Shame on us
Thanks, always, for a great read. Here is my beef:
On page five of the November 4 issue there is a “Guest Opinion” article titled “The Highland City Club Has A Racism Problem.” Bravo for giving your space to a legitimate beef, furthering the concept that humans should be judged not based on the way they look or the color of their skin, but the content of their character.
Yet on the very next page, you run a “hilarious” cartoon showing two white men with enormous stomachs, standing in front of a donut shop called “Big Butt Donuts,” with the caption showing one of them saying “Guns should be banned from movie sets.”
Does the author believe he can publish such a cartoon and no one will protest? He is wrong. He is as wrong as if he had published a cartoon showing Jews being cheap, Irish being drunks, or gays with limp wrists. I wish to ask the author—do you, sir, personally know any humans who are overweight or obese, or superobese? Is it your personal job to mock them, that the world might be free of humans that don’t look right to you? Are you so blind to the social landscape of today that you think it’s ok to publish this cartoon?
What year is this?
That the cartoon obviously passed through several eyes at your paper and made it through shows that anti-fat discrimination is alive and well, too, in media. But the biggest insult is that it isn’t funny. “Haw haw, this week I’m putting together a cartoon showing two fat guys, haw haw haw! Surely, no one will stick up for them or be angry.”
And why do I care? I spent two months in an Eating Disorder rehab last year in Denver. As a chubby kid, I was beaten and tortured for my lousy 20 extra pounds and finally sent to fat camp, after which I became bulimic.
Haw, haw, haw.
Shame on you, Boulder Weekly. Yea, obesity is a serious issue. But creating a public atmosphere where it’s ok to mock other humans for their size isn’t cool, and that’s what your cartoon did.
I’ll still keep reading you, though.
Josh Max, Longmont
Axe the obstacle course!
I think these new methods of trying to make streets safer by slowing cars down in these obstacle courses (the new plastic poles with reflector lights) is in itself dangerous. When I first encountered one (I think the 2700 block of Glenwood) I almost hit a bicyclist crossing because I was concentrating on not hitting the markers. The worst one is at the 1800 block on Quince where the obstacle course directs cars to driving on the left side of the street then curving around again to the right side. It’s confusing to say the least!
On a positive note—the newer speed bumps (that aren’t so high and bumpy) are great. They make me slow down without being so hard on the suspension. And they are really great (smooth) for biking!
I’m urging anyone else concerned with this to please write to the City of Boulder through the website “Inquire Boulder” and select the “Transportation” tab.
Laurie Dameron, Boulder
