Nudie Magazine Day

Dear Editor:

Just like Mr. Riddle, I, too, came across the topless woman in the last few issues of UTW. Yes I was shocked. Unlike Mr. Riddle, though, I was not offended. All I could think of was, "Wow ... free peak at hooters!"

Anyway, he now wants to find out if it is legal so he can go after your publication. I'm sorry, but the right to not be offended is nowhere mentioned in the Bill of Rights. And if you're screaming that we have to protect the children, give me a break. One ad with some hooters will not warp their fragile little minds.

Ironically, one of the issues that had the ad included the story about the nudist camp in Oklahoma. It just goes to show us that our society is still too uptight about sex and the human body.

Although I've never been to a nudist resort, it seems to me the nudists have a better and healthier view of sexuality and the human body than most people ... including the religious ones. So keep up the nudity. I do not object in any way.

- Stephen Scott, Tulsa

P.S. Mr. Riddle, get a life.

Sweet Victory

Dear Editor:

I just wanted to let you know how much my daughter bragged on the Urban Tulsa Music Awards, she can't quit talking about how classy it was and how it put the SPOT awards to shame! I sure wish I could have been there to experience it myself, but you know, a musician has to do what a musician has to do, which was honor my gig in AR.

Anyway, I love the trophy (wow) so much thought was put into it and the gift bag! I can't tell you how much myself and my band appreciate getting the winning award! Please tell the entire Urban Tulsa staff how much they rock and that I hope they are patting themselves on the backs this morning for a job well done! I'm thinking it's going to be hard to top what you guys brought to Tulsa in the acknowledgement of all the local musicians!

I wish you complete success in all your future endeavors!

Respectfully,

Wanda Watson & The Wanda Watson Band

Winners of the Absolute Best of Tulsa "Blues/R&B"

Represent

Dear Editor:

In response to the letter that was published [in last week's issue], I am offended. I could not remember the Slowpoke comic so I got online and looked it up. Granted, the one frame is graphic in nature, I find that the person that wrote the "Take Back the Rainbow" (find it online at urbantulsa.com) letter is misguided in what they see.

The four frame comic clearly shows that it is a heterosexual male interested in "proper" love making. As a gay male, when I read that I feel that that it is a statement on what is called Metro-sexual. Only in reverse, instead of him having the influence of good fashion, and the tolerance of a minority.

What Mrs. Betty L Cartwright needs to understand is that what was portrayed was not making, in my opinion, a comment on gays, but a comment on straight society trying to make us understand you better. With that letter, Mrs. Cartwright reinforced a lot of the reasons why there is so much tension between gay and straight. She did not see a cartoon man having sex with a female, instead she saw the commentary on the gay lifestyle.

As far as the term "gay," we are a happy people and most like me here in Tulsa believe in Christ and our God the Father. I find it so funny that most Christians feel this hatred towards gays when Christ himself only taught a lesson of love.

Look you don't have to agree on my lifestyle, but you cannot go against what Christ answered when asked "Shall we obey the laws of man or the laws of Moses?" The answer was "Love thy God the Father, and love thy neighbor as thyself." And, personally, Mrs. Cartwright states in her letter that she does not read this journal of news and does not truly know what this paper believes nor promotes. It is very easy to pick one thing out of something that is bad but harder to praise them for what they do. I am a co-owner of a theater and film company here in Tulsa and without the UTW we would not have the crowds we get for our shows. I thank the UTW for what you do. You publish both right and left articles, which allows me to make correct and informed decisions on my life and my future.

What I ask Mrs. Cartwright to do is collect more information before irrationally responding to something she knows nothing about. The straight community might out number us, but trust me we can be louder.

- Jeremy Jones

You Can't Beat the Law

Dear Editor:

(In response to "Everyone Hates the Cops" by Ted Rall in the Aug. 6-12 issue of Urban Tulsa Weekly)

I want to let Mr. Rall know that I am not one of the white guys that sees the Professor Gates situation his way. Mr. Rall seems to believe that just as many whites hate cops as blacks. Well, I don't know where he gets his information from but assuming that getting a traffic ticket is justification for hating a cop is wrong. Generally, people who get traffic tickets deserved the ticket if they honestly admitted it. If Professor Gates had kept his arrogant mouth shut during the incident with the officer, he would not have been arrested. But because he was a big time Harvard professor, he felt he could denegrate the police officer and put himself above the Law.

I have been a long time resident of Tulsa and Broken Arrow and worked with many officers on special projects, including Tulsa Safe Kids coalition. They are great people who donate time and talents to creating a safer environment for kids and adults alike. Rarely do they get the praise they deserve, but, seem to be quickly labeled as bad people by those like Mr. Rall.

I have been stopped twice since moving to the Tulsa area and I deserved a ticket each time. I wasn't happy about getting a ticket, but I knew I deserved it. The officers were doing their job for which they were hired. Another time, I was stopped by an officer in Bixby for speeding. Again, I knew I was speeding and expected a ticket. To my surprise, the officer gave me a warning. I am always respectful because they are used to getting a lot of lip when they stop people.

Their motto is "To Protect and Serve". I think Mr. Rall should focus on the bigger picture rather than his personal situations where tickets were probably deserved.

- Danny Holloway, "A Cop Supporter," Broken Arrow

Issue at Stake

Dear Editor:

Like many Americans, I am concerned about the health insurance industry's practices, which too often put profits before people. I understand the sentiment for the administration's health insurance reform proposals, and believe they deserve reasoned debate in Congress. There is a more important issue at stake, however: the right to life.

Congress has consistently voted to prohibit the public funding of abortion, and this provision should be an explicit part of any health insurance reform that is sent to the president's desk. This issue is too important to leave in the hands of a panel of bureaucrats or an activist judge. While Congress is in recess, it is expected to listen to its constituents, so I urge your readers to make their views on this issue known to their elected representatives.

I belong to a non-partisan grassroots organization called the Center for Moral Clarity which has online resources to easily accomplish this (it's easy to find on a search engine such as Google). I urge your readers to join me in raising our voices to make sure we do not become complicit in funding abortions under the guise of health-care reform.

Sincerely,

Lisa Wells

To the Extreme

Dear Editor:

We liberals in NE Oklahoma have no voice. The Tulsa World and their letter picker Wayne Greene is rabid at picking the most offensive and incoherent letters from the Republican righteous rotten. In one way, he may be exposing what intelligence may remain in that party--hardcore hypocrites and uninspired.

The Tulsa World could make a nice profit by charging the RNC for printing all the columns and letters. NE Oklahomans will never get the story of Coburn and the subversive kult that he is a deacon in--AKA The Family. Everything wrong with America is caused by the party and lobbyist system. The Republicans are greedy and mean and the Democrats are kind, but carry stupid to the extremes. It is evident that only Independents are smart enough to be independent. The healthcare reform will not be done right as long as any sick citizen is denied access to their own doctors and hospitals--this Ingredient is being left out of the discussion by Obama and the Republican owned media.

Those that vote against the public owned option are pimps for the insurance and drug companies--regardless of party. America has 50 million third world citizens--that is not Christian--not good Samaritan--not human--Pure Evil. No mercy for the merciless!

- J. Ray Hunt, Broken Arrow, OK

Economics 101

Dear Editor:

Lately, there has been much discussion in the healthcare debate about the words socialism and capitalism. I thought it would be appropriate to illustrate the two terms and discuss their impact. Simply, there are two legal means in which people gain the "stuff" they desire. They are free market-economics (capitalism) or political-economics (socialism). Here is how it works.

When two individuals engage in capitalism the buyer values stuff (goods and/or services) more than their money and the seller values money more than their stuff. When the buyer and seller are allowed to freely trade stuff for money, both will experience an increase in their respective values. In other words, they both come out winners. Next, in socialism the buyer values the stuff but is not willing to pay for it (Here a socialist will insert one of many excuses as to why!) The buyer uses the government to take stuff from the seller without any recompense (big fancy word for repayment.)

In socialism, the buyer gains value at the expense of the seller and are therefore the only winner. When socialism is used to take, harm is inflicted on the seller by denying them value for their goods and/or services. Over time, when enough harm has been inflicted they will stop producing and nobody will have either stuff or value. Eventually everybody loses with socialism.

- Phillip W. Smith, Oklahoma City