Low blow: As always when portraying a controversial figure or group, I see the New Times has apparently managed to dredge up an extreme critic of Ina Gregory's Quodoushka workshops in the course of writing its feature article on Harley Reagan ("Sacred Orgasm," Susy Buchanan, June 13). I'm not sure how Ms. Buchanan even managed to find a person like "Lucy," but from having attended several of the workshops myself, I can point to any number of comments she made that were inaccurate, irrelevant, or thoroughly slanted in their gist. The workshops I've experienced bore little resemblance to the one described in the article.
The existence of such a person is not the real point, however.
People will inevitably be uncomfortable learning about sex in a different way than how their parents taught them as children. A few such people will become highly disturbed by the experience and for this reason would make unreliable sources of information. Simply taking note of Lucy's apparent shock at the concept of (gasp!) nudity in a workshop devoted to human sexuality will tell you something. Expecting a person in that state to give a useful description of Quodoushka after the fact would be like asking a Donner Party survivor to rate the charms of a winter vacation in Tahoe.
What would be a lot more revealing would be to poll the whole population of folks who've been through a Quodoushka in order to demonstrate just how extreme an aberration "Lucy" really is. And how many people feel just the opposite: If I had a nickel for every person I've personally seen approach Ina and inquire about sponsoring a Quodoushka in their home city, or how they could join her and become trained to teach the material themselves, or who simply broke down and cried while describing how touched and empowered they felt from attending, I suspect I could give a refund to "Lucy" and anyone else in her sorry boat and still have a tidy profit left over to keep for myself.
Frederick Scott
Phoenix
Freaking out: Yesterday I was walking out of Burger King on base and saw the New Times cover and it caught my attention. Just like any old male pervert that sees sexual innuendoes in headlines, I figured I would pick it up and read this article, and I was glad that I did.
The New Times has always been good about creative journalism. Granted, there are the fair share of articles that say absolutely nothing, but this one caught my attention in other ways. It was very informative, and the fact that you did a lot of research into where this freak of nature came from impressed me. And rarely do I see in conventional journalism the candidness that you portrayed in your writing. Very good article, and very well presented.
I'm curious as to what your personal opinion is on the information that you presented. I have formed my own opinion based on what you have written and find him to be a fruitcake with a capital fruitcake.
Shon A. Shearer
Luke AFB
Danger zone: Are you sure you didn't make this guy up? Old Harley is nuttier than a 20-pound fruitcake. This guy wouldn't know the truth if it hit him upside the head with a sledgehammer.
Overall, Susy Buchanan did a nice job on "Sacred Orgasm," but I found the article somewhat confusing and meandering. However, she presented Swift Deer in his true environment. This flake surrounds himself with other antisocials, such as the porn star, and is such a BS artist that he has managed to brainwash these people into believing his lies.
Swift Deer Reagan is one-third Adolf Hitler, one-third Jim Jones and one-third David Koresh. In other words, this man is extremely dangerous. He appears to have a large enough following of lunatics to start his own version of the Branch Davidians, and the thought of that scares the daylights out of me. Thanks for the warning.
Glen Chern
Mesa
The Futurist
Genetic transformation: Even with all his wealth and power, Richard Mallery could not save his nutritionally fit wife of 38 years from cancer ("Romancing the Genome," John Dougherty, June 6).
Because of people like him, 100 years from now, history will look back on today's cancer treatment of "cut, burn and poison" and regard it as barbaric, just as we do now with past practices of bleeding and leeches.
Just one question. How does my sister become one of the 10,000 selected for his proposed program?
Karen Rushing
Phoenix
Baseball Blues
Sports nut: It is an excellent idea for the fans to take a stand against all of the deep-pocketed hypocrites that run professional sports, especially baseball ("Strike Out," Robert Nelson, June 13). The one thing that you overlooked was the impact that a strike would have on all of the "little" people that earn their living in and around the ballpark. I work part-time at a place near the ballpark, and I know that a guy making the league minimum would still have a better bank balance than I would if that strike happens.
I apologize for rambling and venting at you, but it seems to get harder and harder to be a sports fan these days.
Tom Miner
Tempe
Fragmented Sentence
Weighty issues: "Scales of Injustice" (Robert Nelson, June 6) was an excellent article. Unfortunately, I don't think the general population here is of an intellectual capacity (their processors are too slow, or maybe they've been out in the sun too long without head protection) to recognize that such injustice exists.
My impression of the citizens of Arizona since moving here 4.5 years ago is that they exemplify those that W.C. Fields referred to in one of his more famous quotes: "Never underestimate the stupidity of the American (Arizonian) public, they are dumber than you think."
I really don't understand why an organization like the ACLU isn't hot on this, on the basis of the equal protection clause of the Constitution. I suppose they are too busy sending all the solicitations I keep getting in the mail.
Keep up the good work you are doing to shine a light in the dark places. I would say the more howls you get from most of the local public, the better you are doing to approach the truth — the last thing many want to hear or see revealed.
Dave Keeler
Gilbert
Copping out: When I sent out correspondence regarding this vicinity one time, I made a typo that resulted in "Maricops" county, and now I don't think it was entirely unintentional. In the nearly six years I've resided in Arizona, I have never seen any place that's just more crawling with law enforcement than Phoenix and its suburbs. The sirens blare constantly in my neighborhood, and yet one still cannot get the fuzz to stop guys around me from beating their women.
So it comes as no surprise that Maricops County Prostitutor [sic] (P)Rick Romley wants to maintain his high profile (and reelection potential) by flaunting his "law 'n' rootin' tootin' order" agenda. Same for Janet Napolitano: She claims to be pro-reproductive rights for women, but when she goes to testify before the Supreme Court to keep state-sanctioned executions intact, why should she earn my vote? With this attitude being flogged on the public, no wonder it has a plethora of exploitative television that's lasted 10 years — Law & Order, America's Most Wanted, plus the multitude of judge shows that permeate daytime TV.
But this is George W. Bush's Amerikkka, remember? I don't care about what happened on September 11 last year, and if a load of NYC police died during the WTC collapse, well then, it was just their job. Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H once said, "Heroics just get people killed," and I agree. Why glorify neanderthals who sodomize their captives or gun them down with 41 bullets?
I am having my third mental breakdown since I moved here, and it's no small wonder why when I see how hostile the inhabitants are around here. When I get the opportunity and employment, I am moving back to Michigan and blowing this sand stand. I've had enough of it, and let me just flip this place off with my middle finger held high.
Nick Foster
Phoenix
