Beyond the Multiplex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]please explain further how a woman who owns a cat or several is practicing beastility. I don't think so.
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I don't get it.
[Read the article: Why can't gay dwarves get married in Middle-earth?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is such a strange article.
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Yeh because
[Read the article: Defending women from "dowry death"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]the Western conception of "uncoolness" is totally equivalent to infanticide, selective abortion of female babies, financial extortion, etc.
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Enough about religion
[Read the article: An "honor killing" in Iraq, captured by cellphone]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is tribalism. When a family, whether Venetian, Kurdish, or American, decides to kill someone in order to preserive their honor, it is the result of tribalistic thinkings. Religion is just a pretty veneer. The fact is that these families have a very small conception of who is human. They believe that they are human, that the people in their religion (perhaps) are human, that maybe even their neighbors are human but a person of another tribe, here a man of a different religion, is not human. Therefore, the fact that their daugther decided to defile herself and her family by loving a non-human is justification enough to kill her. This happens all the time. Sometimes its not even killing. Sometimes families in Western societies turn away their sons and daugthers who dishonor them in some fashion. Its a human thing, not a religious thing.
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Desigirl,
[Read the article: Defending women from "dowry death"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You're the one who put up the strawman by equating "uncoolness" with such things as infanticide. I merely pointed out the sheer ludicrousness of your argument. Now had you stated equated, say, the domestic violence rates here with infanticide, i.e. that both are deletrious to each society, then I could agree with you. What I cannot agree with is your rather flippant use of language.
"Well, capitalist_pig....if you would really want to compare, maybe we could start comparing domestic violence between the two countries, date rapes, deadbeat dads, abortion rights (who ever thought that could be an issue in India?)...."
I do not want to compare. I think that comparing two nations who are at different stages in their development and have totally different colonial, religious, and ancient histories is ridiculous. Neither India nor the U.S. is perfect. The one thing that I do know about the U.S. is that we are unique in the ways we air our grievances.
Let me explain, you point out the issue of date rapes and deadbeat dads as something perhaps India is less susceptible to then the U.S. Perhaps this is correct. I don't know, because while I can certainly hash out statistics about rates in the U.S., I can only speak ancedotely about such things in India. I have two good friends who immigrated here from India. They tell me stories - the good and the bad, but those stories are personal to them. I have no idea of their worth in larger society. Now I suppose I could look around for statistics regarding such things about India, but I don't have the inclination to do so. I'm not sure I'd have the tools. So no I can't compare these things between the two countries.