Small-minded stupidity: Bridge burning ahead: Jim Schutze was correct in saying I was not thrilled that he got hold of one of my exchanges with The Dallas Morning News, but I feel differently about it after reading his excellent column ("See No News, Print No News," April 26). What is most unsettling to me is that The Dallas Morning News is willing to harp on race issues (I've learned 20 different ways that in my district, one council candidate is white and the others are black), but apparently does not consider gender bigotry newsworthy.
Perhaps you would like to run The Letter:
"I think it is important to note that the words used against Laura Miller by the John Wiley Price/Lee Alcorn faction are not just 'vulgarities' as they are being described but are more specifically slurs against women. Mr. Price has reluctantly apologized for the words, but the News reported that in a KERA radio interview he said, 'They're all words in the English language...Were they untrue?'
"Mr. Price, Ms. Miller is not a female dog, nor does she trade sex for money. These words as literally defined are irrelevant. More significant, they are used as weapons against women only. In fact, I am hard-pressed to come up with their male equivalents. (Interestingly, even the other 'b' word is an indirect attack on a woman.) I can think of plenty of other perfectly good words in the English language whose use, in a particular context, would appropriately enrage Mr. Price and Mr. Alcorn as African-Americans. As a woman, I am enraged by sexist slurs entering into this dispute, apology or not.
"Fortunately, Ms. Miller is tough enough to stand firm even against this sort of blatant bigotry, and I'll put her commitment and backbone up against such small-minded stupidity any day. Of course, she'll need every inch of that backbone if she's to make any headway against Dallas' good ol' boy network. Meanwhile, Mr. Price and Mr. Alcorn et al should seek out and take to heart what John Lennon has said about woman's situation in the world."
Sophia Dembling
Dallas
Realists, not cowards: Jim Schutze, you deserve an award but not without contingencies. Exposing the DMN and the racists that verbally molest Ms. Miller is great and well-respected. But when you write that it is cowards who hide behind the anonymity that the Internet provides when they speak negatively of black officers reveals naïveté of the real world. While blacks are routinely defended when they preach racist remarks, which you yourself point out, whites immediately are punished for any politically incorrect remark.
Unfortunately, a mere disagreement with your fellow man is not seen as just a disagreement. It is seen as insensitive or flat-out racist if your skin color is white.
Jeffery Chern
Via e-mail
How about the worthless category: I got a great idea! Why don't y'all take Pimpadelic (Dallas Observer Music Awards, April 19) out of the hip-hop category and put them in one that fits the type of music they do? Real cats that fit this category ain't gettin' the props, and that's kind of wack. Not that I want to compete with my fellow heads, but if the Pimps were not in this category, probably an actual hip-hop group would win. The Pimps have a large following more so than the groups they were up against, but would they win if they were up against a dope-ass rock group like the Toadies or something? Be fair and make the hip-hop category all hip-hop. I think that would enable us to receive some much needed exposure. I don't consider groups like Limp Bizkit and Insane Clown Posse hip-hop. I consider groups like The Roots, Tribe Called Quest, my man Mos Def and De la Soul as the real shit. Dallas has cats that do music that's along the same lines as the previously mentioned. Groups like Mental Chaos, Shabazz 3, The Free Agents, Skod X, King Ashok, my man Headcrack, Ghetto Fame-us, Kinfolk Crew, just to name a few. Pimpadelic sounds like none of these cats! Put them in their proper place.
Ty Macklin
Arlington
It's human: Good article ("Shoot Straight," May 3). Thank you. Keep The Lone Gunmen, Fox. It's the best thing to come along since La Femme Nikita for me. It's the only program I've watched in a very long time where I can laugh and cry at the same time. It's funny, it's human. It's life.
Karen Sellars
Spring
Follow the money: I re-read Robert Wilonsky's article on Joe Simon ("Custody Battle," April 19) last night and had to comment on it. I love that you did not editorialize in the article and presented his story. I say this because I do not think I would have had the restraint to do likewise. Why does he really want the character back? Is he going to put him in suspended animation again?
He says, "I could find out who the audience was, but it's of no interest to me to get into that area. Not anymore." If he does not want to be in comics, then why does he want the rights back? Granted, Marvel has made some horrible mistakes with Captain America. I do think that with the new editor in chief, Joe Quesada, Captain America could become more than the joke he is.
The basis of the character is outdated and needs a remake. It seems like Simon wants him to be put out to pasture. I guess the real reason behind this is what the Old Gray Surly One and Captain Hug say: "Follow the money, and you'll find the real reason."
Michael Walling
Arlington
