Letters to the Editor

LIKE 'FATSO' AND 'YANKEE'

The San Luis Obispo Tribune (California)
December 5, 2008

In response to a recent letter (Dec. 2) from a reader who not only wanted to be tolerated but accepted, I say this: I don't care if you're a homosexual, heterosexual, immigrant, black, white, Asian or other. You are not entitled to be tolerated or accepted by anybody.

I may tolerate and accept you, but not everyone will. You can't force that on people. I spent part of my youth in Alabama as the chubby son of Polish immigrants. I had to listen to names like 'fatso' and 'Yankee.' Granted these were thoughtless young people who in some cases grew up in racist households, but I never thought that I must be accepted. I am a strong person because of these early experiences and don't have any sort of complex because of it.

I don't tolerate or accept everybody, and you can't expect other people to.

Clarence Pozdolski
Los Osos

'YANKEE' AND PROUD

The Myrtle Beach Sun-News (South Carolina)
December 5, 2008

I want to point out a few things regarding "getting the Northerners to move back north." If all of us Northerners went back north, this state would not have people to work in the tourist and local industries here.

When was the last time a grocery clerk, a retail salesperson or someone in a company help center you called for information had that Southern drawl? I have been here 9½ years and can probably count on one hand how many true natives I have met. The majority of people here are Yankees and are all proud of it.

Think about "Yankee Doodle Dandy." It is not called "Confederate Doodle Dandy." The president gives the State of the Union Address, not the State of the Confederacy Address. You need to realize how important we are to y'all.

Dorothy Deitz

Myrtle Beach