Boxing Is a Sin

To the Editor:

Thanks for Ron Martin’s article on the morality

of boxing (“The Killing Field,” May 16th issue). If

people were honest, they would acknowledge that boxing is

a serious sin and morally wrong. To deliberately

intend serious harm to another human being cannot be

justified by anyone claiming the Christian faith.

Would that pulpits would denounce this cruelty as

vigorously as they denounce abortion and not accepting Jesus.

Ray Berthiaume

Memphis

Familiar Pig?

To the Editor:

Is that the Leonard’s Pit Bar-B-Que pig on the

cover of your May 16th issue? If not, who is it? I’m 47

years old and have lived in Memphis all my life, and I

know I’ve seen it somewhere.

John Scott

Memphis

Editor’s note: The pig photo was downloaded from a

national photography service. It is not a local pig as far as we know. It

did, however, scare the bejeezus out of our art director, Carrie

Beasley, who used it only because the editor liked it.

A Quote From Arthur

To the Editor:

In his highly informative interview with

AC Wharton (Politics, May 16th issue), Jackson

Baker quoted Wharton as saying, “I hope nobody will

take my preference for civility and sticking to the issues

to mean that I’m going to be their doormat … .”

That caused me to recall what the late John

F. Kennedy said in his inaugural address on January

16th, 1961: “So let us begin anew remembering on

both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness and

sincerity is always subject to proof.”

Arthur Prince

Memphis

RDC Is Overshooting

To the Editor:

The Riverfront Development Corporation has

truly overshot its mark (Viewpoint, May 9th issue).

Yes, there is a lot of work to be done downtown, but

I don’t understand why we can’t fix what we already

have instead of relying on an overpriced,

environmentally invasive, logistically uncertain land bridge to

make downtown a more attractive and lucrative area.

While the RDC is dredging the Mississippi

River, the Sterrick building one of the most

architecturally beautiful in Memphis will still be

standing empty and rotting, all 30 stories of it. While the

RDC is trying to lure major corporations to build their

headquarters on compacted river sand, the historic Greenlaw

neighborhood will still be fighting to preserve its eroding

identity. And while riverfront construction is tying up downtown

traffic for several years, the river will be laughing at all the people

who think they can tell it where to go.

Memphis badly needs downtown development, but we

do not now or ever need a land bridge. It’s time for Mayor

Herenton to take some leadership in keeping the RDC on task.

Jon Devin

Memphis

Viva Cuba

To the Editor:

The Cuban embargo has hurt Americans more than it

has hurt Cuba. As consumers, we have to pay more for our

produce. The American farmers do not have the freedom

to sell their goods to Cuba. We do not have the freedom

to legally travel to Cuba. We have cut off our nose to

spite our face. And now it is so obvious that the president

is bowing to the right-wing Cuban community in

southern Florida as he steps up the embargo and the restrictions.

I urge all Americans to practice civil disobedience

and travel to that beautiful island with its friendly

natives and experience life without Burger Kings and

drive-through culture, life with cleaner air and without

road rage, stress, billboards, and traffic jams. It’s life as it

once was and as it could be without the corporate

hucksters and predators.

Don Johnson

Minneapolis, Minnesota

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