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 mail@austinchronicle.com. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
   Jan. 11 will be the fifth anniversary of the opening of the detention center at Guantanamo. Abuse of the inmates has been very well-documented. It fits the American model of pressuring captives with psychological methods. In addition to severe sleep and sensory deprivation, interrogators try to separate captives from the real world and create a crazy alternative world to make them fearful and willing to cooperate with the interrogator. A Pentagon investigation confirmed "many instances" of women interrogators flicking or smearing a substance resembling menstrual blood on Muslim men, rendering unable to pray. What kind of world is it where women prevent men from praying? These methods have made some people subjected to them insane. Is this not a "failure of a major organ," the Bush regime’s definition of torture? Why do we not protest this? I think it is at least partly a failure to recognize the captives as fellow human beings, and a belief that we ourselves will never suffer such treatment. It is enormously unlikely that I will ever be declared an enemy combatant but not literally impossible. I would urge others to participate in some protest. Send some e-mails, or join the anti-war protest planned for 3pm, Jan. 27, at City Hall.

Dear Editor,
   The recent occurrence of dead birds near the state Capitol is of no surprise to longtime state office workers. I have observed through the years that birds tend to fly upside down around this area. Occasionally, they become disoriented and crash into surrounding high-rise buildings. The reason for the inverted flight is that they find nothing worth shitting on. Please inform the local citizenry of this phenomenon, as the state Legislature is in session, and there will be more instances of this kind until they adjourn.

Dear Editor,
   As a nearby resident (of Northwest Hills) and a frequent user of Anderson Lane businesses (at least three times/week), I strongly oppose allowing any kind of oversized big-box development at Northcross Mall. A Wal-Mart in that location would be disastrous to the many established, unique, and needed small businesses in the surrounding area. A Wal-Mart in that location would massively snarl traffic on a road ill-equipped for such volumes, discouraging anyone who wished to patronize the other small (and large) businesses. A Wal-Mart in that location would defeat the intent of Austinites to control our changing urban landscape as the city planners and citizens have demanded, rather than enhancing an already vital business corridor and community with pedestrian-friendly, planned urban/residential mixed-use development. The area would face the 24-hour nightmare of massive traffic jams, the vacated spaces where successful small businesses once fared, the nearby neighborhoods decimated by the congestion, traffic, noise, lights and even potential crime that a big box like Wal-Mart brings.
   The planned Wal-Mart at Northcross Mall must be stopped cold, for the good of the community and businesses already well-established there, and in order to stop a dangerous precedent from taking hold in Austin. We don't need another big-box store like Wal-Mart. We need to support the small businesses that keep Austin weird and the communities and citizens that make Austin the attractive and livable city it is.

Dear Editor,
   Margaret Moser's story about hep C and specifically her references to the death of her good friend Randy "Biscuit" Turner were the work of a passionate, committed journalist deeply moved by an ongoing crisis and a tragedy that affects us all ["C Sick," Music, Nov. 24].
   Death is not pretty. It does no service to anyone, particularly the victims of this illness, to pretend otherwise. I don't presume to know what Mr. Axberg's relationship was to Mr. Turner, but I know Margaret Moser was Biscuit's good friend [Postmarks, Jan. 5]. I experienced her story as, yes, a eulogy to the terrible losses even in the past few months – T.J. MacFarland, Jesse Taylor, Rick Nafey – in my own life, caused by the ravages of hep C.
   But Margaret's story was also much more than that. It was a call to arms, in an effort to evoke concern about, prevention of, and compassion for those struggling with the illness, including those acknowledged by Margaret in her article, not to mention, as she bravely and immediately has stated, Margaret herself.
   Far from exploiting the passing of her friend, Margaret stood up for him and is doing her best as a great journalist to call attention to a problem which, if we had only known, in some cases may have been preventable but at any rate now can certainly be helped by the forces of awareness, compassion, health care (hello?!) for the community, and specifically disease prevention, care for those affected, and organ donation.
   Rather than decrying what he perceived as insensitive, Mr. Axberg may want to consider directing his energies toward consciousness-raising and compassion for others, as did Margaret with her heartfelt story – and as she must do in her ongoing private efforts against her own, same health challenge.

Dear Editor,
   Whether or not I happen to "like" a public official is irrelevant to our work as a governmental watchdog group (HaysCAN, Hays Community Action Network) [Postmarks, Jan. 5].
   What is important are the facts, and my letter to the editor was about facts the public should know.
   If Commissioner Conley disputes anything contained in my letter, I hope that he will challenge them in this public forum.

Dear Editor,
   I commend the Chronicle for bringing Town Lake to the forefront ["The Town Lake Variance Shuffle," News, Nov. 24]. At the same time, shame on our mayor and our City Council who continue to serve the special interests (those of developers in particular) who want to make Town Lake a playground for the rich and wealthy. Town Lake was meant to be enjoyed by many vs. a select few. Let’s face it, the major attraction for many desiring to live Downtown is Town Lake. Town Lake is a major tourist attraction and our very own Garden of Eden, our Central Park, our eyes to the rest of the world.
   As a consequence, our elected officials must do their part to preserve the tranquility and beauty that is Town Lake. Thus, it must be properly cared for and expanded accordingly. While progress and improvement is visible on the west side of I-35, on the Eastside, Town Lake is for the most part neglected. In the little development that has occurred, the local population has been driven out by greedy developers. Likewise, cyclists, runners, and walkers who venture east of I-35 on the hike-and-bike trail face harassment from the homeless, the junkies, the drunkies, and finally, the automobile drivers on the south side, where there is no hike-and-bike trail.
   There is only one solution to the problems facing Town Lake, and that is for the city to hold developers accountable for the environment that they build on near Town Lake. Two, to make housing affordable to the working class or make a percentage of the units sold available in a price controlled setting. Finally, have developers contribute to improving Town Lake and completing the hike-and-bike trail east of I-35.

Dear Editor,
   The speaker had the power to strong-arm the Legislature, create chaos, and have officials running around kissing butt and making all kinds of promises, afraid to spurn the incumbent and get themselves banished to an insignificant committee or to be provided a "broom closet" for an office as retribution ["All Eyes on Speaker Fight," News, Jan. 5].
   Corporate and/or wealthy lobbyists contribute huge sums of campaign dollars to the speaker so that their special-interest legislation or favor is pushed through committees, gets to the floor of the House more quickly, and is approved by the majority of members.
   Exactly how does this benefit the hardworking people of Texas? Simple, it doesn't!
   Isn't it time that a law is written whereby Texas voters must select the speaker of the House in a special or part of a regular election? At least in this manner, various representatives who want the job can make their pitch to the voters, who would then cast their votes for the most qualified and/or desirable candidate.
   By the way, the Texas Senate doesn't vote for its leader. Lt. Gov. Dewhurst is selected by voters – and that works just fine.
   Also, voters need to push legislators to get rid of the speaker's luxury suite pronto! No good can ever come of it.
   Another good reason for leaving the speaker position up to a public vote is that House representatives could just focus on the job they are supposed to do for the people without scurrying around every few years to kiss butt before the regular session gets its speaker – it's enough they do it all year long.

Dear Editor,
   Bob Cook, in his odd attempt to claim that all opposition to Wal-Mart is somehow a grand grocer's conspiracy says, "This threatened the traditional supermarket chains (HEB, Albertsons, Safeway, Randalls, et al) as they are unionized."[Postmarks, Jan. 5] I can't speak for those other, inferior grocery stores, but I've worked at HEB, and I can tell you that no one there is unionized. They don't need to be; HEB pays a good wage and treats its workers well, which makes unionization unnecessary. Other companies could take note of that, if they're so terribly afraid of unions.
   That Wal-Mart sells groceries is irrelevant to me. I haven't shopped there since they made it a corporate policy not to sell any product made with union labor. Remember when they refused to sell American-made American flags after 9/11? The flags that were made by union labor? And bought theirs from China instead? I'd push the whole godforsaken company off a cliff if I thought it would help them go to hell any faster. Wal-Mart is just plain un-American.

Dear Editor,
   On Page 52 ["TCB," Music, Jan. 5], you mention that Shrapnel had all their equipment stolen after a show at Redrum. The show was actually at the Backroom. And Shrapnel rocked it hard! So here's hoping they find their stuff.

Dear Editor,
   I don't understand the outrage over a Wal-Mart at Northcross Mall [Postmarks, Jan. 5]. I hate Wal-Mart as much as the next person. But I don't much care for malls, either, which leads me to my point: What better place for a Wal-Mart than a mall?
   What kills me about Austin is this hypersensitivity among citizens that causes knee-jerk outrage over every little change that doesn't reflect "weirdness" or some lost hippie Austin dream that no longer exists. What do you want at Northcross Mall? A Neiman Marcus? Would that have more "cred?" Take a walk down South Congress Avenue, and what do you see? A crazy weird city just stepping to its own cultural beat? Hell no! High-end boutiques and swanky hotels are not weird. Cliché second-hand shops and coffeehouses are no longer weird, even if they aren't called Starbucks.
   I love Austin. I lived there for eight years and make frequent visits, but it's really just a miniature L.A. these days. Or worse, a Branson for hipsters, a tourist destination for the dirty-Chucks-wearing class of beautiful youth. There is a way out of that, of course: Stop the whining about Wal-Marts at malls, and just let things happen. Houston is a cesspool, but there is nothing in Austin as weird as Montrose these days. Somehow you Austinites have to find a balance between "live and let live" and devout civic pride.

Dear Editor,
   How could you not mention Battlestar Galactica among the best TV dramas of the year? Battlestar Galactica continually explores pertinent issues such as our current government struggles between freedom and security during wartime and the Middle East conflicts through the stories of the last remaining human survivors and their creations the Cylons. Every episode astonishes with incredible scripts, quality acting, and impressive special effects. This incarnation of Battlestar Galactica may be the best science fiction television show ever and arguably the best show on TV.

   [Editor's note: Rick Klaw is an occasional contributing writer to the Chronicle.]