Letters to the Editor
Six Shooter
Published Letters: 5 Editor's Choice: 1
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Completely Hypersensitive
[Read the article: E. O. Wilson gives soccer moms a bum rap]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Reading this, Andrew, I felt as though you must have nerve endings poking out of your skin. Loosen your tie, sir. Yes, perhaps Wilson should not have stated that botanical gardens and zoos were the worst thing you can do for your children - I know that I have every intention of taking my son when he's old enough - but it was more a reflection of the loss of the sense of discovery than anything else. When a child walks through a zoo and sees neatly packaged animals with handy, taxonomy-labeled signs, he gains no real sense of appreciation for or connection to nature. Yes, he can see exotic animals from around the world, but I side with Wilson in the belief that it is infinitely more beneficial to take your child on a walk through the woods down the street (if you're blessed with such) and let him explore and discover in an immersed environment.
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It was good to read this...
[Read the article: I'm perpetuating the cycle of emotional abuse]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I was one of those people too, around so much anger during my formative years that I never learned how to properly express it without exploding. I totally get it. Common sense would dictate that people who grow up in that type of environment will become mean, confrontational assholes, but that's certainly not the case -- I myself tend to push forth a laid-back exterior while allowing my jaw to clench harder, as Cary so eloquently put it. It helps to know that there are a lot of people out there suffering from the same issues, and it was good to read this today. Although I feel that I have developed ways to cope with my anger - especially with a young son in my life - I could have really used this ten, even five years ago. Great column.
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Of course you don't like lawmakers criticizing journalists...
[Read the article: In defense of Lou Dobbs]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...you're a journalist. That "defense" is as predictable as a member of the Michigan Militia defending his gun rights. Your interpretation of the freedom of speech is probably as straightforward as Lou Dobbs' view of amnesty. It becomes hairy, however, when he is supported by a large multinational corporation and advertisers, as well as those who pay their satellite TV bill every month. In these cases, it dangerously approaches an issue of corporate free speech, and lawmakers do - and should - have every right to step into the ring in those circumstances. Lou Dobbs is the most narcissistic bastard on television (which is saying something). In my personal, non-Consitutional opinion, he deserves to be smacked down a little once in a while.
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Wal-Mart sucks, but so do several of the opinions expressed here
[Read the article: Wal-Mart's "Faded Glory"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's funny that the "correspondent" failed to notice the Faded Glory brand until recently -- it smacks of somebody with the financial wherewithal to be able to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart. I remember being embarrassed to wear Faded Glory clothes in high school while my friends wore their more durable, more stylish name brands.
I hear a lot of big talk about some "Wal-Mart demographic", or people who are too stupid to shop somewhere else, but wake up! The structure of our nation's economy is changing. People of all ages, races, and income brackets fill the parking lot at Supercenters across the country. The majority of the nation shops at Wal-Mart, and will continue to shop at Wal-Mart. Boycotts will fail: a few thousand liberal elites shopping at farmers markets will be a tiny blip on their spreadsheets. The only ways to nail them are to force their hand with tariffs and anti-trust legislation, and to continually shine the media spotlight on their manufacturing practices and the vacuuming of funds out of local economies and into Bentonville. In that respect, bravo to the author and to Salon.
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She might be the worst person in the entire blogosphere
[Read the article: I have a confession to make ...]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"One of the strangest and most enthralling aspects of personal blogs is just how intensely personal they can be."
Vacuous. Just vacuous. Couldn't make it past that line. To each their own, though.