Columns

Letters to the Editor

THE TORTURE ISSUE
TO THE EDITOR: Y'all did a decent job of essaying this shit [about the war in Iraq] from a number of interesting angles ["Shots Seen 'Round the World," May 13]. I felt compelled to hear what the real left is saying, since the leftiest people in mass media are intentionally ignoring the ugly truth. John Q. America doesn't give a shit about WMDs because John Q. desperately wanted this war. We were complicit with Bush's lies because we wanted to torture and kill some sand niggers (at least twice as many as the number of Americans killed in 9/11), and we were ready to eat any line of shit justifying that end. I thought Neal Pollack's article was a bit cheesy and fluffy (Neal Pollack writing--the next big snack food), and might have packed more punch if "the fuck" was added between every "shut" and "up." [Dan] Savage's article could have gone further. I think [Charles] Mudede failed me, though. He's supposed to be on point with accusing all whites of racism. He stepped up to the plate, but didn't go far enough. This is one time when more than half of white Americans are having their racism showcased. Hit it out of the ballpark! The torture scandal is the best evidence yet that this war was always about simply fucking the Arabs.

Christopher Shelton

TORTURED PROSE
TO LAST DAYS: You ended your item on the torture of Iraqis by U.S. forces [Last Days, David Schmader, May 6] with this: "All of which leaves us sitting here--within our sturdy national borders in a white-collar job with health insurance and little risk of ambush by enemy fire--wondering, if forcing nude Iraqis to simulate masturbation in each other's faces takes the edge off a day spent risking life and limb to fight an increasingly despicable war, who are we to judge?"

Well, I am and so is anyone else who believes in "innocent until proven guilty." Did you know that according to the Red Cross, 9 out of 10 people arrested in Iraq are arrested by mistake? But who cares, right? I mean really, we're just talking about a bunch of rag heads here.

How would you feel if you were wrongly incarcerated and tortured? What if it was a member of your family? A friend? You make me sick and I will no longer be reading The Stranger.

Katryn Haley

WHO OWNS SAFECO FIELD?
TO AMY JENNIGES: I was at the "Mayday for Marriage" rally at Safeco Field, May 1. What your article ["Love and Marriage," May 13] fails to highlight is the "wonderful" tolerance exhibited by the so-called Infernal Noise Brigade; my wife and I marveled at the palpable hatred directed at us from these torchbearers of tolerance--for simply attending the rally!

The Stranger's proud contribution, trailing a plane circling Safeco Field, was a banner which read: "The Stranger (shameless plug) says: Get out of our ballpark, bigots." We wonder, does your paper own Safeco Field?

We are proud of Dr. James Dobson for standing up for what he believes in, and for not lowering himself to the level of his detractors at the rally.

Robert Call

NOT THE BIGOTS
TO THE EDITOR: I live up on Beacon Hill. Just bought a house up here with my husband. Love it. We are right above Safeco Field. On my way home from Home Depot one morning I could not help but notice all the bible-thumping happiness-haters going to Safeco Field. I thought to myself, "How dare you people." Well, shortly thereafter, while working in my yard, I heard a plane flying overhead and looked up to see a wonderful surprise. A banner shouting, "The Stranger says: Get out of our ballpark, bigots." I cheered. I pay for that field with my tax dollars and I don't want it to be used by people using God's name to support their bigotry. Have they not noticed the joy and complete elation on the faces of those same-sex couples getting married? Why would anyone want to deny another person that kind of happiness?

Thanks again.

Mary Ramerman

MONORANT
TO JOSH FEIT: I'm curious as to the basis of your statement "The monorail is extremely popular" [Five to Four, May 9, 2002]. Have you got out into the neighborhoods that will be affected by the monorail and talked to people about it? I know few people in my neighborhood who support it and the few I do know seem to be poorly informed about all the ramifications. The monorail authority was created by a vote of less than 51%... I wouldn't consider that a ringing endorsement. Many who originally supported the monorail, such as myself, are now completely disillusioned with the reality of what we are going to get. Sound Transit or monorail? The choice is clear to me.

Nancy Driver

DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS: Two weeks ago, we described former City Council Member Judy Nicastro as "the woman who once called Seattle 'Mayberry'" [Council News, April 29]. Nicastro's actual career-killing quote, as reported in the New York Times, was "Mayberry with high-rises." Also, in a story about City Attorney Tom Carr ["Satan Lite," Erica C. Barnett, May 6] we wrote that the city's car-impound law targets people "whose only 'crime' is being too poor to pay their parking tickets." In fact, as we reported elsewhere in the same story, impound targets people who fail to pay traffic tickets. The Stranger regrets the errors.