Dazed and confused: If the Dallas police can't tell the difference between Sheetrock and cocaine, how would one expect them to know about sophisticated things like rape drugs? The fact that they have never sent a drug-rape case to be prosecuted in itself is evidence of their negligence ("Knocked Out," by Glenna Whitley, December 19). I mean, it occurs in Mesquite but not in Dallas?
Jeff Hanson
Fort Worth
Simple assault: This is a sad story; drug/date rape is an offense that should be subject to severe punishment. However, in this article the only confirmed offense was when Ms. Shackelford, by her own admission, punched Mr. Gardiner in the chest. This is an assault, and it occurred before Ms. Shackelford even thought she may have been drugged. She should be charged with assault, as too often the media portray a woman slapping, punching or dumping a drink upon a man as acceptable. It is not.
Miller Henley
Dallas
Cut out the middleman: I bet if this happened to a daughter of one of the people blocking this investigation, there would be a quick attitude adjustment. They don't want you to take the law into your own hands but will sit on their fat doughnut-eating arses when a serious crime like this happens. They have no problem throwing the book at me for driving 66 in a 65. Drugging, kidnapping and rape must not be as big of a crime. I'll stick to taking the law into my own hands and cutting out the useless middleman.
C. Tait
Via e-mail
What's so hard about suing: I could certainly understand if Ms. Shackelford wanted to forget the whole thing, but if she's willing to be on the front cover of the Dallas Observer, I don't see what's so damn hard about suing. If she'd used the space to ask for a pro bono attorney instead of complaining about the cost, she would've probably gotten one. And it sounds like the out-of-pocket expenses are mostly paid.
So, what's stopping her? You might wonder if she was unwilling to expose her case to real scrutiny. (Sorry, Glenna, you don't count. Not next to a defense attorney.) What would she get out of a suit? At the very least, the Observer could print his name, too, and stop complaining about the liability.
David Evans
Dallas
Easy to accuse: Funny how Dallas refused to pass this to the DA's office. Many years ago, when I was a senior in high school, they charged me with rape based only on what a woman told them. The charges were eventually dropped when it was revealed that my blood type did not match the evidence obtained from her body the next day. This was 12 months later and after all of my parents' money was spent on legal fees. I was told by the Dallas police that all a woman had to do was "point her finger at me" and I would be charged with the crime. As you might imagine, these events changed my life forever.
Name withheld
Plano
Hellbound: What a travesty of justice: A man gets away with rape, because the first hospital can't do a forensic rape test, and the police act like this isn't important--like so many "domestic" cases--and don't forward it to the DA. Meanwhile, any woman that might be near this man is a possible victim.
Let's fix the rules or statutes so any hospital can do a thorough exam and save evidence for future testing; process all testing whether or not someone is in custody--because some day they might be; and let's make the police detectives aware that any rape will be prosecuted, and make the DAs more gung-ho.
And make sure the young lady that was raped gets enough counseling to know that the system was wrong, not her! And that the rapist...well, he'll end up in hell some day and pay for this in other ways.
Carol Gill
Richardson
GHB for you and me: Glenna, wonderful article. Club drugs are a much bigger problem than people think. You help spread the message.
Gary Griffith
Dallas
All mixed up: Dallas police seem more concerned with arresting people who are driving after having a couple of drinks rather than going after rapists! The police in this city have their priorities mixed up.
Kevin
Dallas
Just the facts: Glenna, I can't tell you how pleased and relieved I was. You did an outstanding job of portraying the facts of what happened to Amy. I had been very concerned about Amy going forward with this and because of you need not have been. Thank you.
Lynda Shackelford
Plano
One Less Load of Hype
Welcome sanity check: I just wanted to thank you for your review of Adaptation ("Adapt This," by Robert Wilonsky, December 19), which I found through metacritic.com. My own feelings about the film closely mirror your own, though I cannot imagine a more cogent dismissal of the film and its wagonloads of hype than the one that you've penned. It was for me a welcome sanity check and validation of taste amid a string of otherwise uniformly (sickeningly?) positive reviews.
Here's hoping you don't take too much crap for it.
Marc Borkan
New York, New York
No News Is Bad News
Plain lazy: Re: New Year's Resolution #133 (Full Frontal, December 19): There is already too much music on KERA-90.1. Intelligent coverage of the world's news is a rare commodity, and to reduce its already short supply because one is too lazy to pop in a CD or turn to one of dozens of other stations is just a wee bit selfish, now, isn't it?
Robert Sheaks
Irving
