Letters are posted as we receive them during the week, and before they are printed in the paper, so check back frequently to see new letters. If you'd like to send a letter to the editor, use this postmarks submission form, or email your letter directly to [email protected]. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
   It was chilling to learn of President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment to deny equal participation in society by a group of citizens whose loving relationships he views as somehow "threatening" and "less desirable." Historically, other governments have succeeded in limiting the participation of any number of "undesirable" groups in the interest of preserving the fabric of their society, notably Nazi Germany. The president's actions affirm his lack of tolerance and empathy as well as his attempt to craft a society in which only "select" citizens enjoy full and equal participation. His actions are both despicable and unsettling.

Dear Editor,
   For the past 18 months the reports on the King shooting have been questioned, examined, and picked apart ["After 18 Months, APD Releases Report on King Shooting," News, Feb. 20]. Everything that seemed to be not in favor of an officer doing his job and saving a life has been made so spectacular and sensationalized.
   Now it's time for the media to take the responsibility to sensationalize the homicide report with the victim (Diana Powell) and the 911 call from the Rosewood resident, along with the fact that Jim Harrington (the civil rights activist attorney that filed the civil suit against the city of Austin and Officer Coffey) has been dropped. There is no merit to any of it. Officer Coffey did his job June 11, 2002, and saved Ms. Powell's life. He is a hero. Where are all of the critics now? Put the truth on the front cover of your magazine, make it bigger than life, sensationalize it, and make it just as spectacular as you did when you printed that this was nothing but a racial issue.

Dear Editor,
   The politicians campaigning against gay marriage now are reminiscent of the American politicians who supported segregation, slavery, and the subjugation of Native Americans not that long ago. It's shameful.

Dear Editor,
   Gov. Perry – with his wife, his staff, and his largest GOP contributors – flies off on a private plane to a sumptuous resort in the Bahamas. He calls it a three-day working retreat to discuss public school financing in the state. If he had been truly interested in financing the schools, he could have discussed the issue in Austin and donated the cost of the trip to the education fund. Sadly, people like Rick Perry and his corporate collaborators have so little respect for the intelligence of the average citizen that they actually think we're fooled by their chicanery. Isn't this precisely what Ralph Nader is talking about when he says this government is bought and paid for by corporations? The really scary part is that the public is being apprised of this behavior, yet it doesn't seem to have any effect on the politicians who arrogate to themselves the right to be corrupt.

Dear Mr. Faires,
   I would like to thank you for your excellent cover story in last week's Austin Chronicle, titled "Austin's Cultural Makeover" [Arts, Feb. 20]. I agree that the time is right to examine the current status of the many building projects that were conceived in recent years among our city's arts organizations. As director of the UT Performing Arts Center for the past decade, I have had the pleasure of taking part in the rapid growth of the arts in our vibrant community. To this aim, I would like to add to the list you covered by providing some brief details on a community project under way at the UT PAC.
   The initiative to restore Hogg Auditorium, a $12 million campaign titled ENCORE! for Hogg Auditorium, has gained much momentum in recent months. Built in 1933, in the heart of the university's 40 acres, Hogg Auditorium served the Austin community as the primary theatre space for touring symphonies, dance companies, community events, and much more for many decades. It is now time to restore Hogg to its original, elegant grandeur, as well as make the technical improvements necessary to give Austin a state-of-the-art, midsized theatre and film house.
   As our committee chairman, Mr. David Honeycutt, has said, "a restored Hogg will be an artistic centerpiece for the community that will pay dividends for generations to come."
   Once again I thank you for the focus of your article and am pleased to place the restoration of Hogg Auditorium among the projects you covered.

Hello,
   Thank you for including us in the great piece about the sources and resources for filming in Austin ["The Sources + the Resources," supplement, Feb. 20]. The Austin Film Office Web address is a link to the Kemps directory listing for the film office. Can you run a correction with our direct Web address, which is www.austinfilmcommission.org? It has much more information about filming in Austin than the Kemps directory listing.

Dear Editor,
   Lucius Lomax's piece on Sophia King's shooting death points to some of the questions left unanswered by the recent release of the Austin police investigation ("After 18 Months, APD Releases Report on King Shooting," News, Feb. 20). But there are others.
   Why, for example, did police and city officials constantly refer for the last 18 months to a large knife in Sophia King's hand, but the report only refers to a handleless "blade"? How can someone grip a handleless blade?
   Why does the report indicate that no fingerprints were found on the "blade"? How can that be?
   How is it that Officer Coffey didn't properly position himself at the back of Ms. King's apartment making his only alternative deadly force? This version of Coffey's role on the scene is at odds with other versions put out in his defense that he arrived on the scene and had to act quickly. Assuming the report's version of Coffey's role, why was the situation so ineptly handled for what the police knew was a mental health call ... indeed, the second police call of the day to Ms. King's apartment?
   Another question: Did the fact that the police let Ms. King lie on the ground dead for so many hours have anything to do with attempting to reconstruct events and shift culpability to Ms. King? After all, a number of residents in the same housing complex said Ms. King had no weapon at all.
   Finally, is Chief Stan Knee trying to focus on the particulars of this incident to avoid the larger systemic issue ... namely, how badly the police handle mental health calls in East Austin? As Lomax asked, where is Assistant Chief Rick Coy's long-promised plan for strengthening APD's mental health response calls?

Dear Editor,
   I love this newspaper, I really do. You see the silliest things imaginable in it sometimes. Like, well, last week when someone was suggesting bin Laden was in custody and Bush was waiting until just before the election to make the news public ["Postmarks," Feb. 20]. Which is funny. But what was funnier still was that the same writer mentioned something about how Reagan had set up secret deals with the Iranian hostage takers to get the hostages released on Inauguration Day. It's cute that people still believe that ridiculous story. First off, all Reagan "had to do" was to have the hostages released the day after the election if he indeed had anything to do with it. Secondly, anyone interested realizes that the hostages were released about three hours after Jimmy Carter released the frozen Iranian assets, I think about $25 million. PBS did a documentary on Jimmy Carter's last day in office, they themselves mentioned that Carter waited until his last day in office to release the funds that got the hostages free, nothing else. No October surprise campers, sorry.

Dear Editor,
   The anti-Aristide propaganda has been stepped up in advance of the destruction of what is left of democracy in Haiti. I was there twice in 1996 and have photographs of Haiti and Jean-Bertrand Aristide. I have kept up with developments in Haiti while my and everyone else's attention was taken by Iraq and Afghanistan. The story of Aristide is similar to that of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, but poor Haiti has nothing other than cheap labor to rip off. The bauxite and hardwoods are gone. I think the real reason for the U.S. funding the remnants of the Tontons Macoutes/Duvalierists is that Haiti must not be allowed to succeed with a democratic model of government now any more than it was allowed to sustain its successful slave revolt in 1804. "Democracy anywhere is a threat to U.S. dominance everywhere" – I believe this to be the State Department slogan. The myth that Clinton and Carter helped restore Aristide to power is still alive. The truth is that both Clinton and Bush No. 1 fought Aristide all the way but allowed him to return only after they had wrung huge concessions out of him. Now what little is left will be taken. Two good Web sources for Haiti news are: www.haitiprogres.com/eng02-11.html and www.haitireborn.org. Two good books are: The Uses of Haiti by Dr. Paul Farmer (1994, Common Courage Press) and Killing Hope by William Blum (1995, Common Courage Press).

Dear Editor,
   I love the Chronicle. I have the greatest respect and admiration for Louis Black.
   Thus, I am totally mystified by the pissing contest you've gotten into with the Austin American-Statesman, for whom I hold no affection, over their alleged misuse of "statistics" involving the police and minorities ["Page Two," Feb. 13 and "Austin@Large," News, Feb. 13].
   You state (regarding the death of Sophia King) ["After 18 Months, APD Releases Report on King Shooting," News, Feb. 20], "Of 14 fatal police shootings since 1990, seven have featured a white officer and a black or Hispanic suspect." That is exactly 50%. It's a statistic. Is it possible my math is wrong here? Or are you playing with statistics, too?
   So what exactly is your problem with the Statesman's reportage? You seem to be suffering from a schizophrenia of sorts, praising the integrity of Austin police officers while mounting a "let's get them" attack on the Big Brother official city newspaper. Lucius Lomax's devastating article sheds another light on the police use of deadly force, which clearly seems disproportionately high when directed at non-Anglos. You can't have it both ways!
   Is your attack on the Statesman's attempt to expose a horrible portrait of injustice and racism in our city just an effort to make the Chronicle seem more journalistically pure? You screwed up badly (and were gracious enough to admit it) when you blindly accepted the "10 mug shots" lie, and you're just digging yourself deeper into a hole when you acknowledge that 50% (your statistic) of fatal police shootings involve white officers killing members of minorities, which seems to contradict your objections to the Statesman's series.
   I know your heart is in the right place, but this issue is far too serious to be reduced to a childish, playground skirmish between two newspapers. Historically, I have always accepted the Chronicle's version over anything printed in the Statesman, but I'm beginning to wonder what precisely your point is here.

Dear Editor,
   [Mike Clark-] Madison wrote ["Austin@Large," News, Feb. 20], "Jessie Owens may have done some stupid things that night – we'll never know – but he did not commit suicide, and the only life Glasgow saved was his own, put at risk by his own actions; despite the APA rhetoric, nobody was being 'robbed, or raped, or killed' or would have been had Owens managed to flee. That was not the worst-case scenario." For the most part I agreed with his article, but this last part cracked me up. This is the same kind of logic that people pulled over for traffic offenses scream at the officers, "Why aren't you out there arresting rapists and robbers." Mr. Madison, a cop's job is to go forward into danger, but it doesn't mean we are required to commit suicide. Or let felons go who don't want to be arrested just because they may not kill someone. Glasgow did not break any policy. He broke procedure, which is a guideline. Most of the officers, at any department, have or will arrest a felon by himself. As felonies go, driving a stolen car is low on the felony food chain but still a risk, especially adding in the illegal narcotics. Even if it had been just a traffic violation, even if you don't think you broke any traffic laws, once you decide to fight me, place my life in danger, and the only way to save myself is to kill you; I'm going to kill you ... period. That's no big police secret, that's the way it is and the way it will always be. If Owens was white, I doubt if the grand jury would have tried indicting him for violations of procedure or the brass giving him 90 days as a compromise to termination. If he had made the same procedural decisions, but the arrest was made without death or injury, he wouldn't have been disciplined at all, some time of training refresher at best, but that's just me.

Dear Editor,
   To those who say that Ralph Nader should not run for president: The problem with politics is that it's too political. The New York Times editorial on the subject says that Bush being so far right has motivated those interested in progressive politics to get active, like Nader suggested might happen. But they ignore the fact that the Democrats and the left are settling for the center in a frantic attempt (reminiscent of Gore 2000) to be all things to all people. This is a mistake.
   The Dem nominee will win by presenting an inspiring vision and comparing that vision to the record of Bush.
   When Nader and his supporters said that Bush and Gore were too similar, there was an implied suggestion that Gore could appeal to Nader's supporters by being less like Bush. (Just being Al Gore would have been a good start.) That opportunity will also be available to the '04 nominee. I felt in 2000 that I was being told by the anti-Nader Democrats: "You must vote for Gore because he's not as bad as Bush and Nader can't win." I guess I want more than that. I'm prepared to work hard for a Democrat if he appeals to me, but I don't respond well to threats.
   When the most important consideration in an election is electability, democracy loses.

Mr. Savlov,
   Somehow, you and Morris managed to half-heartedly compare the Vietnam War to the Bush administration ["Being Robert McNamara," Screens, Feb. 20]. I am amazed that both of you are privy to what is actually going on behind the scenes at the Pentagon and White House. If it has taken this long for a lot of the information on the Vietnam War to surface (tapes, documents, etc.), how are you two able to draw comparisons without knowing the outcome of our current war? It sounds as irrational as the Hitler-Bush comparisons.
   It seems strange that conservatives long for the righteousness of World War II while the liberals are somewhat nostalgic for the social protests centered on the Vietnam War. One might be led to believe that both groups have developed a fetish for war.

Dear Editor,
   According to KC, Alamo movie director, as we, Mexican soldiers, climbed the Alamo walls to kill the Texian defenders (in Dripping Springs, Texas), the 167th anniversary, exactly to the day, month, and time, occurred.

Dear Editor,
   It was not mentioned in your article that neither paper nor electronic votes are immune to the kind of tampering the Republicans did in the 2000 presidential election in Florida ["How Safe Is Your E-Vote?" News, Feb. 20]. If you want to influence an election, you don't mess with the ballots. Rather, like the Republicans, you disenfranchise large numbers of voters themselves.

Dear Editor,
   Ralph Nader endorsed George W. Bush for president last Sunday. In an interview on Meet the Press, Naderloper announced his intent to run for president as an Independent and took up most of the positions already adopted by both of the leading Democratic candidates. Damn you Russert for giving this unwitting egomaniacal Republican shill such a high visibility platform. Naderloper was bitter about the criticisms he has weathered from the Nation magazine, the Green Party, and virtually every person or organization that has ever backed him in the past. When all your friends turn against you in unison, you should listen. The best news here is that Naderloper has burned so many bridges with people who could have helped him get on ballots around the country that he will have much less of an effect this time than he did last time. America is unified in the "Anybody but Bush" mentality. Whether motivated by anger over 2001 (me), disappointment over degrading of civil liberties and immigration (Republicans), everything else he does (Democrats), or the exporting of jobs (everybody), Americans will not be so easily distracted this time around. Naderloper keeps ranting that Democrats ignore Green/Liberal positions on some issues. With the appointment of George W. Bush in 2001, all that has transpired since then and the candidacy of Howard Dean, Democrats have already moved further left than they have been in years. Not only that, the perceived center of the political spectrum has been shifted left by radical right's actions over the last three years. We don't need a Naderloper to run this time. We have a left leaning Democratic Party already. At best Naderloper will pass unnoticed this time. At worst, Naderloper is repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result. Insanity is not presidential. Go home Ralph!

Dear Chronicle,
    There has been some confusion about exactly where Austin was trisected. The precise location where our three new voting districts meet is at the intersection of West 38th and Ronson (bet you didn't know Mick Ronson had a street in Austin named after him). This is just west of the Marimont Cafeteria and pretty much in the heart of Austin, right where Tom DeLay aimed his dagger.
    Recently someone placed a memorial there, a white cross that reads "R.I.P. Democracy, Killed by Tom DeLay on This Spot." I assume it will probably be torn down soon, but this being Austin there will (hopefully) be others to take its place.

Dear Louis:
   I was disappointed to read the Chronicle's assessment of the 200th District Court race last week ["Endorsements," News, Feb. 20], especially as I recalled the reason that I first decided to run for district judge: I believed, with 20 years of experience as a civil trial lawyer and even more years of working for progressive community causes and the Democratic Party, that I would be the best-qualified candidate for the job. For six months, I ran on qualifications – and only on qualifications. But during the last three months my Democratic credentials have been attacked repeatedly by the Triana campaign because of 90 days of legal work I did for my firm's client, the state of Texas, during the 2001 redistricting litigation. Although my work was not political and had nothing to do with my personal politics (to be clear, I despise what the Republicans did), Triana's camp chose a charming visual of me for the Chronicle: "She has blood on her hands." I stuck to qualifications. Then, last month, I received an e-mail directing me to a sophisticated, and anonymous, political attack Web site – directed against me. More of the same. It was then I made the decision to fight smoke and mirrors with fire. In the last two weeks, I have pointed out the central hypocrisy of Triana's attacks – that she actually voted Republican through 1990, by which time I had been an active Democrat for 15 years. But, as Lloyd Doggett once said, "sometimes when you get in a fight with a skunk, you can't tell who started it." I'll take my share of the stink for fighting back, but hope that Chronicle readers will at least recognize the cause-and-effect of all this back-and-forth, and cast their votes for the candidate they believe is best qualified.

Editor,
   I was pleased to read that Belinda Acosta has come to terms with the best stuff on television – reality TV ["TV Eye," Screens, Feb 20]. It's about time.
   There was a point in my life when I'd all but given up on television. Sure, I would defend television philosophically, but watch it? Never. The medium had to be inherently flawed because everything on it went for cheap laughs, melodrama, or simplistic commentary. And what I'd heard about the reality trend didn't convince me otherwise.
   Then, by chance, I caught Married by America, a reality show where viewers at home get to arbitrarily vote contestants into lifelong commitments, and I realized that television could serve a purpose after all.
   Why is reality TV such a hit? Why didn't it peak suddenly and collapse like all the naysayers predicted? And moreover, why does everyone list a reality program as one of their favorite shows, while feebly claiming that it's only a guilty pleasure?
   Perchance it is because even the worst of reality TV explores what it means to be human, albeit through the "base" means of ridiculous pranks, nihilistic dismissals of tradition, and cruel tortures.
   Reality TV makes us look at some of the most important matters in society – marriage; career; family; surveillance; celebrity; the triumphant success of one vs. the miserable failure of many; and, yes, getting stuck on a deserted island – in new ways.
   Plus, it's just frickin' hilarious to see these jerks tear one another apart for $1 million. Pure brilliance!

Dear Editor,
   Responding to Lowell Bartholomee ["Postmarks," Feb. 20]: link between violence and Super Bowl overhyped. I submitted a letter to the editor and referred to "statistics" which were long-ago disputed. Thank you for responding. Apparently, the use of anecdotal information was used to support the "statistics" referred to, and ultimately the results were deconstructed, in part, because of their usage (of anecdotes). I read the Snopes.com "de-bunking." I am not entirely satisfied with the conclusions that were drawn from it, and as far as I can tell they cherry-picked their way through the analysis. It would be interesting to see if anyone has done any more studies, anecdotal or otherwise.
   The real question: Do I need an expert analysis to tell me that with the potent mixture of football and alcohol (not the game per se, but the glorification of its most base aspect: brutality; look at recent stories coming out about Colorado that bare out a very real connection between football, violence, sexism, alcohol, and rape) "coupled with pervasive sexual visuals, and a very powerful image of a woman being stripped in front of an entire nation" do I need an expert analysis to tell me whether or not these visuals support the insidious idea that dominance and victory should be gained at all costs (that someone's ass will be the swag), "that rape is sexy," and therefore the probability of increased violence by the consumers of these images exists? Remember, part of my original assertion was that we are a nation at war and that these images serve to feed an aggressive national psyche. As citizens we need to learn how to make connections based on real information (some value should be given to the anecdotal) and we don't need to consult experts to verify those things which speak to us with obvious clarity.

Dear Editor,
   Re: Feb. 20 issue, p.20 ["Austin@Large," News].
   Big quote from column in center: "Me and my neighbors deserve an explanation."
   Could the copy editors please do a better job? Or, if you are going to leave grammar errors in your columns, perhaps you could at least refrain from making them the center of attention?

Dear Editor,
   Regarding the letter from Ilse Rachut that recently appeared in the Chronicle ["Postmarks," Feb. 13]: Bicyclists and motorists both have rights and responsibilities. It sounds as if she might have pulled up on the right side of the car while it was stopped before turning. If this is the case, the car had the right-of-way. I don't mean to imply for a second that she deserves to be injured – it saddens me to see anyone hurt – but when you put yourself into a position such as this, you're setting yourself up for something bad to happen.
   Bicyclists: Weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights and stop signs, continuing straight from "turn only" lanes, using pedestrian signals for crossing intersections – all of these things are illegal, and put you in danger. Remember – you are operating a vehicle, you're not a pedestrian, and are subject to all applicable laws.
   Motorists: You don't own the road, either. When passing a cyclist, you are required to give them the entire lane when you go around them. Crowding them to intimidate them is dangerous as well as highly illegal.
   City of Austin: Designated bicycle lanes are great, but "no parking" in them is a must for safety and effectiveness.
   APD: Please, please, please enforce the traffic laws more consistently. If a bicyclist or a motorist commits a violation in front of you, do something about it – public safety depends on it.
   Finally, to Ms. Rachut: Let me say again that I'm sorry you were injured. If I misread the incident as you related it, I apologize. I hope you make a quick, complete recovery. Be safe – and know that at least some of us are looking out for you.

Dear Editor,
   The rise and fall of Howard Dean is truly a monument to modern-day liberalism as is the endless drone from Bush-haters that there were never any WMDs. Dean, a geyser of leftist buffoonery and pompous "over-educated" arrogance, is the poster boy who cried wolf for all to mock. Dean's arrière-ban of say-and-do-anything stooges doesn't seem to grasp the fact that they have made and continue to make babbling fools of themselves at every turn. Even Molly Ivins doesn't have the shame to put a lid on it after writing of Howard Dean, "I think we (liberals) have a winner here, folks!" And she may have a point. Dean might be the closest thing the bumptious far-left will ever know of a winner. Remember the Monty Python skit where two medieval types are battling with swords, and the one who gets his arms and legs cut off shouts out to the victor, "Come back and fight like a man ya bloody coward" or something to that effect? Denial is a sad thing indeed. Sure there were no WMDs, except of course when Bill Clinton said there were. And Hitler didn't gas six million Jews either. So what if they found the rail yards, the gas chambers, and the bodies? Where's the gas?! (How do you say, "The world is not a safer place" in German?) No, denial is worse than sad, it's downright pitiful. Yet nothing will incense a denialist more than having their dementia mocked as the inanity that it is, especially in an election year. Like vermin on a sinking ship, progressive denialists (who rage at the fact nobody is buying their bullshit) will not go down with the ship without a scaremonger screech. But the happy ending doesn't stop there. The little boy who cried wolf once too often was eaten by the wolf, and they all lived happily ever after when the wolf died of colic. Don't forget ... vote Dean! Oh, but wait ... you live in Texas, right? You've been "disenfranchised" as a voting block. Quick, hire a federal judge to come to your rescue! Imagine the nerve of not being elected just because the votes weren't there. What's the world coming to?

Dear Editor,
   Ever since I moved to Austin I have been shocked by how badly the Legislature treats the town that hosts it. Usually the capital gets more goodies because the Legislators work there. The upstanding paragons of small town virtue (our Legislators) come to Austin, drink our booze, make deals in our restaurants and bars, then in gratitude, pass laws designed to hurt us. Talk about ingratitude! I have heard rumors that the police used to go out of their way to ticket the Lege's cars. That would be a good idea again, but I wonder if we were not the capital if they would leave us alone? Maybe start a movement to move the Capitol to Dallas, a city more in line with Texas values we could say. Has anyone ever thought about this before and does anyone think it could work? We do badly when they pay attention to us. If we were not the capital, maybe they would leave us alone! Just a thought. Also. Everyone in District 10 should boycott the race. If there were not a single vote in any Austin boxes for District 10 it would emphasize that it is not an Austin district and is anti-Austin in its conception.

Dear Editor,
   Thank you for the informative article on the arts projects in Austin ["Austin's Cultural Makeover," Arts, Feb. 20]. Now I don't have to drive around with questions unanswered when I pass the newly completed projects and those that are on hold. I take pride in acknowledging the steps the city has taken to develop these plans. Wouldn't it be nice if another boom could push the completion of those projects left behind?

Dear Editor,
   Rep. Barney Frank came out against the "marriages" taking place in San Francisco, Calif., since Valentine's Day. Sane liberals of all inclinations should be rabidly paranoid of this movement.
   Make no mistake; marriage is a religious institution. It has been adopted into law by government over the years in clear violation of the separation clause of the United States Constitution. If the Supreme Court of the United States is forced into making a decision in favor of any endorsement of "marriage," gay or straight, it will enshrine for the first time a constitutional principal binding church and state.
   This movement clearly violates the implied separation of church and state. The ACLU to my astonishment appears to support the gay agenda. If they would just look past the end of their noses to the long-term consequences they would be backing the most widely accepted resolution to this issue, civil unions. You would think that the words uttered by every member of the church who performs marriages, "And now by the power vested in me by (insert your local jurisdiction here)," would be prima facie evidence of this ongoing traditional violation of the separation clause of the Constitution. The only one that should be vesting power in the church is God.
   The Congress should pass legislation as soon as possible seperating marriage from any codification by government. All "marriages" previously endorsed by government should revert to civil unions and the ability of anyone to enter into these unions should be broadly allowed. Anyone "married" in a church by a member of the clergy, gay or straight can call themselves "married." In the eyes of government the civil union would carry the same weight for everyone, as it should be. Problem solved, separation maintained.

Dear Editor,
   The Statesman article of Feb. 18 titled "Security drill will feature 3 cities in trouble, 250 folks to the rescue" left me troubled. I suppose I should be troubled by the thought of a possible radioactive leak at Comanche Peak nuclear power plant. I should be troubled by the thought of a nuclear bomb in Cotulla. I should be troubled by a category four hurricane. I am certainly troubled by the fact that "environmentalists" are now in the same category as "terrorists" and that the U.S. Northern Command, Homeland Security, and the Fifth Army have to hold drills to practice dealing with us.

Dear Editor,
   If all the American corporations are moving the jobs overseas, maybe Mr. Hightower should start his own company to help out the middle-class worker ["The Hightower Report." Feb. 6]. When he sees all the taxes he has to pay he might think twice.

Dear Editor,
   I just want to thank Michael King for exposing the disparities in the statistical analysis the Statesman used to lambaste APD ["Austin@Large," News, Feb. 13]. There are lies, damn lies, and statistics, as a great philosopher once said. Unfortunately those numbers have been inaccurately and unfairly skewed to further injure an already damaged reputation. Those officers deserve our support. I believe they should never second-guess themselves when their lives are in danger. Especially now that they have less and less support from the community and virtually none from their "chief" who is more concerned about his political career than the lives and welfare of his officers. Keep up the good and unbiased reporting. Checks and balances are necessary for any fair and impartial press.

Dear Editor,
   Want to bet they find Osama (been chillin') coming up pretty soon right about election time? Kind of like the aircraft carrier scene with George and the flight suit with "Mission Accomplished" in the background.
   Remember Osama? The original shock 'n' awe terrorist? The one we couldn't find, forcing George and Dick to invent another issue to distract us.
   Already heard a general saying they got Osama in their sights ... kind of keeping the name "alive" least we forget. Doncha know we're going to be "shocked 'n' awed" with their amazing, heroic "capture" of Osama in time for the evening news and George's re-election campaign blitzkrieg?
   I dunno, but given this administration's propensity for smoke and mirrors, this one's been figured out for maximum potential. Guess when you have no laurels to rest upon, you do what you gotta do.

Dear Editor,
   The big, fat fact missed in both of your articles about CD 25 is that people like me are stuck with Lamar Smith ["Facing the South," News, Feb. 13, and "The CD 25 Delicatessen," News, Feb. 20]. Does anyone even know who Lamar Smith is? As a Latina, the grand idea of having a Hispanic congresswoman from Texas is not lost on me (just like having a black senator was not lost); too bad we don't always get what we want. However, I should at least get who I voted for (and I foolishly thought that's what Barrientos was "fighting" for)!

Dear Editor,
   While it is disconcerting, to say the least, to think that George W. Bush may have failed to faithfully fulfill his commitment to the National Guard and his country, there is a much more disturbing facet of this controversy that deserves our attention. And that is that because of his especially privileged family and socioeconomic status, Bush was allowed to choose the National Guard and, not only choose, but be advanced to the front of the line, if you will, in front of 500 or so other applicants. Particularly flagrant unfairness at the time when the draft was the law of the land which left tens of thousands of other young men with no choice.
   I believe this is the more controversial issue pertinent to Bush's National Guard service.

Dear Editor,
   In response to Ilse Rachut, "I Ride a Bicycle" ["Postmarks," Feb. 13]: Sorry you were injured, we should all be careful on Austin's roads. For instance, bicycles are legal vehicles in Texas and must obey all the rules of the road including riding on roadways as opposed to the sidewalk, riding in the proper lane in the proper direction, riding single file in the bike lane if one is available, taking up a full lane if more than two lanes are available and no bike lane exists. Similarly, automobiles must pass bicycles just as they would any other legal vehicle, by fully changing lanes. I sincerely hope you weren't badly hurt, and I also hope you did not incur a hefty fine for breaking traffic laws and causing an accident.

Dear Editor,
    Jesus is a gift. When he died for everyone's sins he offered everyone eternal life. Everyone accepts or rejects him and his power.
    Many people say they are uncomfortable with such a narrow view of salvation. Instead some believe they can do everything by themselves; others believe any religion leads to heaven.
    The fact is we can do a lot. God creates "wonderfully and fearfully made" creatures. However, we don't accomplish as much without God's help. When a believer prays in the name of Jesus, God hears, moves, and sends angels. He also gives power and authority to those who believe. See Ephesians 1:17-23 for proof. This power given to those who accept Jesus scares and ticks off the devil, so he and his dark angels constantly attack Christians and try to spread lies and deceit all over the world.
    Want proof? Today education does not zealously promote that abstinence until marriage is the only absolute way to avoid pregnancy and stop STDs. Birth control is zealously promoted. (Whoever makes birth control devices receives a lot of money.) People in the media often try to censor Christianity. How often do you hear of God's healings? I go to MD Anderson in Houston. Not everyone is healed totally, but I hear, see, and witness at least one miracle and answered prayer every time I am there.
    The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:4, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." The lack of media attention and educational instruction given to the Bible, its principles (the Ten Commandments), and the miracles God does is censorship to further blind people to God's glory and mightiness.

Dear Editor,
   First it was the Senate, and now the House, and soon our Republican president. To my shame, I supported all of them and voted for the ones I could. They voted to "remove the loophole" that allows a widowed schoolteacher to collect the survivor benefits her husband paid for with a lifetime of Social Security "contributions." They call it the Government Pension Offset, but in truth it is the "loophole" by which the government refuses to pay for the widow's financial support, ignoring the husband's entitlement to the survivor benefit he purchased for his wife. The "loophole" puts a face of fairness on the blatant act of stealing from widows. Shame on our Congress, shame on Mr. Bush if he signs the bill, and shame on Rep. Kevin Brady who said, "I rise on behalf of the 99 percent of the seniors in America who don't have a special loophole." Like most Texans, Mr. Brady, I believe we should pay our debts. It is a matter of honor, you see. You didn't rise on my behalf, Mr. Brady, indeed you stooped as low as one could and tried to color this obscene outrage in the cloak of fairness. I confess I am joining the growing mass of citizens who wear our badge of contempt for our congress as a token of American integrity.

Dear Editor,
   U.S. media has singled out Howard Dean for harsh criticism, his personality, actions, and positions being flagrantly distorted and exaggerated to manipulate public perception and portray him as unelectable. This has been documented by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, and recently CNN and others expressed "regret" at the manipulation and overplaying of the Iowa speech.
   The question is why? Possibly because Dean's stated goal is to restore our democracy, to take our country back from the corporations and special interests.
   John Kerry's top donors are corporations, including Time Warner, the world's largest media conglomerate, which owns AOL and CNN, plus other media outlets. Any connection between that and the media's handling of Kerry with kid gloves? Even now while Kerry's sex scandal with AP reporter Alex Polier rages on the Internet and in newspapers around the world, U.S. media is strangely silent. Granted there may be nothing to it, but considering the pasting of Dean, it's inconceivable that the media has suddenly found morals.
   After prominent GOP polling firms confirmed that Dean can beat Bush, the Republicans spent more than $12 million to attack only Dean, more than a month before the first Democratic vote was cast. Unelectable? Karl Rove is laughing all the way to the White House as Democrats are poised to hand him John Kerry, the candidate he wanted all along.
   So who are the voters going to nominate; a candidate desirable to the media corporations and Republicans or the candidate whom the people want and can beat George Bush in the fall?

Dear Editor,
   With regards to the condescending letter title "Another Weak Hitler-and-Bush Comparison – Why?," ["Postmarks," Feb. 13]. I would like to offer the obvious explanation. The German people are still struggling with why their parents allowed a monster to co-opt the government and commit genocide. Footage of the concentration camps is enough to chill the spirit, and the HBO special on the children of the holocaust should break your heart. So when we see our federal government implementing unconstitutional laws in the wake of a Reichstag-type event (9/11), it doesn't matter if they plan to execute those laws now or in a future generation which has been miseducated as to the Bill of Rights. The alarm has gone out, and they must be stopped, and the fascist laws repealed. A sponsor of the anti-ecstasy bill which outlaws glow-sticks and bottled water (Seattle nightclubs have been seized using this "law") was Joe Lieberman. This demonstrates the enemy is in both political parties, so voting along party lines is not an option. A revolution of love and knowledge is the only event that will turn the tide now.