August 19, 2004

Skin color not problem in mall's loitering teens

For a number of years Aurora Mall had a problem: It was not a pleasant place to shop. Almost every time I set foot in the place there was a gang of offensively dressed young people congregating in or around the mall usually acting in a loud, rowdy or even menacing manner.

Advertisement

If I had owned the mall, I would have been concerned about how much business I was losing because the people who were willing and able to spend money in my tenants' shops weren't willing to be subjected to such an environment. So it was not surprising to me that the owner of the mall, very wisely in my opinion, began increasing security patrols and enforcing loitering restrictions. These actions have begun to improve the ambience of the mall immensely.

It would be a shame if this improved atmosphere were destroyed and the owners of the mall were forced to pay legalized "extortion" because some silly person working for them thought (and stated so to a television news person) that the predominant skin color of the young persons engaging in this behavior was in any way a relevant factor in either the mall's problem or in the owner's solution to this problem ("Groups take Aurora Mall to task," Aug. 12 and "Mall, black leaders agree to terms," Aug. 13).

I would also tell the owner of the Aurora Mall that he has every right to run his mall in whatever fashion he thinks will garner him the most profit, and that I seriously doubt the color of a person's skin has any more bearing on that activity than the color of a person's hair or the color of a person's eyes. Furthermore, if I were the owner of the mall I would politely tell any organization who thinks skin color is in any way relevant to my operation of the mall, either for good or for ill, to go fly a kite.

Russell W. Shurts
Centennial

Shallow educational research misleading

It's always interesting to see how the Manhattan Institute pushes right-wing agendas through the support of slanted research. Jay Greene's interpretation of how K-12 education shows no improvement despite ever increasing expenditures is another example of agenda-driven shallow educational research ("Making education spending really pay off," Aug. 12). Greene suggests scores are flat, which is correct only if one looks at performance for all students. However, a more thorough researcher, such as David Berliner, presents an entirely different interpretation.

Minority and second-language students represent an increasing percentage of school-age populations every year, and their performance has been steadily improving. The scores of white students are also improving, though much more slowly than for other groups. Because of the well-known gaps between white students and other populations, as minority numbers rise, the scores for all students can remain flat or even drop while the scores for all subgroups improve.

In a period when federal reporting requirements disaggregate data, conservatives who don't report subgroup gains across the board are distorting the reality of school improvement across the nation.

Perhaps interviewer Linda Seebach could give a call to other educational researchers for another point of view on how schools across the nation are actually succeeding in ways that are masked by simplistic data analysis from those who propose a market solution to problems, as do Greene and the Manhattan Institute.

Brian Preston
White Plains, N.Y.

Era of service to end on Georgetown Loop RR

On Oct. 3, an era of more than 30 years will end at the Georgetown Loop railroad. The current operator, prevented from continuing its fine record of operation by the irresponsible actions of the Colorado Historical Society, will pack up its locomotives, passenger and freight cars, shop equipment, track equipment and employees and leave Clear Creek County.

The Colorado Historical Society claims it will find a reputable operator for the 2005 season and beyond. In fact, the process of finding a new operator is so flawed that it is highly likely that no qualified operator has even applied for the contract. The bumbling actions of CHS will cause severe damage to the economy of Clear Creek County.

What could happen is that someone with inadequate funding and no experience operating a steam-powered narrow-gauge mountain railroad will attempt to open the 2005 season with volunteer, untrained staff running patched-together locomotives and cars. The risk of accidents and injuries is high. I for one will not risk my family's safety on such an operation. It is certain that priceless, irreplaceable artifacts of Colorado's railroad heritage will be damaged and destroyed.

Before the Colorado Historical Society damages a Colorado treasure beyond repair, its motives should be investigated and a neutral party brought in to arbitrate the renewal of the contract with the current operator. The public trust deserves no less.

Scott Hightower
Broomfield

News goes too far in use of anorexic model

I was more than a little disturbed by the photo of the woman gracing the cover of the News' Aug. 12 Spotlight section ("Classical Greek: Styles for your inner goddess"). It really appears that this pretty young model is borderline anorexic. Look at her: She's lost nearly all her body fat and muscle mass, and the prominence of her veins would be the envy of any bodybuilder.

For better or for worse, models embody society's ideal of beauty. If we accept anorexia as representing that ideal, then aspiring models should learn to accept the cessation of menstruation, reduced bone growth, a heightened risk of heart failure, and a variety of other medical dangers as job-related hazards. They should also know that anorexia is a serious life-threatening illness.

Had I been the editor of this section, it would have been my sad duty to nix the photos. If possible, I also would have tried to see to it that this poor woman receive some sort of treatment. In any event, someone should care enough about her to intervene. (It also wouldn't hurt to tell her, "Your agency couldn't care less about your health - you should dump them in a hurry.")

For years many have complained that the media creates a standard of beauty that is nearly impossible for women to live up to. I believe this Spotlight section cover photo goes one step beyond. In the spirit of the Olympics, would it have hurt to present a healthy, physically fit model?

Jeff Zoerner
Denver

The News' use of an anorexic girl as a symbolic Greek goddess in its Aug. 12 Spotlight fashion spread was unforgivable.

The sticklike arms with the veins and tendons standing out, the shapeless broomstick legs, and finally a close up of the depressed face with dark hollows below the eyes. You have successfully reinforced the belief of thousands of anorexics and anorexics-to-be that they are way too fat.

How about a little responsibility from you fashion mavens? It's not impossible to find attractive models who don't reinforce the notion that you must be sickly skinny to be attractive.

Gerald W. Moore
Denver

'Rape shield law' made a farce by Bryant judge

Colorado's "rape shield law" is just one great big farce. The judge in the Kobe Bryant case has shown that any Colorado law can be just ignored without any consequences. The rapists are just laughing and the victims will think twice before reporting any future rapes or else they will have their whole sexual history exposed.

With this precedent, a prostitute, a very sexually active woman or just any woman can be raped without the rapist fearing any reports to the authorities. "No" means no or am I wrong! The Colorado "rape shield law" has absolutely no teeth with judges interpreting laws as they see fit. Pity the poor rape victim in this state unless they are willing to have their whole life plastered across the media.

Rape is rape, regardless of the victim's sexual history. How about a media report on the past sexual activities of Kobe Bryant to appease the victim?

Pity the poor rape victims in the future. Whether a rape victim had sex just prior to or after the attack is absolutely not important!

Jon Takata
Thornton

Americans are best defined by diversity

The Aug. 7 letter, "Christian Founders gave us our country," is based upon a false assertion: America was not founded as a Christian nation.

Nowhere in the Constitution is the word "Christian" used. If anything, the Founders bent over backward trying to make sure that the people could worship however they chose: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . . " (First Amendment).

It seems clear to me that the Continental Congress did not wish to favor any one religion over others or, equally bad, have the government interfering with a person's right to worship as they choose.

Our Founding Fathers - Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, etc. - were not evangelical Christians. Jefferson, for example, was a deist, believing in a God of nature, but not a God who was personally involved in men's lives. They were careful not to put us all under one tent. Diversity best defines us. Let's not forget it.

Mel Singer
Denver

Geography lesson

News media critic Dave Kopel needs a basic lesson in geography. In his column of Aug. 13, "Kerry's Cambodia troubles ignored," he wrote: ". . . the Mekong Delta is adjacent to the Pacific Ocean and is nowhere near Cambodia." His point is that Sen. John Kerry was lying when he said he was in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

As any student of geography knows, a delta, like the Greek capital letter for which it is named, is shaped like a triangle. In this case, only the base of that triangle is adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Its apex reaches to the Cambodian border, a distance of about 100 miles from the base; so it is entirely possible that Kerry could have been in Cambodia while patroling the Mekong delta.

Kopel is going to have to do better in order to debunk Kerry's war record.

Richard Detsch
Pinecliffe

Skyline is welcoming

After reading her column of July 31, "Old Skyline lies beneath the new," I have a memo for Mary Voelz Chandler: Get over it!

After seven years of discussions, 10 months of meetings, downtown Denver finally has three blocks of attractive open space combining greenery, sculptures and seating for refreshments and a spot to read or just people-watch.

Instead of continuing to criticize, why not take a positive approach and enlist support to complete the project. The park is already attracting lunchtime folk and strollers who formerly avoided entering what was once an uninviting area.

To the citizens of Denver: Come on down and enjoy!

Jane Buxbaum
Denver

Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.