Letters

Breathless in Houston

I just finished reading your article “Drowning on Dry Land” [by Wendy Grossman, February 3]. I found it interesting, and it backs up a couple of theories I had about asthma.

I have had asthma since I was a baby. My mother could probably give you more details, since she was the one who always took me to the hospital. Whenever I got my asthma attacks, they usually hit really hard. They always turned into overnight stays and often forced me to sleep in oxygen tents. They became so bad so quickly that we never really had the chance to utilize my primary care physician because I lived in the emergency room.

From 1990 to early 1999 I had maybe two asthma attacks. I thought I had grown out of it. I exercised on a regular basis. Around last August I started having asthma symptoms that I could not get rid of. They were so bad that my doctor referred me to an allergist, who in turn advised me that I was allergic to everything that floats in the air, and it was getting to the point where now I was getting rashes on my skin. Still, I refuse to take allergy shots because I feel like I have made it this long without them.

Now I’m dependent on an inhaler every day. Exercise is a major task. Sometimes walking the four blocks from my car to my office downtown is a big challenge. I choose to believe something is happening with the Houston weather. Maybe it’s the smog or something. I mean, how does a healthy 27year-old go from not having any symptoms to being inhaler-dependent in a matter of months? It’s the worst at night. My doctor, and the allergist at McGovern, have both prescribed Flovent and another like it, but am I going to have to be dependent on that for the rest of my life?

Lillie Argullard

Houston

Carrying the Torch

It appears that once again a small assembly of self-righteous, self-serving hatemongers have decided that the First Amendment is there only for them and their agenda of politics disguised as religion [“Where Angels Fear to Tread,” by Cynthia Greenwood, January 20]. My Bible says quite eloquently to “love thy neighbor.” It doesn’t say that God hates any particular group. But if you really wanted to expand on that concept, one could certainly include the Lindale group that exposed innocent children on their way to Sunday school to obscene slogans and threats.

This was not an elementary school that put on the play, it was college students; students certainly old enough to deal with the more risqué elements of the work.

Bravo to the drama department, Professor Caldwell and the administration of Kilgore College for not backing down under what must have been enormous pressure. Shame on the small minds and shame on the Commissioners Court for reacting with their pocketbooks. In lieu of the Shakespeare festival for entertainment, those two groups can co-sponsor a book burning. Yeah, right in the middle of downtown Kilgore. Buy your fireside ticket now and bring that copy of Tom Sawyer you’ve been meaning to dispose of.

Sabrina C. Newlin

Houston

The quote by Baptist pastor W.N. Otwell caught my eye. “God does hate. God wouldn’t create hell if he didn’t hate.”

The first thing to run through my mind is that this “pastor” doesn’t know his Bible very well. Six things that God hates are listed at Proverbs 6:16. Psalm 11:5 mentions that he hates violence as well. But God does not hate anybody, or he wouldn’t desire everybody to attain repentance. He hates the bad actions people take, though.

The Bible doesn’t even speak of a fiery hell of torment. That’s just a tradition started in ancient civilizations that has been passed down through the world’s false churches and by Bible translators that have allowed personal beliefs to taint their translations. Instead, death is simply death. These protesting church members are simply out of line.

The Bible plainly states that homosexuality is a sin and unclean according to God; I agree with this. But somehow I just don’t see Jesus and the apostles ever picketing outside of wrongdoers’ functions. What purpose does it serve, besides narcissistic posturing?

This is just another example of how degraded and full of false teachers today’s churches have become. The blind leading the blind.

J.C.R. Davis

Stafford

Pigskin Justice

Your article was excellent [Insider, by Tim Fleck, January 20]. I personally have known Chief Hess since 1986. I was on the UH audit staff for five years. My only complaint about George was he would never permit me to buy lunch.

I know that Chief Hess exemplifies the virtues that a major university should be teaching: honesty, ethics and morality. I am an alumnus of the university and a 15-year century club member.

As a CPA I feel when you take an oath and have a code of conduct that requires you to follow the law, you have no choice but to do so. I guess Chancellor Smith has no ethics. For my money, Smith should be fired, not Hess. A university should stand for important things in life, not protection of criminals. What a wonderful message Smith gives us: Football criminals are to be shielded as the jury did for O.J.

Thank you again for the excellent coverage.

W. Jay Barth

Houston

“Dis” Jockeys

We’ve all chuckled at harmless jokes about Frito pie being gourmet food in Port Arthur or taking driver’s education on a tractor in Beaumont. It’s healthy to be able to laugh at ourselves. The fact that Texans have a lot to be proud of and confident about allows us to have the last laugh. Usually.

For the last few years KPRC, a radio station obligated by regulation to be a service to the community, has been anything but. Promotion of conservative, fundamentalist views is welcome in the market of ideas [“God’s Plan,” by Richard Connelly, August 25, 1999]. KPRC’s approach is akin to brain surgery with a chain saw. There is nothing delicate in the way they push their agenda.

There is no gray at KPRC. Just black or white, right or wrong. This pompous piety produces memorable statements such as:

“Democrats are just Communists with a different name.” “My producer says killing Egyptians was a good thing. Ha-ha-ha.” “Well, I’m sorry, they [Hindus and Buddhists] aren’t a Godly people.” “Yes, Jews are going to hell, unless they accept Jesus.”

What was formerly a station that provided news, community information and respectful discussion of issues has become the forum in which stereotypes are made.

Houston deserves better. Maybe a No Insult Friday would be in order? I doubt they could pull it off. Radio stations used to employ disc jockeys. KPRC uses “dis” jockeys. Bubbas and bigots now have a station to call their own.

Keven J. Barron

Houston