Stupidity Is Contagious To the Editor, David Holthouse and John Dougherty's "The New World Border" (November 19) was excellent, the best thing The Weekly has ever done. The problem is that you didn't talk about "why it occurred and what to do." In fact, Mexico is and will always be what we are becoming, a two-class society, upper and lower. Most of the Mexican problem is due to the excess population, enforced by the Catholic Church. Until the population comes down nothing will be done. The United States is going the same way; in our case it is not the Church but politics, anything for the right votes. The only people we should let in are the highly educated; we need them. We might note, stupidity is contagious. It boils down to something I have tried telling The Weekly for some time: "We are developing a two-class society." One example is the vast growth of poorly paying phone services. The public schools are so bad that these are the "best jobs" graduates can get. The upper class will send their kids to private school. Contact between the classes will be at a minimum. That is the way it will be and there is nothing we can do about it. As I said, stupidity is contagious. --Stuart A. Hoenig Party Pooper To the Editor, I liked your article "Under the Influence" (November 5) about the Clean Election proposition. I couldn't agree with your statements more. My clean-up proposal would be this: First of all, eliminate lobbying and lobbyists completely. Do away with it. What right should they have to sit in on these law-deciding meetings, buzzing in the ears of our elected-by-the-people politicians favorable under-the-table compensations if they vote a certain way that would benefit whoever the lobbyist represents. Get rid of them, get them out of those meetings. Shut the door on them. Make it closed session. Then maybe, just maybe, they'll vote on something for the good of the people they are supposed to represent. My other proposal is this: Eliminate the Democratic and Republican parties. Just vote for the person and their ideas. That way there wouldn't be one state with more Republicans than Democrats or vice versa. You would just vote for the man or women and their ideas. That would eliminate these hard-line voters that put people in office just because they're Democrat or Republican, regardless if they're Mafia, or good ol' boys or whatever. Another thing: Forget this electoral bullshit. Let your vote go direct for whoever you voted for. Our system used to work, but it got too big and corrupt. It's time to start over and give government back to the people so they have the power. That is the way it was intended. --Don Sonn Live And Let Die To the Editor, Thank you for Jeff Smith's "Suicidal Tendencies" (December 3). The wrenching experiences our culture forces upon us needs to be broadcast even when it is painful to reconstruct memories. You have lots of company and hopefully more than you may think. I wish I had the guts to be a martyr as is Dr. Jack, rather than serve on the local board of the Hemlock Society. However, through this association I have learned there is some hope to relieve the agony of traumatic closure. The National Hemlock Society, headquartered in Denver, has formed "Caring Friends," who will come to the home of a family or a single person and do everything short of illegal. The Tucson members have taken the "course" and are in the process of establishing help on a local basis. Also, we will try for an initiative in 2000 in hopes to legalize assisting an end to a life. It won't be easy, for most of us are well over 65 and are managing to live along with the regular physical challenges of environment and ill-chosen genes. --Jeanne Chittenden Wrong Note To the Editor, When Lisa Weeks was replaced by two new music scene writers, I said to myself, "All right, we'll get some better local music coverage!" Once again, however, I find myself furious. If I have to read another "Music I listened to on my Vegas trip, summer vacation, or any place other than Tucson" story, I'm going twitch like Kramer. Willie is great, but try to imagine, if you will, how little I care that your writer saw him in Vegas. While he's making his "stringer" salary on his vacation, The Weekly's Musicians Register has 338 Tucson music feature stories waiting to be written. These bands may not be Willie Nelson now, but they could be someday. In addition, why don't you give us a chance to plan for upcoming shows by publishing an upcoming concerts calendar? As for the comment that Shoebomb is the only local band that can sell out a venue, perhaps your "stringer" should take his $100 and go to 10 or 15 local shows on Friday or Saturday night and try to find a seat. I think I'm seeing Starlight in my future. --Barton J. King Hex Nix To the Editor, Regarding "Butt Wait, Your Honor" (News of the Weird, December 3), in which a "Wiccan" girl was accused of hexing someone: While the people in question may use the name Wiccan, they obviously do not know what Wicca is all about. Wicca is a life-affirming, positive Pagan religion. One of the basic tenets of Wiccan belief, called the Wiccan Rede, is "and it harm none, do as you will." This would preclude such things as hexing and cursing. Wicca honors a Goddess and a God, seeing the Divine as both Male and Female. Animals, Plants, and all other Human beings are regarded as sacred. That includes everyone, Men, Women, Children, Gay, Straight, Black, White, it doesn't matter! I usually enjoy reading New of the Weird. Humans do a lot of unusual and sometimes downright bizarre things. But I thought a little clarification was needed this time. I hope more people come to realize Wicca is a positive one, and stop believing the lies that are spread about it. --Andrew Brooks Green Machine To the Editor, I greatly appreciated Tim Vanderpool's thoughtful piece about my work at the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest ("Forced Justice," December 3). The accomplishments attributed to me are actually the product of nearly 25 years' worth of joint efforts by Center attorneys, board members, and supporters throughout Arizona. Although I am leaving next month, the Center has outstanding attorneys who will continue to provide advocacy on environmental and other important public interest issues. Those who want to help can send donations to: Arizona Center for Law, 202 E. McDowell Road, suite. 153, Phoenix, AZ 85004. --David Baron We Want Letters! 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