Letters

Doubting Thomas

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I’ve watched with bemusement as the question of whether the author of our cover story, “The naked truth,” Caitlin Thomas, should call herself a feminist has played out on our letters page. Here’s my take— not because Thomas is my friend, even though she is, nor because I’ve seen her dance, because I haven’t—but because nobody seems to recognize the obvious in this discussion.

By one definition, a feminist is someone who supports equal rights and opportunities for women. Another says it’s an organizer of activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.

So the question is, can she be a stripper anda feminist?

I’ve seen Susan Sarandon take her top off in movies, and she’s widely known as a feminist.

I’ve seen 10,000 women take their clothes off at Burning Man, while the men—mostly strangers—gawk. These women call themselves “empowered.”

I’ve seen local women take their tops off for photographs that have hung in local bars. They call themselves “artists.”

What about the Boho group? It’d be difficult to call those women exploited or demure.

I’ve seen two women take ecstasy and have sex at a party while men looked on. At least one calls herself “sexually liberated.”

To my mind, the power and reward in half of these examples flows only in one direction—from the women to the men. Isn’t that masculine exploitation?

In my experience, it’s the person getting the benefit who’s doing the exploiting. If Thomas is “objectifying” the men who see her topless, as she says, then that strikes me as an equal business deal. She’s a founding member of at least two campus groups that work on behalf of women, which would mean she’s done more to advance women’s interests than the majority of people I know.

The people who object to Caitlin Thomas identifying herself as a feminist appar to want to tell women, and Thomas in particular, what acceptable feminism is. And that’s the patriarchal definition, where men don’t get exploited.

D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

Eyes wide shut

Re “Empty Reno” (Arts & Culture, April 19):

So the author leaves for two years, then comes back, talks crap about my city, acts like an expert though he was absent for two years, and while he was gone, the rest of us were working hard to improve Reno. He notices one empty strip mall, and all of a sudden, Reno is desolate and empty. He could not be more detached from this community! Never mind the now-2-year-old national trend of cities of all sizes contracting back to their centers, right? Because Reno has some empty ‘60s chic strip mall on the fringes of town, the whole city is empty and desolate? That’s as inaccurate as saying tourists don’t come to Reno anymore despite over 4 million tourists visiting last year. I would suggest the author venture out of his suburban bubble a bit and explore Midtown and downtown, both of which are bustling with businesses and residents, and perhaps think twice about calling Reno desolate as a whole just because his own neighborhood is. Mike Van Houten Reno

Friends

Re “Range life” (Musicbeat, April 19):

I’ll admit that I’ve suffered through enough of Brad Bynum’s writing in this paper to already have formed a pretty crappy opinion of it, but his review of The Harvest and The Hunt finally incensed me enough to write a response. Why? His assertions on the metal genre. In his article, Mr. Bynum boasts that “metal bands especially tend to set their levels and rip ahead at a constant unchanging tempo.”

I think we can all classify Black Sabbath as a “metal” band, many would argue the first. From the first song, “Black Sabbath,” on their first album, Black Sabbath, they employ more dynamics than I’ve heard for years out of other genres. It doesn’t stop there. From Judas Priest to Iron Maiden, from Metallica to Sepultura, and even newer death metal bands such as Spawn of Possession and Ulcerate, the metal genre has been all over the dynamic spectrum, oftentimes in the same song. Perhaps Bynum should stick to writing what he knows, which from what I’ve gathered from his writings is talking about himself. He doesn’t know metal and should quit posin’like he does. On a positive note, I have enjoyed David Preston’s recent restaurant reviews. Perhaps the other writers of this paper could learn something from him. For a start, maybe talking about the food instead of themselves and their friends.

Trent Parker Reno

Shipped out

Re “Asinking ship” (Arts & Culture, April 19):

The Dennis Myers piece about the Titanic was an interesting read. There is, however, another Nevada connection to the doomed ship. With more than 300 bodies still floating in the Atlantic, White Star Line, owners of the Titanic, moved quickly to recover as many bodies as possible. One of the first calls they made was to the Commercial Cable Company in Halifax, Nova Scotia, owners of the cable ship, Mackay-Bennett. It was built in 1884 and was financed by Comstock millionaire John Mackay and New York newspaper published James Gordon Bennett Jr.

The ship spent seven days on the scene and recovered 306 bodies, one of which was New York financier John Jacob Astor. They also recovered Titanic crew member Joseph Dawson who was taken to Halifax for burial. Dawson became the fictional Jack Dawson played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1997 film Titanic. The MackayBennett was eventually taken out of service in 1922 and was finally scrapped in 1965. John Mackay became the richest man in the history of Virginia City’s famed Comstock Lode. He died in London in July 1902, 10 years before the Titanic tragedy never knowing the important part his ship played in one of the greatest maritime disasters of all time.

Chic DiFrancia Virginia City

Who’s your daddy?

Re “The naked truth” (Feature story, March 29):

I really feel sorry for you folks down there at RN&R, with your choice to run that Caitlin Thomas thing.

Following immediately on the heels of the Rush Limbaugh misogyny scandal, you must have realized, “Hey, this sex thing really gets people’s attention.”

As for Caitlin herself, she’s just a fatherless kid trying to hustle a buck, exploiting the male sex drive while being exploited herself. So what?

The real issue is that the staff of the RN&R needed something to play “shock jock” with ... to get everyone riled up. How boring, how pathetic of you.

Natalie Merchant sang it best in “Candy everybody wants”: “If lust and hate is the candy, if blood and love taste so sweet, then we give ’em what they want.”

Have your ad revenues gone up yet, boys?

C. Rosamond Reno

Oversight

Re “Vinyl fetish” (Musicbeat, April 19):

Pretty disappointing that Discology barely got a mention in your Record Store Day piece, especially since it’s been involved in the event longer than all of the other participating stores in Reno combined. I guess if businesses want to get featured in your paper, they need to advertise in it. Austin Anderson Reno

Tax in the road

Re “Getting your money’s worth for your taxes” (Streetalk, April 12):

I was surprised by the responses to your Streetalk question, “Getting your money’s worth for your taxes?” as only one out of the five responded positively. I know that I have access to fire and police protection 24/7, along with access to paramedic services through the Fire Department. I have roads to drive on, both locally and nationally with attendant safety features; traffic signs and lights are not free. My granddaughter is being educated, as were my son and I. I spent a lot of time in private schools that in retrospect were more interested in bolstering the religious aspects of the curriculum than critical thinking. Both my son and I enjoyed higher education. Although it was expensive, it was less so due to tax support.

I also benefit indirectly from public education because it ensures that my fellow citizens in the community have had some training in a variety of fields considered essential to the health and well being of our shared community. Without this basic education, our communities would have citizens with out basic critical thinking or communication skills.

Regulation gets a bad rap, but my tax dollars ensure that when I buy a product from a grocery store, it meets basic standards of purity, and it accurately lists ingredients. Regulation supported by tax dollars also helps protect me from criminal entrepreneurs and dishonest business practices. My tax dollars fund the court system and the penal system allowing me to feel safer in my community and in dealing with business.

My tax money also provides me protection from aggression by foreign powers through the armed forces. These brave men and women form the finest defensive force in the world. (It is not their fault if they are utilized to re-establish international oil companies in lucrative positions, a horribly indecent use of my tax dollars.)

My taxes have helped fund basic scientific research that continually opens up new areas of knowledge and contributes to the amazing technological revolution that has done so much to my world in a positive way.

My list could continue. I am disappointed that your respondents do not share my views. I feel that I get far more from my tax dollar than I get from any other area of my personal expenditures.

Trey O’Brien via email

Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages people to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor/Publisher D. Brian Burghart News Editor Dennis Myers Arts Editor Brad Bynum Special Projects Editor Ashley Hennefer Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Photographer Amy Beck Contributors Amy Alkon, Megan Berner, Matthew Craggs, Mark Dunagan, Marvin Gonzalez, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Dave Preston, Jessica Santina, K.J. Sullivan, Bruce Van Dyke Design Manager Kate Murphy Art Director Priscilla Garcia Associate Art Director Hayley Doshay Editorial Designer India Curry Design Brennan Collins, Marianne Mancina, Mary Key, Skyler Smith, Melissa Arendt Art Director at Large Don Button, Andrea Diaz-Vaughn Advertising Consultants Gina Odegard, Matt Odegard, Bev Savage Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Office/Distribution Manager/ Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker Assistant Distribution Manager Ron Neill Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Jesse Pike, John Miller, Martin Troye, David Richards, Warren Tucker, Matthew Veach, Neil Lemerise, Russell Moore General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Credit and Collections Manager Renee Briscoe Business Zahida Mehirdel, Shannon McKenna Systems Manager Jonathan Schultz Systems Support Specialist Joe Kakacek Web Developer/Support Specialist John Bisignano 708 North Center Street Reno, NV 89501 Phone (775) 324-4440 Fax (775) 324-4572 Classified Fax (916) 498-7940 Mail Classifieds & Talking Personals to N&R Classifieds, Reno Edition, 1015 20th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 or e-mail classifieds@newsreview.com Web site www.newsreview.com Printed by Paradise Post The RN&R is printed using recycled newsprint whenever available. Editorial Policies Opinions expressed in the RN&Rare those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. The RN&Ris not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form. Cover illustration: Melissa Bernard Feature story design: Hayley Doshay

THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW

Blink or you’ll miss it

A certain member of the editorial staff here at the RN&R needs only travel a few blocks to get from the home to the office. It’s a distance that really should just be walked, were an extra hour of sleep not such an appealing proposition, or biked, were the bicycle not in dire need of a tune-up. Perhaps by Bike to Work Week, May 14 to May 18, the bicycle will be unearthed, dusted off, aired up and ready for the streets. But for the time being, that short distance is driven in a car.

And it’s remarkable how, over the last couple of months, there seems to be innumerable variations and combinations of the unholy trifecta: road construction, convoluted detours and discourteous drivers. These three beasts arise each morning in horrific new forms. Like Gozer the Gozerian, they take different forms every time they arrive to destroy the morning mood. A15-block drive, almost entirely in a straight line, should be the same every morning, but, nope, every day it presents new frustrations. Sometimes Virginia Street is closed. Sometimes Evans Avenue is closed. Adrive that should take 10 minutes sometimes takes double that, which then provokes the ire of certain coworkers, who glance pointedly at their watches.

And the return trip can be just as bad, as drivers unsure how to merge, or how streetlights work, block Center Street from I-80 to Fifth Street.

Every local commuter has some variation of these frustrations. And they are bound to get worse in the coming months as road crews start tearing up the roads and building them anew. So this is our semi-annual plea to local drivers to keep cool heads. Remember that those road crews build the streets which are all that separate your car from the surefire flat tires of unpaved terrain. So be nice.

Be mindful of bicyclists and pedestrians. The weather’s nice, gas is expensive, and the local economy sucks, which means more people than ever are going to be out walking and biking. And inversely, pedestrians—and aren’t we all at some time or another?—be mindful of cars. Use the crosswalks. Don’t just go bolting out in the street like a suicidal squirrel.

And drivers, here’s a great technique for insuring road safety, recommended by numerous driving professionals. Most modern automobiles come equipped with something called turn signals. If your car doesn’t have turn signals, it’s recommended you get them installed. The operation of these signals is often easy and highly intuitive. Here’s a quick review, since we have noticed that many local drivers apparently don’t know how to operate them. There is generally some sort of lever attached to the steering column. You usually lift this lever up to indicate that you will soon be turning right and push it down to indicate that you will turn left. It’s easy and fun. It’s usually a good idea to do this a few moments before the turn—not halfway through—so that other drivers around you understand your intention to turn. Hopefully, this clears up the confusion on this practice that seems endemic among local drivers.

Also, the signs that indicate “speed limit” followed by a number are there to direct you, by law, how fast you’re allowed to drive. Driving faster than these posted speed limits—or “breaking the speed limit”—is illegal and could potentially endanger pedestrians, including children and animals, and other drivers. Ω

Do you trust your doctor?

Asked along the Truckee River

Jim Marren

Financial advisor Yes. He’s an honest doctor who’s been practicing medicine for many years.

Michael Oppelt

Retiree Sort of. I guess it would depend on what the situation was. … I have a sleeping disorder, and I’ve had to switch doctors before.

Debbie Graham

Limousine driver Yes. I like her, and she’s knowledgeable, and she’s young and Indian, and so I feel like she has the latest technology. … She’s open to new ideas. She listens to me and now she’s telling other people things that we’ve discussed that help them as well as helping me.

Grace Greenspan

Restaurant hostess I do, because she has a medical license, and I don’t. I trust my doctor because she is very, very knowledgeable, and she gives it to me in layman’s terms as opposed to medical terms and gives me the understanding of all the information that I need. She’s really great.

Gary Sullivan

Retiree No. I got sick a year ago, lost a hundred pounds. They’ve done five biopsies on me. … I think she’s becoming a quack by just prescribe, prescribe, prescribe.