Bigger fish to fry: The Lufkin paper mill ("Down by the Old Mill," December 27) has shrunk from 1,100 workers to 650 in a matter of months, and this woman is upset because people have to carry her sandwiches in unmarked bags? Perhaps Abitibi has bigger fish to fry than those that are swimming around in Lake Sam Rayburn.
I was raised in Lufkin, and generations of my family have been, and still are, employed by Abitibi. On the other hand, they fish at Sam Rayburn each season, and the last family function I attended featured cookies from Ms. Avriett's supposedly blacklisted Lunch Box. It's not nearly as black and white, for and against, as Ms. Avriett seems to think. Of course the city government is going to try and help the company whose demise would send it into economic downward spiral. Geez.
And for the record, the Lunch Box is located in a relatively high-crime stretch of Timberland Drive. That bullet was more likely a random stray than one shot by some poor mill worker coming off the midnight shift with a thirst for environmentalist blood.
Name withheld
Hoboken, New Jersey
Ashleigh, Ashleigh
Sexist crap: While your comments about Ashleigh Banfield are legitimate, I think you ruined your wry wit by adding the comment, "That said, she's pretty hot." This is the kind of sexist crap we have been trying to get rid of for years, and now you're perpetuating it. You compared Ashleigh to Arthur Kent, but would you have made the comment about his appearance in his safari (not leather) jacket: "That said, he's pretty hot?" Leave out the horny frat-boy comments next time, please.
Tracy Everbach
Columbia, Missouri
Divided Against Ourselves
Fair-minded and forgiving: I was one of the black leaders who supported Dwaine Caraway in his bid for city council, and I am also one of the many past and present city council members who is supporting Domingo Garcia for mayor. Throughout American history, the white power structure has always sought means to keep the black man from being politically and economically independent.
My reluctance to make public endorsements stems from the use of media to pit us against one another and enslave the minds of black people. I don't see press conferences for Commissioner Jim Jackson's preference for mayor, nor do I see any of the elected officials sending out literature with the county government seal. I do not see white clergy telling white people who to vote for. I resent the attempts to measure our strengths based on their read of the voter turnout. The media continue to credit Commissioner John Wiley Price with the Ed Oakley victory.
Please identify where the black voters are who changed their minds and voted against Caraway because John told them to do so.
There are some black leaders out here who know that the power structure would much rather deal with one black man to control the blacks than give parity to all of us.
I am supporting Domingo Garcia because he demonstrated fairness and equity while he was on the Dallas City Council. Ron Kirk took advantage of blacks who were empathetic to his challenge of being the first black mayor. The Dallas Morning News' full-time PR efforts supported Kirk's attempts to stifle democracy, silence the minority opinion and disenfranchise entire council districts by punishing their council members. If Billy Jack Ludwig had the money of the power structure behind him and the full-time public relations of The Dallas Morning News, even he could beat John Wiley Price in the black community.
Just remember: The playing field for the black man has never been level. Measure our strengths from that perspective.
Black people have always been fair-minded and forgiving. The African-American Garcia supporters are so fair-minded, we are even giving Laura Miller a look.
Sandra Crenshaw
Dallas
The Waxahachie Vote
Ramble on: Re: January 10 Letters to the Editor. Who in the hell is Dave Vance, and why would you give him an entire page of editorial space in the letters section to ramble on with his ignorant comments against Laura Miller? This guy is from Waxahachie!
Don't you think the opinions of people who can actually vote in the local election might be of more interest and credibility to your readers? I'm sure you received more than one letter to the editor in the last week.
What happened to balanced news and opinions? Looks like you're becoming more like The Dallas Morning News every day, inappropriately endorsing or criticizing political candidates and parading the opinions of Dallas' outsiders rather than the majority of its citizens.
Kevin Christensen
Dallas
Love Us for Our Mind
Wilonsky's beautiful mind: Both my husband and I want to compliment Robert Wilonsky on his extremely skillful critique of the movie A Beautiful Mind ("Visions of Grandeur," December 27). We saw it recently and loved it. Mr. Wilonsky's article did not pop our bubble when he explained the movie took many liberties in telling Dr. Nash's story; rather, his background information gave the story even more depth for us. We were totally absorbed in the movie, and four others with us felt the same way, eliciting much discussion afterward. Our compliments to Mr. Wilonsky on his artful way of dodging any disclosure of what actually happens in the movie yet explaining it very well.
Suzie Kiddoo
Tempe, Arizona
