Letters
The other anti-Semitism: unfair portrayal of Arabs For several weeks the Monitor's reviewers have been giving mild approval to a movie entitled "The Mummy." One would never guess that this film attempts to reach new levels of nastiness in its treatment of Arab people.
A reviewer in The New Yorker (May 10) states, "I could scarcely believe what I was watching; as one character says that camels are dirty because they spit, the Arab riding behind him expectorates, right on cue." This is just one example. Later, the reviewer suggests, "So here's a party game for any producers with a Middle Eastern setting in mind: Try replacing one Semitic group with another - Jews instead of Arabs - and then listen for the laugh."
How could the Monitor's reviewers have missed this? Perhaps they are unable to see beyond the list of warning categories that is handed to them. They try to caution moviegoers about sex, nudity, profanity, violence, and drugs, but they ignore bigotry, which can be just as harmful as any of the other categories.
Peter Yff, Muncie, Ind.
Dogs as friends, not food Regarding "A Korean summer rite - or wrong?" (June 11), it is unfortunate that the sentence stating that "some animal rights groups don't oppose the long-standing cultural practice [of dog consumption]..." is followed by a quote from the Animals Asia Foundation.
Animals Asia does indeed oppose this practice and implements programs in various countries throughout Asia which promote dogs as animals of companionship and assistance, rather than food.
Jill Robinson, Hong Kong Founder, Animals Asia Foundation
Teens and high paying jobs "Straight from high school to big bucks" (June 10) pointed out a unique problem here in Las Vegas. I enjoyed it and thought it was well done. But there are two points I thought should have been highlighted more.
First, only about 10 percent of the entire work force in Las Vegas has a college degree, making us a one-horse town: If gambling goes belly up, so does the entire town.
Second, the teenagers profiled - especially Jim Casey who makes $50,000 as a bellhop - must have had what we here call "juice," or connections.
The article made it sound so easy to step into these high-paying positions, but there are hundreds, if not thousands, seeking those lucrative jobs. Mr. Casey must have had connections to step into such a position right out of high school. It's much more the norm for anybody, teenager or not, to work up the company ladder for years to such positions - even at newly built hotel casinos.
Ray Parker, Las Vegas
Children's Internet access I'm compelled to comment on the often-held notion presented by several of the people in "A family hoedown on children's Internet access" (June 1). They say that we should trust children to make the best choices, especially regarding the Internet. I would ask if you would allow your child to be molested, and then let him or her "choose" whether that's an experience he or she wants to repeat?
As a 40-something adult, I am still sometimes haunted by the first porn site I accidentally stumbled onto. I can't even fathom how this would have affected me at age 9 or 12 or 15!
As a society we must find our way to safeguard these priceless beings. Child abuse has taken on an insidious, subtle new form in America that we must wake up to.
Susan McPherran, Farmington, Maine
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