talkback...

Ban fur, win tourists

I commend the San Francisco Bay Guardian for publishing the excellent piece on banning fur by Matt Gonzalez [Opinion, 6/19/02]. He makes a reasoned and logical argument that I would find difficult for anyone to argue with. This confirms my notion that San Francisco is the most enlightened city in this country. If this ban on fur passes, I will spend every vacation in your compassionate city.

Nancy Pennington Seattle

The cuddle factor

I have some questions about Matt Gonzalez's article on banning the sale of fur in San Francisco. He cites the environmental damage caused by the fur industry and its reliance on exploited labor as reasons for the ban. Wouldn't synthetic fabrics cause just as much environmental damage as fur? Also, horrible working conditions are pretty standard for the garment industry.

Gonzalez also lists the methods used for killing the animals. They seem to be the same methods used to kill animals used for food and leather, and cover almost all of the ways in which a living creature can be killed. What would he prefer be done? Should only animals that die of old age be used for fur? Also, if we are going to ban fur because of cruelty to animals, shouldn't we ban meat and leather as well?

Finally, while I think that it is good that people stand up for what they believe in and that it is high time we demand that businesses be more environmentally and socially conscious, I can't help but feel that the fur issue gets so much support because of the cuddle factor of the victims and that there are more important causes to fight for in this city than the mistreatment of animals used for fur.

Patrick Taylor San Francisco

Davis loses a vote

As a battered woman of the '60s, I read with dismay that Gov. Gray Davis has again overturned the decision of his own parole board and denied parole to Maria Suarez, a battered woman convicted of murdering her abusive husband, who originally purchased her as a sex slave from Mexico. In his review of the case, Davis notes that police reports said: "Saurez had urged the male renter to 'hit him again.' " If Davis had a clue about what it means to be a battered woman, he would have realized that this is a perfectly normal reaction for someone who has taken abuse for years and years.

Davis's actions have lost him my vote, and as far as I can tell, are going to put Bill Simon in the governor's mansion.

Terrie Frye San Francisco

Misfiled records

Upon reading [Deborah Giattina's] article in the recent Bars and Clubs issue [6/19/02] of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, I noticed that you mentioned our store, Open Mind Music.

However, not in a good light. "They put proto new-wave/no-wave band 23 Skidoo in the abstract beats section. This does not make shopping easy for those of us who just want to dance."

Perhaps a customer refiled 23 Skidoo in the abstract 12-inch section. Perhaps we had some in the rare groove 12-inches and in the rock reissue sections.

If you talked to one of us at the store, we might have been able to correct the mistake and make suggestions on similar music that you might need. We all refile records that have been misfiled daily, but we can't catch all of them.

John Friend Open Mind Music San Francisco

Deborah Giattina responds: I did ask.

Bulb booster

I would like to add a couple of things to the article on the Albany Bulb ["Outlaw Art," 6/5/02].

One is that the Bulb is one of the last – if not the last – places in the East Bay that people can go to "get away" from the city. It provides a quiet place to walk and enjoy the incredible view of the west bay skyline, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, and the San Francisco skyline. The overwhelming majority of people who frequent the Bulb have absolutely nothing to do with Sniff except that they enjoy the added unique quality of their work.

The recent article stated that, "It's a place where dogs still roam off-leash and where outlaws and outcasts have found a home." There are hardly ever any problems with off-leash dogs. Almost every dog owner who takes their dogs there is very responsible. More important, however, was the comment about "outlaws and outcasts." I have never seen any drug use or violence or anything of that nature there. In fact, nearly everybody I have seen there seems to be of the professional type.