Ray Woodley
Phoenix

Teen Spirit
I must take issue with M. V. Moorhead's comments regarding Welcome to the Dollhouse ("Nerd Mentality," July 11). Helpless rage is a lifelong facet of the human condition--and is by no means confined to adolescence.

I'm stunned that Moorhead would slam John Hughes' The Breakfast Club as a "fantasy-fulfillment." To me, it's one of the most profound films of the 1980s.

Welcome to the Dollhouse is fatally flawed--in part, because it fails to address vital questions: e.g., why are the protagonist's parents so unbelievably dense (and lazy) in the upgrading of their daughter's glasses, hair style, wardrobe, social skills, etc.?

For me, Kids is a far more honest film.
Theodore Stump
Glendale

Meating Adjourned
As a vegetarian, I applaud RoxSand Scocos' philosophy, and that of John Robbins, whose book Diet for a New America is based on a great deal of legitimate research ("Menu for a Small Planet," June 6).

I always consider the source and who signs the paycheck for "reviews" and "studies." That the National Cattlemen's Association requested the Texas A&M report automatically destroys its credibility and brands it biased. I am instantly suspicious of the exploiters and their ulterior motives.

It is pseudoscience, not science, that is deceptively used to defend human violation of the environment and animals. Government "standards" are erroneously based on invalid animal experiments (vivisection) and the greedy manipulation of vested interests such as the powerful cattle industry. Government agencies are notorious for outdated misinformation, ruthlessly advocating and mandating brutal, archaic practices while ignorantly refusing to accept or implement progressive and beneficial methodology for both people and animals.

Here are some scientific facts: The human animal has the long intestine of a vegetarian, not the short bowel of a carnivore. Therefore, humans were not designed to eat meat, which leads to the accumulation of dangerous toxins in the intestines and other parts of the body.

I fully support the welcome conversion of chefs to humane and healthy cuisine.

Donna Worthington
Mesa

Think Pink
The Fifester calling for "strict juvenile justice" is like Elvis calling for mandatory drug testing ("The Endgame," June 20). Arizona's poster boy for the ethically challenged makes me wonder how an albino aristocrat will look in pink boxer shorts.

RTM
via Internet