[Opinion, " This Ain’t No Girl Fight," July 15-21] As a progressive—and a "dreaded independent" inclined to vote for Susana Martinez—I question Gene Grant’s assumption that all progressives favor legalization—or the outrageously clueless definition, lacking knowledge of immigration history, currently attached to "immigration reform." Progressives historically stood on the side of border enforcement because progressives stood on the side of labor, not corporate interests, precisely those behind the hemorrhaging borders of recent years.Amid silence from those of us on the left that was deafening, the poor—mostly minorities—have "enjoyed" falling wages for 20 years, an era coinciding with lax border enforcement sought by corporate America’s eager handmaidens, big media, with reporting on immigration more propaganda than fact-including on the Arizona law. (Such outrage by progressives who have never even read the Arizona law or the far stronger, albeit unenforced, federal law upon which it is based!)Labor—until the cluelessness of the ’90s—was outspoken against high immigration as were early Black activists Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass. César Chávez, understanding the perils of a flooded labor market, at one point offered the United Farm Workers to patrol the southern border. Despite the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Europe, Franklin D. Roosevelt insisted on immigration below 20,000 a year during the Great Depression. During today’s Great Recession, legal and illegal immigration are at an astounding 1.2 million a year, twice the previous high (1880 to 1918) and six times historical norms.As to Grant’s "simple" solution, more jobs in Mexico, he seems unaware of the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Fifteen million Americans unemployed and 40 million Americans, including one-in-five children, are living in poverty. Perhaps Mexico’s corrupt government should forge its own education and job-creation programs.
Letters: Lucha Libre Cycling Lucha Libre Cycling
[Opinion, “Trail-a-Week: Foothills Open Space,” June 22-28] Love the articles, but what is up with the Mexican wrestling mask? I love to cross sport (put a snowboard sticker on my bike), but this is extreme. After you ride a few miles are you a luchador in some sweltering underground fight-clubesque scene?Keep ’em coming!
Letters: Boo, Stieg Larsson Boo, Stieg Larsson
[Film, “The Girl Who Played With Fire,” June 22-28] So glad to know someone else sees Stieg Larsson’s work as sick and twisted. I am one of those older Americans who got sucked into all the hype but happily did not succumb to "pretending" to enjoy his work. I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at the Guild. It took me days to get rid of the violent scenes in my head. My guess as to why older Americans seem to be enjoying the books and movies is because they think it’s cool to be reading a "Swedish author" and fancy themselves as so intellectual to be doing so. They probably wanted to go home and watch a cartoon just like I did. My son, who is a voluminous reader, isn’t impressed, either.
Letters: Unbelievably Fake Kids Unbelievably Fake Kids
[Film, “Chasing Mummies” on History Channel,” July 22-28] What a weird joke this turned out to be. No way those "students" actually study archaeology. The one kid first correctly reads ancient Egyptian writing on the wall, then later the same kid asks if this was built by aliens? Don’t expect to actually learn anything by watching except that you can take humidity readings inside the pyramid. Oh, and some tips on what makes up really poor acting.
Letters: Hawass At His Absolute Worst Hawass At His Absolute Worst
[Film, ““Chasing Mummies” on History Channel,” June 22-28] This was so bad, it was like a car wreck—you really don’t want to look, but you just have to. The sequences were laughable, the questions the alleged archaeology students were asking were so lame they were an insult to the viewers’ intelligence and if this was on the level, Hawass would have dismissed them a long time ago.Hawass, always given to melodramatics, has a field day here.Are we really supposed to believe that only he could lift that not-very-convincing fallen rock off the intern’s ankle and that she had to wait five hours for this privilege? And the cameraman just stood there and did nothing?Hawass is hanging himself with his hilarious antics on this show—it’s a total fraud and now so is he.Once it could have been said he acted like fool but served a purpose for Egypt.In ”Chasing Mummies,” he is just a very loudmouth fool with no redeeming qualities at all.
Letters: Just Say Yes To The Arena Just Say Yes To The Arena
[Opinion, “The Downtown ‘Arena,’ ” June 22-28] The arena plan is perfect! It’ll bring jobs and revenue and, like it or not, Albuquerque is one of those convention-type towns. Build it, Berry! I’ll vote for you! Don’t think it’ll work? Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city more isolated and less populated than Albuquerque, built itself a beautiful arena. Very contentious issue there as well, but they got it done.
Letters: Turtle Power Turtle Power
[Blog, “HELP! I found a turtle in my backyard,” July 18] Your box turtle is actually a tortoise; basically a land turtle. They wander a lot, especially the males. (See? It’s in our genes!) They can climb and dig pretty much into anywhere. They love bugs but also like cantaloupe, strawberries, dog food, broccoli and can get to come running for their food. They love to sit in their water dishes even though they don’t normally live in water.
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