Letters for March 6, 2003

In regards to the article written about young blacks in Reno, your writer made it sound like the problems discussed were only affecting blacks, but all people have the same problems. A person walking into a store in a ball cap with the brim pulled down would probably be considered shady and be watched by store employees. Everybody in Reno feels unwelcome at one place or another, despite race. And people like Stephanie Tau aren’t going to frequent nightclubs for an obvious reason: She just turned 20.

Also, the table showing how different races are treated by police officers seemed irrelevant. Instead of producing tables where all cops are represented, why not create a table showing the races of the police officers and the types of people they pull over.

Hate, fear and indifference are not in the brain at birth, they are learned. People fear what they do not know or understand. I am guilty of this. I do not know much about black people, so I am somewhat afraid of them. I know some black people, but not as well as I should. Everybody needs to stop dwelling on the past and start rebuilding a future for children who can call each other friend without looking at race.

D. Joseph
via e-mail

Bomber blunder
Re “Thinking of home” [RN&R, Pulse, Feb. 20]:

I read your article and found it interesting that your writer claimed that F-16’s roared over Abdul Barghouti’s West Bank village in 1967. The first operational F-16A was delivered in January 1979 to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Did you get the numbers backwards? I thought editors fact-check their articles to make sure they are valid. This is why I don’t believe anything I read in the paper.

Glenn Kunkle
via e-mail

When did we claim that?
Re “Thinking of home” [RN&R, Pulse, Feb. 20]:

Since you claim that your coverage is fair, you need to interview Jews that were kicked out of their homeland in the Middle East. The whole Jewish community was told to leave Egypt by then-president (dictator) Gamel Abdul Nasser. Your article states that Barghouti still owns a grove of olive trees that supported his family. My relatives lost everything. Jews were also kicked out of Syria, Iraq, etc. Jews lived in these countries for over 3,000 years—long before Arab armies settled and converted the native populations by use of the sword.

Several more points: The Palestinians attack and Israelis react. Second, how could there be an occupation when there never was a country called Palestine? Third, Yasser Arafat, a self-confessed terrorist, has been selected as the leader of the Palestinians. Fourth, Sharon has been tried for whatever indirect involvement he had with the massacre in Lebanon. He always claimed that the Christian militia never informed him about their intention. It is interesting that no leader of the Christian militia has ever been brought to trial.

Mirey Varol
via e-mail

Anti-Semitic story
Re “Thinking of home” [RN&R, Pulse, Feb. 20]:

The interview with A. Barghouti not only shows his hatred toward Jews, it also shows the interviewer’s lack of knowledge about the recent history of the Israel/Palestine situation. The Jews lived in miserable conditions in Eastern Europe for centuries and there was no blowing things up. They were in a miserable situation and they worked hard to get out. By the way, those things that the Arabs are blowing up are people—mothers with their children and not soldiers with M16 rifles. Yes, Sharon was elected because we got sick and tired of your people blowing things up in spite of the fact that the Arabs in Israel have one of the best living conditions in the Middle East.

Mark Wiles
Reno

Bush is no hero
Re “Bush ain’t no bull” [RN&R, Letters, Feb. 20]:

Mister Conroy, you have no idea what you are talking about when discussing George W. Bush. As someone who just moved here from the great state of Texas, I can tell you first hand that this “man of honor” you refer to is one hell of a liar and a thief. How were things in this country just two years ago as compared to today? Are we safer? Is the economy stronger? Is corporate America more trustworthy? No! Get a clue, Chuck. Stick to things you understand like the beer in your paw and huntin’ season. One more thing, please do America a favor, next Election Day, stay home!

John Martin
S. Lake Tahoe