How dare you call Ron Paul a racist! He is the only candidate talking about the “war on drugs,” and how it disproportionately targets young black men for a medical problem that has been labeled as a crime. One out of four black men between the ages of 20 and 24 is in jail, many for drug-related charges — even though the mere possession of a substance does not harm the life, liberty, or property of another. These nonviolent drug possessors are then used for what amounts to slave labor in prison factories. Dr. Paul wants them freed!
Ron Paul is the only candidate focused on restoring the liberty hijacked by the One Worlders who helped to pass the Patriot and the War Commission Acts, which stripped us of our Bill of Rights. If you want to regain our lost liberty, there is only one candidate that is not owned by the special interests that are destroying our way of life.
Elaine McKillop, Esq.
North Miami Beach, Florida
All-wheel drivel
While Alan Earls identified that improper handling of front-wheel drive is mostly due to the lack of adequate driver training in America, he overlooked the effects of oversold all-wheel drive.
These days, auto companies hype AWD as a near-requirement for New England drivers. But I spent five winters commuting from Quincy to Lincoln in a front-wheel-drive car and never missed a day of work due to snow. The key to surviving winters in New England is good snow tires. Too many drivers think having AWD on their Subaru, Audi, or SUV means they can drive as fast as they want in any weather. But AWD is useless if its power can’t get through to the pavement. Unless you have a cabin in Vermont or you’re a first responder, I’d recommend you save several pounds of weight and significant money by skipping the AWD and going for good tires instead.
Tim Dawson-Townsend
Quincy
The staph story
Thank you for addressing the staph infection that is currently affecting Boston’s gay community. I was really disappointed that the Boston Globe only supplied a short wire-copy article, especially since Boston was one of the two areas mentioned in the New York Times article that publicized the story. This staph infection is definitely not AIDS or even HPV, but it is a public-health concern, and people should be aware so they can take care of themselves.
Joseph Caputo
Boston University Center For Science And Medical Journalism
Stealth racism
Regarding “Julian Houston on Race in Boston”: sure Boston’s a racist and segregated city. Most big cities are. But here it’s a behind-your-back, almost-subliminal racism. There’s a certain amount of people, myself included, who question the amount of money thrown, year after year, into the community, and see very little return on their investment. Don’t you think the lack of leadership in City Hall and the State House has something to do with Boston’s ongoing problems?
As far as Houston’s belief that state-sponsored racism has, for the most part, been eliminated — please. The elected officials who represent Boston at the city and state level don’t eliminate anything unless it’s for their own good. I hate to say this, but I sometimes wonder if our so-called leaders even want things to improve. If they did, some people might be out of a job.
Mike Arnold
Dorchester
Text of the week
In a recent issue, we asked our readers to text in their thoughts on the outcome of the Massachusetts primary. Here’s what one had to say:
The clintons are no tom reilly. Hillary is no healey.
Editor’s note
In January of 2003, the Boston Phoenix ran an article headlined “Children at Risk.” The piece focused on the difficulty family courts throughout the nation face in child-custody cases where child abuse is alleged. It mentioned a number of custody cases, including one involving Ovando Cowles and his ex-wife. The Phoenix did not intend to suggest that Mr. Cowles abused his daughter. In Mr. Cowles’s case, the court, after trial, found no evidence of abuse. We regret that the article did not make that clear, and apologize for any distress the article may have caused Mr. Cowles.
