Letters to the Editor: Is McCain a Racist?, Hu Says What?, Killer Lecture, Where’s Bridget?, Honoring Community Organizers, Popular Contestants
September 28, 2008
Is McCain a Racist?
The important question goes beyond how “pale” the GOP is (Emil Amok, Sept. 5). All of us need to ask ourselves: Is John McCain a racist? In 2000, he said, “I hate the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live.” Why would someone who wants to be the leader of the United States feel the need to use such racist and hateful speech? And how could any Asian American even consider voting for such a man?
Dzung Vo
San Francisco, Calif., Sept. 19
Hu Says What?
It could be my obtuseness, but I have no idea what point this opinion piece is trying to make (Hu’s On First, Sept. 17). Sounds as if the last paragraph is thrown in because Mr. Hu realizes that he should actually come to some conclusion, but his earlier tosses are so all over the dartboard that his conclusion is plucked out of thin air.
This is just an obnoxious suggestion, but in the future maybe it would be helpful to have an idea of what you want to write in advance and then figure out how your supporting evidence will help you get there.
Patrick Mattimore
Gex, France, Sept. 17
Killer Lecture
To label all Hmong as killers is a farce (Voices From the Community, Sept. 13). If that was the case, then all Caucasians would be racist, all African Americans thieves and all Hispanics illegals.
I wish I had gotten an invitation to his “closed” forum. Who did he invite? Neo-Nazis? The Klu Klux Klan? Stormfront? Or was it the Kill Chai Vang Club?
If Leonard Kaplan didn’t apologize or even issue an apology about his comments and went as far as holding a “closed” forum, we have the makings of another David Duke. We need to expose this gentleman for his racist views.
David Xiong
Fresno, Calif., Sept. 17
Where’s Bridget?
Sad but true — when they show the McCain clan as a family unit they rarely show Bridget (“It’s All Relative,” Sept. 16). What they will show is the other children, blond haired and blue eyed. Just sad.
Katrina Melvin
Coatesville, Penn., Sept. 16
Honoring Community Organizers
Thank you, Vu-Duc, for standing with community organizations as you have always done (Giang Ho, Sept. 10). Anyone who has stood on a picket line in the rain, gathered petitions on the street corner or stood up to higher powers is a community organizer and should not be mocked for their goals and ideals. We will not let that rhetoric divide us or keep us from staying focused on achieving those goals.
John Trasvina
President and General
Counsel, MALDEF
Los Angeles, Calif., Sept 13
Popular Contestants
A big factor in Japanese TV that was not covered in this article is that in the game and quiz shows in Japan, you almost never see ”normal” contestants; they are almost all TV celebrities (“Cool Japan,” Sept. 12). Most of the time they are teams of comedians (or manzai) or individual comedians; some are TV or pop stars or pinup models. But they are all recognizable.
So of course the contestants will ham it up since it’s their job, and it increases their popularity. As a viewer, since you know the contestants, it’s even more entertaining than watching random people. In a way, it’s like how in American Idol once you get to know the contestants, it draws in the audience far more than at the beginning.
Takuya Arai
Westlake, Ohio, Sept. 16
Renters Left Out
You forgot to mention that most of San Francisco voters are renters — 70 percent to be exact (“Why Get Involved in Politics?,” Sept. 8). You also failed to mention how local ballot initiatives will benefit and assist the vast majority of working-class renters. We are already paying $3,000 per month on average to cover your mortgage fees for a two-bedroom apartment. And some of us have to pay your mandatory Home Owners Association fees on top of that.
Furthermore, I can’t stop the tears from flowing knowing that you will have to suffer a small cut in profits when a fair transfer tax is levied. Cry me a river!
Diosocor R. Recio
San Francisco, Calif., Sept. 8
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Comments
2 Responses to “Letters to the Editor: Is McCain a Racist?, Hu Says What?, Killer Lecture, Where’s Bridget?, Honoring Community Organizers, Popular Contestants”
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John McCain is a red neck racist, and has chosen a female racist to run with him. If someone looks closely into his and her background you will find a close affiliation with the John birch society which is the well financed big money section of the KluKluxKlan! That is what they are trying to install in the white house! As is the United States is not already having it bad enough with all the economic problems that it is encountering and now they want to inject race into the mix! The aim of all these right wing groups is to bring about a race war and this country will become a third world country with internal factions fighting against each other!
I’ll drink to that.
And buy the sixpack.
Let’s see, where the hell are my coins?