Here's something you might be interested in.
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Readers' thoughts on the Reader
Babies Having Babies
Your cover story of a child who, at age 16, delivered a baby (“Child No More,” July 23) portrays her as a heroine. Your heroine is a fortunate exception.
This piece is missing a backstory. Most babies born to children sustain repeated and very unfortunate, sometimes tragic, circumstances. A baby’s lifetime success is profoundly more likely when their mother is an adult at the time of their birth.
- R. Larry Schmitt
- Mission Hills
Coronado Jacks
Related to your story about the Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Simpson (“Hotel del Coronado Expels Prince,” July 23 feature story), Windsor frequented the Piping Rock Country Club on the Gulf Coast of Long Island. There the banking elite of the United States fought for the privilege of lighting Windsor’s cigarette.
It’s really funny that Coronado had 30,000 jackrabbits in residence in 1920. In 2015 Coronado houses at least a sizeable number of jackasses.
- Name Withheld
- via voicemail
Support Local Transit
In response to “Will the Free Rides Resume?” by Dorian Hargrove in July 16’s City Lights, the free ride use program must continue. Ridership is increasing? Well, this would be a win-win for San Diego. It is a ridiculous waste to spend city and county dollars on stadiums and freeway expansions while ignoring transit.
Many people of all ages don’t want cars, and they have active lifestyles. Car2Go and bike rentals are great, but they are not enough. We need dependable buses and shuttles. We all need to breathe, move away from fossil fuel dependency, and be able to get about locally. Tourists also are used to — and mostly expect — to use transit.
I agree with the Mid-City Community Action Network A healthy future for us all requires that we both support and ride transit.
- Helen Bourne
- Encinitas
Ticked
I read your article, “Tick-Borne Illness Spreads to TJ” (News Ticker, July 16). However, there is no such thing as a disease named “rickettsia.” It is a genus, not a kind of illness.
One type of rickettsia is Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF.) More rickettsial diseases: Anaplasma, ehrlichia, Q-fever, Boutonneuse fever, maculatum, candidatus rickettsia andeanae, species 364D, and murine typhus. Those are the ones I came up with about five years ago when I spent three weeks digging up two dozen tick-borne disease names from the CDC’s various websites (at the time.)
Most of those with chronic Lyme have other tick-borne germs as well. It’s important for public health to find out the names of tick-borne rickettsial diseases people in Mexico are getting.
Thank you for the information, Bob McPhail!
- D.M.
- via email
South vs. North
Re: “Overwhelmed Palate,” July 16, Feast!
I have nothing good to say/write about Centifonti’s. When I went in there, the display cases were two-thirds empty, and in total disarray. There were no labels and flies were buzzing throughout. That was their new location.
A few years before, I had stopped in at their west-of-the-tracks location, and made a large purchase from the daughter. I mentioned to the owner/wife that I, too, had Italian heritage. She made it quite clear that she and her husband were Northern Italians, not — heaven-forbid —from the South!
Not nice folks.
- El Se Greco
- La Mesa
Don’t Tattoo You
This is a comment about the girl who got the tattoo of her cat (Tattoo You, July 16). It just turned one year old. She said that the cat helps keep her sane. Well, the cat’s not doing a very good job. What’s going to happen when the cat dies? Please tell her not to leave her car on the Coronado bridge.
I taught at a school where all the kids thought they had to get a tattoo of something. I bet she was one of my students.
- Name Withheld
- via voicemail
Respect the Rest of Us
I read the article “You Love Me Now, but Will You When I’m Four?” (April 23 cover story), and for the past few months I’ve been reading all of the Letters to the Editor that have been submitted on this topic. As much as I hate to add to the long, drawn-out controversy, I feel like I really should add a story of mine to the mix.
I’ve always owned dogs and so has all of my family. Mostly mutts but even a Dobie and a German sheppard, all of them sweet, wonderful dogs. That being said, there’s something just a little bit different going on with pit bulls. Namely, genetics and breeding.
I don’t care who you are or how you feel about this breed. They were (and sometimes still are) bred to be vicious and to attack. It’s in their blood. No getting around that one. Sometimes the trait is recessive, and sometimes not so much. Nobody needs a website like dogbite.org to explain that to us (especially a site that twists the truth).
Anyway, last year I worked for the sweetest couple in their home here in Clairemont. They own two adult pits. These people are a responsible Christian couple who live a very calm and centered life, and are very athletic, outdoorsy types. They did their best to raise and professionally train the two puppies when they brought them home. (I don’t know if they were rescued or from a breeder.) Theoretically this is the ideal environment for any dog of any breed, but that’s not how it worked out.
Every time I got within ten feet of the front door, they would start barking and growling and literally throwing their bodies at the front door and the large picture window. They ended up blocking that window permanently with a large particle board to be safe. Very unnerving. As soon as I got there, the dogs were put in a bedroom while I did my work. The entire time those dogs attacked the bedroom door viciously trying to get at me.
For some reason, the couple insisted on going in and out of the bedroom while I was there, giving the dogs many chances to get out and get at me. They told me the dogs do that to everyone, and that if either got out they would definitely attack me or anyone else around. I asked if they were rescued dogs, or if they had any idea why these dogs were so obviously dangerous, and that’s when they told me the dogs had been professionally trained since they were pups, and that they get lots of exercise and playtime but nothing seemed to work for them. The dogs were just dangerous to any one other than them. They had no clue what was up.
I think it’s called genetics and breeding. Sometimes even the best intentions can’t make up for that. And let’s all take note that this very week, a pit mix breed attacked it’s owners children here in San Diego and hospitalized them. The owners said that the dog had “never shown any aggression before.” Remember that grandmother a few years ago who was killed by a pit that had “never done anything like that before”?
I know there are a lot of die-hard, see-no-evil pit bull enthusiasts out there, and I respect your love and devotion to them, but please respect the rest of us who would choose to play it safe for ourselves and our children. If you love these dogs, great! Just keep them away from the rest of us please!
Needless to say, I quit the job with that couple in Clairemont. It just wasn’t worth it!
- Alisa
- Clairemont
The Right to Walk
Regarding the article, “You Love Me Now, but Will You When I’m Four?” (April 23 cover story). Thank you, Bill Manson, for writing such an informative piece!
I was attacked by a pit bull years ago. I was not injured physically. However, I suffer from PTSD. This unprovoked attack was one of the worst experiences of my life. It left me crying hysterically, and shaking in terror.
People have a right to walk down the sidewalk without worrying about being attacked. I fear all dogs now, especially those overbred, ugly, and viscous beasts. Outlaw this breed immediately! These stupid, callous, selfish, and inconsiderate dog owners need to take responsibility. How many more people need to suffer and die?
- Name Withheld
- via voicemail
Here's something you might be interested in.
Readers' thoughts on the Reader
Readers' thoughts on the Reader
Babies Having Babies
Your cover story of a child who, at age 16, delivered a baby (“Child No More,” July 23) portrays her as a heroine. Your heroine is a fortunate exception.
This piece is missing a backstory. Most babies born to children sustain repeated and very unfortunate, sometimes tragic, circumstances. A baby’s lifetime success is profoundly more likely when their mother is an adult at the time of their birth.
- R. Larry Schmitt
- Mission Hills
Coronado Jacks
Related to your story about the Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Simpson (“Hotel del Coronado Expels Prince,” July 23 feature story), Windsor frequented the Piping Rock Country Club on the Gulf Coast of Long Island. There the banking elite of the United States fought for the privilege of lighting Windsor’s cigarette.
It’s really funny that Coronado had 30,000 jackrabbits in residence in 1920. In 2015 Coronado houses at least a sizeable number of jackasses.
- Name Withheld
- via voicemail
Support Local Transit
In response to “Will the Free Rides Resume?” by Dorian Hargrove in July 16’s City Lights, the free ride use program must continue. Ridership is increasing? Well, this would be a win-win for San Diego. It is a ridiculous waste to spend city and county dollars on stadiums and freeway expansions while ignoring transit.
Many people of all ages don’t want cars, and they have active lifestyles. Car2Go and bike rentals are great, but they are not enough. We need dependable buses and shuttles. We all need to breathe, move away from fossil fuel dependency, and be able to get about locally. Tourists also are used to — and mostly expect — to use transit.
I agree with the Mid-City Community Action Network A healthy future for us all requires that we both support and ride transit.
- Helen Bourne
- Encinitas
Ticked
I read your article, “Tick-Borne Illness Spreads to TJ” (News Ticker, July 16). However, there is no such thing as a disease named “rickettsia.” It is a genus, not a kind of illness.
One type of rickettsia is Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF.) More rickettsial diseases: Anaplasma, ehrlichia, Q-fever, Boutonneuse fever, maculatum, candidatus rickettsia andeanae, species 364D, and murine typhus. Those are the ones I came up with about five years ago when I spent three weeks digging up two dozen tick-borne disease names from the CDC’s various websites (at the time.)
Most of those with chronic Lyme have other tick-borne germs as well. It’s important for public health to find out the names of tick-borne rickettsial diseases people in Mexico are getting.
Thank you for the information, Bob McPhail!
- D.M.
- via email
South vs. North
Re: “Overwhelmed Palate,” July 16, Feast!
I have nothing good to say/write about Centifonti’s. When I went in there, the display cases were two-thirds empty, and in total disarray. There were no labels and flies were buzzing throughout. That was their new location.
A few years before, I had stopped in at their west-of-the-tracks location, and made a large purchase from the daughter. I mentioned to the owner/wife that I, too, had Italian heritage. She made it quite clear that she and her husband were Northern Italians, not — heaven-forbid —from the South!
Not nice folks.
- El Se Greco
- La Mesa
Don’t Tattoo You
This is a comment about the girl who got the tattoo of her cat (Tattoo You, July 16). It just turned one year old. She said that the cat helps keep her sane. Well, the cat’s not doing a very good job. What’s going to happen when the cat dies? Please tell her not to leave her car on the Coronado bridge.
I taught at a school where all the kids thought they had to get a tattoo of something. I bet she was one of my students.
- Name Withheld
- via voicemail
Respect the Rest of Us
I read the article “You Love Me Now, but Will You When I’m Four?” (April 23 cover story), and for the past few months I’ve been reading all of the Letters to the Editor that have been submitted on this topic. As much as I hate to add to the long, drawn-out controversy, I feel like I really should add a story of mine to the mix.
I’ve always owned dogs and so has all of my family. Mostly mutts but even a Dobie and a German sheppard, all of them sweet, wonderful dogs. That being said, there’s something just a little bit different going on with pit bulls. Namely, genetics and breeding.
I don’t care who you are or how you feel about this breed. They were (and sometimes still are) bred to be vicious and to attack. It’s in their blood. No getting around that one. Sometimes the trait is recessive, and sometimes not so much. Nobody needs a website like dogbite.org to explain that to us (especially a site that twists the truth).
Anyway, last year I worked for the sweetest couple in their home here in Clairemont. They own two adult pits. These people are a responsible Christian couple who live a very calm and centered life, and are very athletic, outdoorsy types. They did their best to raise and professionally train the two puppies when they brought them home. (I don’t know if they were rescued or from a breeder.) Theoretically this is the ideal environment for any dog of any breed, but that’s not how it worked out.
Every time I got within ten feet of the front door, they would start barking and growling and literally throwing their bodies at the front door and the large picture window. They ended up blocking that window permanently with a large particle board to be safe. Very unnerving. As soon as I got there, the dogs were put in a bedroom while I did my work. The entire time those dogs attacked the bedroom door viciously trying to get at me.
For some reason, the couple insisted on going in and out of the bedroom while I was there, giving the dogs many chances to get out and get at me. They told me the dogs do that to everyone, and that if either got out they would definitely attack me or anyone else around. I asked if they were rescued dogs, or if they had any idea why these dogs were so obviously dangerous, and that’s when they told me the dogs had been professionally trained since they were pups, and that they get lots of exercise and playtime but nothing seemed to work for them. The dogs were just dangerous to any one other than them. They had no clue what was up.
I think it’s called genetics and breeding. Sometimes even the best intentions can’t make up for that. And let’s all take note that this very week, a pit mix breed attacked it’s owners children here in San Diego and hospitalized them. The owners said that the dog had “never shown any aggression before.” Remember that grandmother a few years ago who was killed by a pit that had “never done anything like that before”?
I know there are a lot of die-hard, see-no-evil pit bull enthusiasts out there, and I respect your love and devotion to them, but please respect the rest of us who would choose to play it safe for ourselves and our children. If you love these dogs, great! Just keep them away from the rest of us please!
Needless to say, I quit the job with that couple in Clairemont. It just wasn’t worth it!
- Alisa
- Clairemont
The Right to Walk
Regarding the article, “You Love Me Now, but Will You When I’m Four?” (April 23 cover story). Thank you, Bill Manson, for writing such an informative piece!
I was attacked by a pit bull years ago. I was not injured physically. However, I suffer from PTSD. This unprovoked attack was one of the worst experiences of my life. It left me crying hysterically, and shaking in terror.
People have a right to walk down the sidewalk without worrying about being attacked. I fear all dogs now, especially those overbred, ugly, and viscous beasts. Outlaw this breed immediately! These stupid, callous, selfish, and inconsiderate dog owners need to take responsibility. How many more people need to suffer and die?
- Name Withheld
- via voicemail