Mailbag

The Difference Between Abuse and Manipulation

To the Editor,

Fortunately--or unfortunately--I did not get the opportunity to read your article about violence against men ("Men Who Get Hurt," April 10).

As a former Tucsonan living abroad, I have the joy of reading The Weekly only online, and infrequently at that. I was perusing the Mailbag letters (May 1) responding to said article, and could only shake my head in disbelief, particularly when I read Mr. Sanchez's response ("Women Can be Quite Manipulative"). To be sure, violence in any form is hideous, and he is absolutely right to assert that women using their bodies as a tool may provide a new area for study (if that is what he was saying). However, to this reader, he came across as skinny, whiny, rejected boy who never gets the kind of attention from women that he wants.

It's an unfortunate commentary on American life that a woman "repeatedly pok(ing)" a man in the chest is considered some form of abuse, that a woman "rak(ing) her breasts" across some man's back is a negative thing, and that the issue--violence against another person, whatever the gender the perpetrator or victim--has been distorted to such a degree that we no longer feel empathy for those who truly need help.

Manipulation of others is the story of life and, though the lines blur sometimes, there is a need to separate violence from manipulation. One is a crime against civilized people, the other merely a tool of those people.

I sincerely hope that, at a national level, all who need and want help are able to receive it without difficulty or economic hardship, and that we continue to have the services of groups such as the Brewster Center and Wingspan.

--Elaine Enriquez


It's All Timing, Baby

To the Editor,

The article ("Harmony Lost," April 24) discussing the jazz-off, news-on switch at KUAT reveals some obvious poor logic by KUAT management in the reasons behind the decision.

First, as the article states: "This widespread indifference to having jazz on the air between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. is precisely the reason NPR's Neal Conan has replaced John Coltrane."

Note the times that jazz was on. Later on, the article states: "Ratings showed that fewer than 1,000 people were tuning in to daytime jazz at any given quarter hour. The NPR news shows KUAZ airs during drive time, Morning Edition and All Things Considered, attracted seven times that audience, Kelley said."

Note that it said "during drive time."

During drive time, by definition, people are driving and can actually listen to the radio. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., people are working and cannot listen to the radio. Can you spell "time slot"?

--Mark Noethen


Get Your Dead Painters Right!

To the Editor,

In "Ride an Old Paint" (May 8), Stacey Richter strayed off the trail on two points that I noted.

1. The "colossal lumberjack" at Glenn Street and Stone Avenue is none other than American legendary hero Paul Bunyan, minus his "pony," Babe the Blue Ox.

2. Artist Marcel Duchamp, founder of Dada, was famous for "Nude Descending a Staircase," his "readymades" and other works. René Magritte, a surrealist, painted " Ceci n'est pas une pipe." Some Weekly readers may remember seeing a reproduction of it in the late Congress Street institution, Cafe Magritte, formerly in the spot now occupied by Irene's.

--Joyce Hardin


Someone Give This Guy a Chill Pill

To the Editor,

Kudos to The Weekly for publishing the bold predictions of spiritual visionary Stephanie Ann Stevens ("Metaphysical Master," May 8). It was through her deep connection to the spirit world (not the psychic world!) we learned the pope will be passing soon and another terrorist attack is imminent.

I would like to offer the following predictions for the next year:

1. The winner of the next presidential election will be a white male who is really just a corporate lackey.

2. Management changes will take hold in the ranks of a certain Detroit sports team.

3. The Weekly will continue to publish metaphysical tripe that shamelessly caters to its intellectually impaired New Age demographic (i.e. half of Tucson), wherein the self-aggrandizing fantasies of schizophrenics will be given the kind of publicity that medievalists have sought since the Enlightenment.

It is written.

--Matt Scholz


Real Libertarians Don't Take Clean Election $

To the Editor,

I read with interest the coverage in The Skinny ("Good Clean Fun," May 8) of the three Libertarian candidates for state legislature in Tempe who spent Clean Elections Commission money at nightclubs and sushi bars. I have a couple of points that may help clarify the issue.

According to state law, anyone who registers to vote as a Libertarian may run as a Libertarian candidate, without any regard for the libertarian philosophy of individual rights and personal responsibility.

Second, the Maricopa County Libertarian Party refused to endorse these three candidates on account of their participation in Clean Elections. This is a program that takes money from the taxpayers against their will and then gives it to political candidates. This is campaign welfare.

That being said, the proponents of this political welfare got exactly what they deserved. Besides the three Tempe candidates, we were also treated to millions of dollars of taxpayer money going toward Dick Mahoney's bigoted attacks on Matt Salmon and Janet Napolitano, Mark Osterloh's bike ride, Mike Newcomb's disappearing act, etc.

The lesson to be learned from this debacle is to repeal Clean Elections next year. It may be distasteful for Democrats and Republicans to sell their votes to special interests, but it is even worse for "clean" candidates to go on the dole and waste taxpayer money.

--David Euchner
Chairman, Pima County Libertarian Party


Why Did José Zone Out?

To the Editor,

In regard to José Ibarra's comment, "What is the fear of having people come and see you?" ("Limited Access," May 8):

That was the same question I asked myself three years ago when I made 12 calls and sent two e-mails to his office requesting an appointment. José, in an earlier visit to his office, told me, "I am with you 100 percent" on a rezoning issue. When the time came for the vote he voted against the rezoning. He didn't have the courtesy to call and tell me he had changed his mind, and he then refused to see me or return phone and e-mails to discuss the matter up for reconsideration. Phony!

"No fear?" More like "no guts."

--Kathy Kea


Mayor's Still the Mayor!

To the Editor,

It was ironic to see the article about José Ibarra's objections to City Hall security ("Limited Access," May 8) right next to The Skinny's berating of the Republican Party and the mayor for using GOP headquarters for the presentation of the "support the troops" scroll to Davis Monthan AFB ("War Torn").

Granted, the original plan to use Mayor Bob Walkup's campaign headquarters was rightfully rejected. Mike McCabe, the county GOP voter registration chairman, admitted this in his May 6 letter to the Arizona Daily Star.

However, the plan was not only to have the mayor present the scroll to Maj. Gary Carruthers but to allow those of us who saw only small segments during our four-hour shifts at the fair see the completed scroll and the presentation. The scroll was, until this presentation, the property of the Pima County Republican Party. The hour was a matter of necessity for all concerned.

There was no way that 20 or 30 people could manage to clear security at either Davis-Monthan or at City Hall at that hour of the morning--hence the venue of the donor of the scroll.

The GOP voter registration booth at the fair registers those of all parties, as does the Democrat booth. The same held true for the banner. We certainly did not ask nor care what party these people belonged to--that was irrelevant.

I also find it mind-boggling that I had to answer the questions of a Tucson Police Department detective about who paid for the donuts, who provided the coffee and whether the mayor mentioned his campaign during the ceremony. (He did not.)

Ibarra was obviously not thinking of the taxpayers' money when he initiated his demand for an investigation of this innocent and patriotic event. McCabe paid for the donuts and I donated a new package of napkins and a couple of bunches of grapes. The coffee and accoutrements were from the headquarters supply.

Is the Mayor supposed to abdicate from all his duties just because he is concurrently running for re-election?

--Sue Jamison