Letters for April 10, 2008

Good fat
Re “Fat Power!” (Arts & Culture, April 3):

I am an overweight man and have been for some time. When I look in the mirror, all I see is me, not just fat. You preach tolerance and acceptance of many things in your paper, including homosexuality, and make someone who doesn’t like it out to be an ultra-conservative monster. Why then, do you take a patronizing tone when it comes to the obese? Do we not fit your mold on what people should be? Where is your acceptance now? I’m OK with who I am, and I don’t care if someone doesn’t like it.

Trevor Johnson
Reno

Bad fat
Re “Fat Power!” (Arts & Culture, April 3):

Is fat really where it’s at?

I found Ms. Kirby’s position typically American: self-indulgent, arrogant and self-destructive.

It seems everyone has developed the ability to rationalize their bad behavior.

Being morbidly obese, eating like a slop hog, along with cigarette smoking, is now included in the socially acceptable forms of suicide.

John Fisher
Reno

Too conservative
Re “Those tax and spend Democrats” (Know You’re Right, April 3):

Wow, another doozy from Amanda Williams. She cites numbers from the Heritage Foundation, which she calls “a think tank that studies tax issues.” Their real mission, “to formulate and promote conservative public policies,” was left out of the column. Given that mission, does anyone think their information won’t be biased? The release that gives the numbers cited is great, too—six of its seven footnotes cite prior releases from Heritage Foundation, all from the same author. Excellent, using your own prior data to back up your current argument. Keeps the circle closed, don’t want to potentially taint it with possible external influence, like say, objectivity? I can’t even finish Williams’ columns anymore; my hip waders aren’t tall enough.

Marc Tiar
Reno

Move over Baby Boomers
Re “Teenage eyes” (Feature story, April 3):

I smiled at the young people’s long-range optimism in last week’s story. The comment about things getting even worse before they get better, though, touched a chord. Perhaps what they are saying is, “We can make things better once y’all are out of the way.” Isn’t it a shame we can’t leave a better legacy for our kids?

Doug van Aman
Spanish Springs

Hillary is icky
Re “Is she losing it?” (News, March 27):

I am a great granny who remembers all the garbage the Clintons brought with them last time. I remember how they balanced the budget on the backs of the low and medium income families and senior citizens. I remember how they lost the Congress to the Republicans (controlled by the Democrats when the Clintons took office).

Hillary Clinton lies about too much.

1) She lied about the S-CHIP medical program for children. She had nothing to do with this bill. Ask the senators that did.

2) She had nothing to do with the medical leave act for vets. Again, she lied. Ask the senators that did.

3) She lied about the peace settlement in Ireland.

4) She lied about Bosnia.

5) She told Canadian officials to ignore what was said about changing NAFTA, then went public, blaming Senator Obama for this. The Canadian Officials came on the U.S. news twice and pointed out her lie.

These are just a few of her lies. America does not need another liar in the White House. There is one there now and look at what he had done to this country, and to the American people.

Nettie Tillotson
Reno

Hate is no solution
Re “Missed the joke” (Letters to the editor, April 3):

In what way do you think Ask a Mexican was joking, and why do you assume only Mexicans are illegal? As a Mexican-American, I realize the problem we have in our country, but your solution is to say they can’t get out quick enough, and you will refrain from ordering the taco combo! It’s people like you who are the problem in this country. We all know this is a big problem, yet you offer no reasonable solution in this matter. By the way, where are you from and how did your family get here? Let me guess! You don’t know do you? You know nothing of your past or of your own culture and that is why you are so ignorant to the present. Know one thing about us Mexican-Americans, we have a voice and are full of pride. Not all of us out there are afraid to say how we feel either. We need a solution, not hate! Comprende?

Cynthia Gonzales
Sparks

Editor’s note: The joke the headline referred to was Gustavo Arellano’s announcement that he was quitting Ask a Mexican! because of all the nasty letters, emails and postings. It was an April Fool’s Day joke that was missed by readers and newspapers from San Diego to the New York Times.