Letters to the Editor
thatboy
Published Letters: 242 Editor's Choice: 14
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For the "Annie" wannabes
[Read the article: Everyone hates the Tonys]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]See the documentary "Life After Tomorrow." Now-adult cast members talk about their experiences performing in the show as a child.
I live near NYC and do get to see a couple of Bway shows each year. I enjoy the Tonys as a sort of compendium of 'trailers' that allow me to target which shows I'm most interested in. That, and it's always great to see stage favorites such as Bernadette Peters beltin' out a tune!
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"Why do gay men so often choose a 'male' or 'female' role?"
[Read the article: Gay men and straight women have similar brains]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]They do no such thing. Granted, some gay men are more masculine/feminine than others, but it's rarely a choice. It's just their natural personality.
This smacks of the oft asked question of gay couples, "Which one of you is the 'woman,'" or, "Which one of you is the 'wife'?" This stems from the notion that even a gay male couple must conform to straight norms in some way. They don't. They're both men. No gender or heterosexual stereotypes needed, thanks. The closest way they compare to a straight couple is their love for and commitment to each other.
If male/female identity played a role, you would expect the majority of gay couples to be composed of one 'masculine' man and one 'feminine' man. In fact, this is not the case. Most couples are composed of two men of similar 'masculinity' or 'femininity.' In most, the wages earned by each man are comparable, and household duties are divided with indifference to male/female roles.
Equally unwelcome is the assertion, "You don't seem gay!" That may seem like a compliment to a straight person, but it ain't.
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The free market
[Read the article: Pro-life pharmacies]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Somehow, I doubt that many who are singing the praises of 'market forces' and 'private businesses' in this instance would have the same opinion if they walked into a pharmacy with an antidepressant prescription and a Scientologist pharmacist refused to fill it. Or, suppose they went grocery shopping and a vegan cashier refused to ring up their meat and dairy items. Would they brightly commend them for supporting a free market and abiding by their moral beliefs? This isn't about market forces, it's about Christians forcing their beliefs on non-Christians.
I wonder, can Christian cashiers at Rite-Aid or CVS refuse to allow customers to purchase condoms? Can they refuse to ring up alcohol sales at grocery stores and 7-11? Could they get a job at a porn shop and refuse to sell anything? And if they were fired, could they sue for discrimination?
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Nice to see
[Read the article: Bateman: "The McClaughlin Groove"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]that others "get it." I started watching in '84 and it's become a weekend must. I rarely miss it. Unfortunately, when I've coerced friends into watching it, they've all looked at me like I'm nuts. Thanks, Bateman!
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This Diss guy has it all backward.
[Read the article: Your construction company kills babies]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Lust is the gateway drug to sex and masturbation.
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He's in a better place now.
[Read the article: Jesse Helms dies on July 4th]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Better for the rest of us, at least.
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."
--Clarence Darrow
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We can't have Edwards as VP
[Read the article: Edwards opens door wider to veep bid]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]That would mean there was an actual Liberal on the Democratic ticket, and who wants that?
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Thanks!
[Read the article: Not the other white meat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]That was a wonderful feel-good video of happy, happy animals! Now can we please see the video of them being "slaughtered humanely?" After all, it can only help your argument to show us how peacefully they die.
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Hey, DJ, always a pleasure!
[Read the article: Not the other white meat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Quickly OT: Recently been hanging out at the Netflix Community.
http://community.netflix.com/profile/thatboy
Great folks to chat with, fun discussion groups for exploitation and cheesy b-rate horror, terrific film suggestions. Join us. Add me as a friend. Eat my brains and gain my knowledge.
Back to the discussion at hand...
I grew up on a farm in a family of hunters. Forty years ago, at least in our community, the meat industry wasn't nearly what it is today. Dairy and meat cows roamed pastures for most of the day. Chickens weren't caged. Farmers actually cared about their animals, and cared for them. Sure, they were killed for food, but locally, quickly, and often by the same person who raised them and didn't want them to suffer. Animals who were hunted at least had a free life in the wild before their unfortunate encounter with a bullet or arrow, and hunters prided themselves on a one-shot quick kill.
I was appalled when I, in my 30's, actually learned what the meat industry had become, and it's only gotten worse. I'm not a vegetarian because I'm morally opposed to meat-eating, per se, but because of how that meat is now produced.
Yes, it would be great if all producers were like Veritas Farms, but they're not, and stories like this often only provide cover for meat-eaters to continue supporting factory farming while easing their conscience. And ClearBlueSea, you may have the wrong idea about how those animals are slaughtered. Veritas Farms may have the very best of intentions, but no matter how well the animals are raised they are frequently slaughtered in the same place and with no more compassion than factory-farmed animals. Very little private slaughtering is allowed to occur because it must take place in a facility inspected by federal meat inspectors. Smaller plants get closed down because inspectors claim they are too small to warrant their time, and if inspectors refuse to monitor them, they cannot continue to operate.
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@DJ
[Read the article: Not the other white meat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You're not fooling anybody by posting a letter to yourself under your other name, "woodviolet." ; )