PUTTING UP DUKES
New hope for boxing in AZ: Your story is just another example of how [Arizona Senate Bill] 1070 is killing our economy. That and all the other redneck legislation that make Latinos of every stripe want to stay (or get) the hell out of our state ("Raging Babe," Monica Alonzo," May 12).
That Michele Rosado is trying to bring back professional boxing is admirable, and as the racists in our Legislature get slapped down more and more — as [state Senate president] Russell Pearce has been lately ("Arrogance Under Siege," Stephen Lemons, April 14) — she may well be successful.
You can see from the popularity of her première show that there's huge interest in the sport again. Truth is, Latinos are less afraid to come out and see a spectator sport these days than they were before [Maricopa County Sheriff] Joe Arpaio and Pearce got neutered (also see "Joe Knew").
Alejandro Rodriguez, Phoenix
The next Jackie Kallen? We'll see: Great story on Michele Rosado! She is starting out small in Phoenix, but maybe she really will be the next Jackie Kallen. She's certainly enough of a firecracker.
Al Lozano, Phoenix
A slight left turn: There is more to it than racist illegal-immigration laws when it comes to why boxing isn't as popular as it once was here and across the United States.
But, at least here in Phoenix, the crackers in the Legislature — as they have with so many other areas of our economy — have put pro boxing (as you said) "on the ropes."
I detect a slight turn to the left in Arizona, as more and more people see these racists for what they are: destroyers of our state's economy and good name.
Jorge Sanders, Phoenix
MMA is killing boxing: Anti-immigration is not what's killing Arizona boxing. It's the rise of mixed-martial-arts fighting.
After watching an MMA match, boxing looks rather pedestrian and anachronistic. Now, I compare the "sweet science" to watching women's pro basketball: It's okay, but nobody is going to pay to see it unless it's a big match.
Joel Z. Williams, Phoenix
Time to blame someone else: Perhaps if the majority of those coming here illegally were not from Mexico or other Spanish-speaking countries, then Hispanics could stop using [SB 1070] as another excuse to whine and complain.
When will Hispanics start blaming the illegal Hispanics for causing this mess instead of placing the blame on lawmakers?
Paul Houseknecht, city unavailable
Editor's note: The following two responses appeared in the comments section of the online version of "Raging Babe." The second is in response to the first.
Go back to your compound, Mark: Tougher immigration laws have nothing to do with it. MMA is 100 times more exciting than watching two boxers dance around.
Joke of an article. [The story] had nothing to do with a female boxing promoter and everything to do with the liberal agenda of providing amnesty to all the tatted-out gang members who occupy our country.
How 'bout this: Amnesty for those who can complete a criminal background search, have never received government financial assistance, and [can] show proof that an employer is willing to hire them.
Mark Spray, city unavailable
It's mostly Anglos who get "tats": My in-laws own tattoo parlors in Northern California and here in Arizona, and I can tell you that most people who come in for "tats" are citizens influenced by celebrities who get [them]: Kid Rock, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Tommy Lee.
Also, there are many more Anglo people who come in to get tattoos.
When I was in college, I worked at the Department of Economic Security (Family Assistance), and no one can get "welfare" without citizenship credentials. Here again, most of the people on welfare are white folks.
Hernandez Elisamaria, city unavailable
LYME SQUEEZE
Punish the snake-oil salesmen: The medical scammers you out in this story deserve to lose their licenses and more ("Lymeaid," Paul Rubin, May 6).
It's hard to believe that Arizona law allows a nurse practitioner, like Dana Rosdahl, to prescribe medicine like she is a real doctor. And that when she abuses the privilege, she can retain her joke of a license.
I hope the state medical board is reading this article and doing something about these snake-oil salesmen posing as medical doctors. Lyme disease in Arizona, my ass!
George Conway, Tucson
More about scamming than treating: These two snake-oil saleswomen [Rosdahl and Love] fit right into Arizona's wanting to turn back the clock to 1880. Everyone gets a gun and a bottle of laudanum! Yippy-ki-yay, motherfuckers!
The things that these two "nurses" do are not covered under insurance. Their business model is more in line with scamming people out of their money than with healthcare.
Tim Hanner, city unavailable
Seems kind of harsh, David: Can anyone seriously believe these crazy, evil women?
They tried to take everything from Alyssa Goodale. So all she had to focus on was how she was sick.
These two woman are surely going to burn in hell for this, and it puts a smile on my face knowing that. Manipulation can only be taken so far before your fraudulent side is exposed.
I propose that these idiotic women be stripped of their licenses, money, and belongings, and then forced to take every pill Alyssa did.
David Keipert, city unavailable
Parents need to take some responsibility, too: No one ever asks why the patient doesn't question a doctor who put her on 100 pills a day. You should be able to trust that doctors have your best interest in mind, but, frankly, you can't.
When [alleged medical professionals started] throwing words like "energy machine" around, [why] didn't this girl do her own research before shelling out $10,000 and ending up in the emergency room?
Before Lyme, I was diagnosed with Long QT syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, temporal lobe epilepsy, [and] cervical dystonia. When I did finally test positive for Lyme — after it had been allowed to fester and proliferate for seven years — it was through a run-of-the-mill blood test.
Then came testing positive for mycoplasma, babesia, Bartonella, and a parasite. Stories like yours are why I hesitate before telling people that I have chronic Lyme.
I don't see a naturopath or a homeopath or a witch doctor or anything like that. I see a medical doctor.
Of course it's wrong for doctors to use "energy machines" and parasite zappers and aromatherapy and whatever's trendy right now, but if you don't research your own healthcare, you get what's coming to you.
Ten grand over four months should have set off every alarm for those parents. Having been taken advantage of by doctors myself, I sympathize with [Alyssa Goodale's parents], but you cannot place all of the blame on clinicians in situations like this.
Emerson Ailidh, city unavailable
