(Re: “Slaves to sex,” cover story, Feb. 11.) Ms. Creel’s article reflects the economic downslide’s effect on psychiatric worker income. Most common folk can no longer afford the extravagance of paying big bucks to heal the stubbed big toes of their inner children, so psychiatry is resorting to creating widespread psychological insecurity on a large social scale by poking at universal human characteristics to create an artificially high demand for psychotheraputic services.
We are all born into a very imperfect life destined to end in death, full of uncertainty, insecurity, periods of loneliness and perceived isolation, and huge potential for guilt within and shame before our peers. The natural human psychosocial formula is to seek to minimize suffering and maximize pleasure. The article says it’s “not about sex” but about managing “shame, loneliness and helplessness.” It then reveals that it is supposedly about maintaining the “high,” which is to say … it turns out to be about the sex after all.
One way of truly overcoming guilt and shame instead of sustaining and managing it would be for those of whom this article appears to speak to form shameless and guiltless sex-positive groups where those sharing the described characteristics seek to develop emotional intimacy and trust with one another, a “harm reduction” approach to their intense sexual behavior (STD-matching dating sites allow those sharing identical disease profiles a variety of potential partners who share their interests, for instance), and a philosophy of openness, honesty and integrity in life.
If there is no double life of lying, nor a 12-step AA-like society of helplessness and moderated shame “rehab,” nor a culture of rampant inconsiderate disease spreading … but rather an empathetic family of nonconformist, sex-positive acceptance and giving of mutual supportive assistance, then the whole sex-negative, guilt, shame and dishonesty-dependent paradigm of the pocket-padding power-tripping elements in the psychiatric profession … just collapses.
The 12-step model makes those in it (and especially the unsuccessful majority of them) eternal slaves to addiction through either spending their lives indulging it with unfettered abandon, or in spending all of the effort of their lives attempting to avoid doing one single thing; the addiction in this group of ideas rules those in 12-step programs either way!
The psyche-hosers will tell you that theirs are the only true alternatives; if you don’t go to them, they don’t get paid … that sounds just fine to me. Reality and intelligence allows thinking, and being “outside the box.” Freedom is to be found living outside of boxes built by bastions of power and authority.
Vennie Thompson/Denver
The truth about Heaven Fest
(Re: “Hell Fest? Christian event raises concerns,” News, Feb. 11) The Boulder County Chapter of the Audubon Society recently sent a letter to the Longmont City Council and staff raising environmental issues about the proposed Heaven Fest mega-festival planned for the Union Reservoir this summer. As a chapter member, I have seen both the letter and Longmont’s response. I remain concerned that Longmont is going ahead with the Heaven Fest permit regardless of the environmental issues raised.
The Audubon letter expressed concern about Heaven Fest bringing as many as 50,000 people into the district park along the south shore of the reservoir. The city’s response was to say that the site of the concert is not the district park and thus is not governed by district park or open space guidelines.
Unfortunately, this is only a half-truth and thus misleading. The bulk of the Heaven Fest concert is to take place on city farm land immediately south of the district park, although one stage plus concert amenities are planned for the park. However, the reality is that the permit application is for use of the entire reservoir, specifically including the district park.
Let’s face it — Heaven Fest wants to use our beautiful reservoir. That’s why they applied for this permit in the first place. The strategy section of the Longmont Area Comprehensive Plan, Section P-1.1(c), states that our district parks are primarily to promote low-impact, passive outdoor recreation. Even if each of the 30,000 to 50,000 expected Heaven Fest patrons promises only to pirouette through the district park on their tippy-toes, no one can reasonably argue that such a massive onslaught of people amounts to low-impact, passive recreational use.
It is unfortunate that Longmont appears more interested in obtaining unsubstantiated claims of Heaven Fest revenues rather than following its own ordinances about protecting our district parks.
Judy Lubow/Longmont
Welcome new farming model
We all share at least one thing in common as Americans — we love our food. But one concern we need to share is where our food comes from.
On average, our food travels 1,500 miles before reaching our dinner tables. As a result, our food industry accounts for 17 percent of our nation’s energy use. Since 1935, the number of farms in America has decreased drastically (from 6.8 million to less than 2 million), while at the same time, the typical size of farms has dramatically increased. Our mode of food production has shifted from family-owned-and-operated farms to large agricultural corporations. The typical American now has a closer relationship with her local grocery store than with her food.
Fortunately, all over the United States an alternative model of agriculture is growing, known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). This model directly connects the farmer to the consumer and the consumer to her food. Additionally, it keeps the food dollars in the local community and decreases the carbon emissions produced by food transportation. In a word, it makes sense.
Not surprisingly, individuals in Boulder think this model makes enough sense to practice it in their own neighborhoods as well. One example of this is Scott Hoffenberg, a resident of the Flatirons neighborhood on the Hill. Readers of the Boulder Weekly may recall reading about how Scott was taken to court in May 2008 for starting a garden in the “right of way,” or the space between the street and the sidewalk in front of his house. After a victory against the city of Boulder in which all charges were dropped, Scott has become somewhat of a neighborhood symbol of the urban farming movement.
Today, he is helping start the Flatirons Neighborhood Farm (flatironsfarm.org), a not-for-profit multi-plot farm embarking on its first growing season this year. The farm intends to increase neighborhood food production, unify the local community and educate neighbors about the current food system and alternatives.
Flatirons Neighborhood Farm will be hosting a warm, neighborhood hot-chocolate gathering on Feb. 21, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the corner of 7th Street and University Avenue, to introduce itself to its neighbors for the first time as an official organization. We hope that many from the Flatirons neighborhood and elsewhere will be able to join to drink hot chocolate, meet neighbors and share dreams and visions for a greater, more sustainable future.
Brett West, Kerri Meador and John Hallett/Boulder
Corporations and the Supreme Court
It is interesting to read how Stephen Bailey, candidate for Congress, has recapitulated the intention of our Constitution to suit his own political aspirations.
In praising the Supreme Court’s decision to give corporations an unlimited voice in politics, Bailey claims that it follows the meaning of the Constitution. Not true! The Constitution nowhere states a corporation should have the same, or greater, influence on our elections than the common man.
Also, Mr. Bailey has written that our country is not a democracy but a federation. Actually it is both, but Bailey would prefer the more narrow, elitist method of governance so he wouldn’t have to bother winning the popular vote. Sorry Steve!
Tom Lopez/Longmont
Have you noticed the shrill cries of the left against the recent Supreme Court decision to allow unlimited corporate political money in political ads and speech? Many would have us believe it is a travesty. It is not. Quite the opposite, and that is why the left is screaming.
You see, the law previously was against all, except those who ignored the law and got away with it by the allowance of the government. Who would that be? Why, the unions, of course. They have been allowed to violate this law with impunity to the point everyone just believes they can spend hundreds of millions if they wish. In addition, the press corporations have had a pass. Both of these are hard-core liberal supporters. The other side, on the other hand, has been ruthlessly forced into silence. Especially the churches. Most are 501(c)3 organizations that are constantly and illegally harassed by the IRS, ACLU, PFAW and the government for political speech.
This new decision by the courts allows everyone, not just the liberal corporations, to have corporate speech, especially the nonprofits, according to Cleta Mitchell, Washington’s pre-eminent campaign finance attorney. That would be the churches, America’s fifth estate and base protector of liberty and morality in government, until the above subversively forced them out. Now they will be back to their traditional political role and the left will not have a total monopoly on political money speech and their unchallenged ability to misshape society with it. That is the real reason they are screaming. So, by all means, let ’em scream! It is music to our ears!
David Cook/Loveland
