Saab Lofton's column ran its course at CL

Now that your self-loathing white readers are done gushing about Saab Lofton and his overdue departure, I thought the other side should chime in. Although I haven't read him in a long time -- because he's like a broken record -- I know the gist of all his rantings, which is basically that everything bad is whitey's fault.

I have no problem with him saying what he wants; I just didn't read him anymore. Maybe the new powers-that-be at Stephens Media just decided their money could be better spent on more reasonable writers that would appeal to their targeted demographic.

STEVE RICHARD

Equal parenting bill truly a cure-all

The bill SB109 (equal parenting legislation) would solve so many problems. It would reduce the urge to divorce -- mostly for women, as wherever the children are, so goes the house and most of the noncustodial income. It would unclog the family court systems and would greatly increase parental cooperation. Our current system places children in the middle of adults who for whatever reason can't agree. Children should not be leverage tools to manipulate the other parent. The bill would put children first, not just the interests of one of the parents.

This is something I know firsthand. I have an 11-year-old daughter and I share custody of her with her mother here in Nevada. My daughter has the benefit of having an adult female presence and an adult male presence in her life, which gives her the well-rounded outlook she needs to grow and become a benefit to society. She is a very well-adjusted and happy child.

I know the other side of the story as well. I have 2 little boys. They are from another marriage. I net 30 cents on the dollar after child support. I can only see my sons on their mother's terms. Our antiquated system has turned me into a visitor in their lives. My son is having emotional and physical problems now that did not exist until I was ripped from their lives by our current divorce and custody laws. I am fighting tooth and nail to be an equal parent in their lives, but it is extremely difficult, time-consuming and expensive. I hope that the media will start covering these all-too-important issues destroying little ones' lives and turning fathers into punching bags and visitors to their own children.

STEVEN KENNEDY

The best damn letter we received all week!

Geoff Schumacher made a great point that our country is being subjected to a movement of tyranny and hypocrisy that would make the days of McCarthyism seem like Alice in Wonderland ["The Religious Wrong," April 7]. From the Schiavo case to the new attack on our governmental system by way of eliminating the filibuster in the Senate for selection of federal judges, our own nation as a whole is being subjected to a removal of our democracy so a Christian theocracy will be our rule of law. We question the nations that are ruled by Islamic law, such as Iran and the former Taliban government of Afghanistan, but when people like President Bush, Rep. Tom Delay and Sen. Bill Frist are making policy decisions based on Christianity as opposed to Americanism -- freedom of speech, justice, liberty, separation of church and state and the pursuit of happiness -- our country is being subjected to a kind of fascism not seen in some 70 years in Europe.

There is a cultural war in our country. Schumacher points out the very problem of this cultural war. Our country is being attacked from within like a cancer. When a theocratic government such as one based on Islam or Christianity comes into power, the people go backwards both in economics and science. When countries are ruled indirectly by way of control through the clerics in organized religion, there is a loss of liberty, freedom of thought and speech with the end result of tyranny.

Every government over the last 2,000 years that was based on Christianity was and is autocratic, carrying out torture, imprisonment and death on those who did not conform to "Christian principles." Look at the very threats that the Christian right has made toward our judges and those who don't agree to their political and religious philosophy.

ANDREW FEDER

Editor's note: Each week, CityLife selects its favorite letter. This week's winner is courtesy of Andrew Feder. For submitting the letter of the week, Feder wins an audio CD of Jarret Keene's book of poetry Monster Fashion.