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Letters

Enjoyed Jeff

I thoroughly enjoyed Jeff Smith’s eight-part series, “The Big Noise: The Free Speech Fight of 1912.” This appalling segment of San Diego history is not often talked about nor written about in our finest city these days. Mr. Smith’s well-researched episodes recalled how, a century ago, the powers that be took the law into their own hands for the “good of the city.”

Now, when I hear a politician or pundit blather on about benefitting “our heritage,” “our legacy to the people,” or the “good of the city,” I always try to discern just whose benefit, legacy, or heritage they are empowering to serve.

Thanks to Jeff Smith for this well-written series. And thanks to the Reader for maintaining fair and truthful reporting. The truth sometimes hurts but it needs to be told. Lest we forget.

Timothy Carr
via email

Serve Others

To Cockatoo of North Park, or the blogger on page eight (Blog Diego, July 12) — the reason you write incessantly about how much you hate people is undoubtedly, and ironically, so that we people out here will hear you, no? Isn’t blogging all about connecting? If you need the world to notice you so much, looks like you’re not a loner after all — just a very sad, lonely person.

Here’s a thought: Try to serve others. So many aren’t privileged, like you. Many lack your intellect or physical health, or don’t even have $13K a year, like you do. Perhaps if you helped a few of those by opening up your heart, you’d be less inclined to write self-serving, notice-me blogs.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Name Withheld
La Mesa

Read This, Michelle

I’m a Vietnam veteran with three purple hearts. I aired on ABC’s 20/20 with Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer in 1998 and 1999. The reason why I’m calling is about “Afro Puffs” (July 12). The person who wrote that — you need to look at her.

My mom raised nine kids. She was a strong black woman straight from Vicksburg, Mississippi. I’m very offended by what you said about black women. And I want to say to the author who wrote that: You’re not black anyway. You’re a half-breed. You’re mixed. You have no idea what it’s like to be in a black family. You’ve not only offended me, and every black woman, but every black man. I sent a copy of this to the president’s wife, Michelle Obama, because this is plain racist.

That author needs to be fired, and needs to fired right now. Because, basically, you’re telling my mom in her grave — God bless her soul — that nobody likes her. She was a well-loved woman. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

As a combat veteran with three purple hearts, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves for putting that in your paper, no matter if it was on the front page, the middle page, or the back page. That is downright nasty.

Percy
via voicemail

Where’s The News?

This is just another letter about the “Afro Puffs” article that appeared on the front page recently (July 12). There have been many letters that appeared about this, but this whole situation begs the question — which I’m sure many readers have and share with me — which is: Why doesn’t the Reader ever have any news? There’s never any news; just the City Lights section, and those few tiny bits in News Ticker, and that stupid Almost Factual News, which isn’t really actual news.

Every cover is about sordid, tawdry stuff, one after another. Why, it gives readers the impression that San Diego is nothing but people on welfare and drugs.

The Reader’s covering a region of two giant cities — Tijuana and San Diego — and all they can come up with is this tawdry stuff on the cover. There’s so much news; so many thousands of stories out there that readers would like to now about. So, why is the Reader only choosing to put the trashiest things on the cover of this magazine that is widely circulated and distributed all over San Diego? You’re doing us a disservice by only printing this trashy stuff. Where’s the news, Reader editors?!

Vivian Marlene-Dunbar
Playas Tijuana, Baja

Everything’s A Hate Crime

I’m calling about the “Afro Puffs” article (July 12) that everybody’s complaining about. I think it’s pathetic that so many people are complaining about it. In this day and age, everybody wants to have their own special rights. This person’s discriminated against because they’re black. This person’s discriminated against because they’re handicapped. Because they’re short. Because they’re fat. Because they’re gay. Because they’re elderly. Everybody wants to come up with their own little category.

As far as the “Afro Puffs” article goes, it kind of disgusted me, too, because it says “The white girls like the black guys, and the Mexican girls like the black guys, and the [Filipino] girls like the black guys.”

I don’t know. When I see different races of people with black guys it kind of disgusts me in itself. I’d hate to think that all white girls like black guys, or all Mexican girls like black guys. It’s kind of disgusting. Maybe that’s just my opinion, but in this day and age it’s kind of shitty that it’s not politically correct to even have an opinion anymore. Everything’s a freaking hate crime. It’s ridiculous.

Name Withheld
via voicemail

Cornered The Market

RE: Neighborhood News, August 2: “Safe Access Now!

Yes, most medical marijuana dispensaries have closed down, with the delivery service becoming the defacto way to get medicine. However, there are still a few brick-and-mortar dispensaries in downtown, Hillcrest, and Pacific Beach.

The downtown dispensary, One on One Patients Association, is on 6th between Broadway and E, next to the Hustler Store, and boy is business booming. Constant lines, a huge staff, and overexpensive medicine. The meds are great, always have been, but the price increase is ridiculous — $65 for an 1/8 oz. But they don’t care as they are the only game in town. Can only imagine the millions made this year alone. For some reason they are still in business, and it is booming. I have always wondered why.

Name Withheld
via email

Come Back, David Elliott

I have a request. I wish you would bring back David Elliott. We really, really miss him. He was a gem. He was one of the reasons to get the weekly Reader. Try to bring him back, okay?

Barbara Hammett
La Jolla

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Enjoyed Jeff

I thoroughly enjoyed Jeff Smith’s eight-part series, “The Big Noise: The Free Speech Fight of 1912.” This appalling segment of San Diego history is not often talked about nor written about in our finest city these days. Mr. Smith’s well-researched episodes recalled how, a century ago, the powers that be took the law into their own hands for the “good of the city.”

Now, when I hear a politician or pundit blather on about benefitting “our heritage,” “our legacy to the people,” or the “good of the city,” I always try to discern just whose benefit, legacy, or heritage they are empowering to serve.

Thanks to Jeff Smith for this well-written series. And thanks to the Reader for maintaining fair and truthful reporting. The truth sometimes hurts but it needs to be told. Lest we forget.

Timothy Carr
via email

Serve Others

To Cockatoo of North Park, or the blogger on page eight (Blog Diego, July 12) — the reason you write incessantly about how much you hate people is undoubtedly, and ironically, so that we people out here will hear you, no? Isn’t blogging all about connecting? If you need the world to notice you so much, looks like you’re not a loner after all — just a very sad, lonely person.

Here’s a thought: Try to serve others. So many aren’t privileged, like you. Many lack your intellect or physical health, or don’t even have $13K a year, like you do. Perhaps if you helped a few of those by opening up your heart, you’d be less inclined to write self-serving, notice-me blogs.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Name Withheld
La Mesa

Read This, Michelle

I’m a Vietnam veteran with three purple hearts. I aired on ABC’s 20/20 with Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer in 1998 and 1999. The reason why I’m calling is about “Afro Puffs” (July 12). The person who wrote that — you need to look at her.

My mom raised nine kids. She was a strong black woman straight from Vicksburg, Mississippi. I’m very offended by what you said about black women. And I want to say to the author who wrote that: You’re not black anyway. You’re a half-breed. You’re mixed. You have no idea what it’s like to be in a black family. You’ve not only offended me, and every black woman, but every black man. I sent a copy of this to the president’s wife, Michelle Obama, because this is plain racist.

That author needs to be fired, and needs to fired right now. Because, basically, you’re telling my mom in her grave — God bless her soul — that nobody likes her. She was a well-loved woman. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

As a combat veteran with three purple hearts, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves for putting that in your paper, no matter if it was on the front page, the middle page, or the back page. That is downright nasty.

Percy
via voicemail

Where’s The News?

This is just another letter about the “Afro Puffs” article that appeared on the front page recently (July 12). There have been many letters that appeared about this, but this whole situation begs the question — which I’m sure many readers have and share with me — which is: Why doesn’t the Reader ever have any news? There’s never any news; just the City Lights section, and those few tiny bits in News Ticker, and that stupid Almost Factual News, which isn’t really actual news.

Every cover is about sordid, tawdry stuff, one after another. Why, it gives readers the impression that San Diego is nothing but people on welfare and drugs.

The Reader’s covering a region of two giant cities — Tijuana and San Diego — and all they can come up with is this tawdry stuff on the cover. There’s so much news; so many thousands of stories out there that readers would like to now about. So, why is the Reader only choosing to put the trashiest things on the cover of this magazine that is widely circulated and distributed all over San Diego? You’re doing us a disservice by only printing this trashy stuff. Where’s the news, Reader editors?!

Vivian Marlene-Dunbar
Playas Tijuana, Baja

Everything’s A Hate Crime

I’m calling about the “Afro Puffs” article (July 12) that everybody’s complaining about. I think it’s pathetic that so many people are complaining about it. In this day and age, everybody wants to have their own special rights. This person’s discriminated against because they’re black. This person’s discriminated against because they’re handicapped. Because they’re short. Because they’re fat. Because they’re gay. Because they’re elderly. Everybody wants to come up with their own little category.

As far as the “Afro Puffs” article goes, it kind of disgusted me, too, because it says “The white girls like the black guys, and the Mexican girls like the black guys, and the [Filipino] girls like the black guys.”

I don’t know. When I see different races of people with black guys it kind of disgusts me in itself. I’d hate to think that all white girls like black guys, or all Mexican girls like black guys. It’s kind of disgusting. Maybe that’s just my opinion, but in this day and age it’s kind of shitty that it’s not politically correct to even have an opinion anymore. Everything’s a freaking hate crime. It’s ridiculous.

Name Withheld
via voicemail

Cornered The Market

RE: Neighborhood News, August 2: “Safe Access Now!

Yes, most medical marijuana dispensaries have closed down, with the delivery service becoming the defacto way to get medicine. However, there are still a few brick-and-mortar dispensaries in downtown, Hillcrest, and Pacific Beach.

The downtown dispensary, One on One Patients Association, is on 6th between Broadway and E, next to the Hustler Store, and boy is business booming. Constant lines, a huge staff, and overexpensive medicine. The meds are great, always have been, but the price increase is ridiculous — $65 for an 1/8 oz. But they don’t care as they are the only game in town. Can only imagine the millions made this year alone. For some reason they are still in business, and it is booming. I have always wondered why.

Name Withheld
via email

Come Back, David Elliott

I have a request. I wish you would bring back David Elliott. We really, really miss him. He was a gem. He was one of the reasons to get the weekly Reader. Try to bring him back, okay?

Barbara Hammett
La Jolla

Comments
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