Patrick Range McDonald's piece on Proposition 8 (“Young, Gay Dreams of Matrimony: For 20-somethings, Prop. 8's demise is a barometer of equality, not a path to the altar,” August 12) received, as you might well expect, a few opposing points of view. Representing one side is reader Liz: “I'm just so disgusted with this whole Prop. 8 thing. I just know I will not vote again since my vote obviously does not count. I still believe marriage is between MAN & WOMAN ONLY…….The gays have domestic partnership [so] why do they need a marriage certificate?”

In a later comment, Liz adds, “Why don't we go further & have humans marry their animals. Senseless!!!!!!!”

Representing the other side is Jerry: “It's tiring to hear the same lies over and over as uttered by the so-called religious 'right.' Both adult homosexual and heterosexual relationships are LEGAL relationships, and, as Judge Walker has said, neither is morally superior to the other. The idea that gay marriage opens the door to other kinds of illicit marriage is nonsense of a high order. A sexual relationship between an adult and a child (child abuse) or between an adult and an animal (animal abuse) are both examples of ILLEGAL relationships and punishable in our society (like rape), as they are fundamentally nonconsensual in nature

“Historically,” continues Jerry, “society has turned a blind eye to many examples of marriage which are condoned. A murderer on death row is allowed to marry; atheists are allowed to marry; serial divorcees are allowed to remarry as much as they like; infertile couples and elderly couples who will never procreate are allowed to marry as well. No test is required to prove commitment. The only requirement until this time is that both partners be heterosexual. Homosexuals who are in legal, committed relationships, and who pay the same kinds of taxes, have been categorically denied what the courts have defined as one of the most fundamental civil rights in our society.”

CHANGES AT CLUSTERFUCKCHELLA

We heard from a lot of music fans after Steve Appleford's piece on organizer Paul Tollett's plans to redesign Coachella after a chaotic 2010 festival (“Fixing Coachella,” August 12). Nearly everyone agrees that there were too many people allowed in this year. “Coachella is no longer what it once was and it won't ever get that 'magic' back,” writes Fewerpeopleisbetter. “Let's face it, simply way too many people know about it now. Sixteen-year-old plurtards and frat boys run rampant. I'm sticking to smaller festivals from now on.”

Scratching My Head makes a larger point: “It puzzles me to no end that Steve Appleford does not mention the July 24 Love Parade tragedy in Duisburg, Germany, where 21 young concertgoers died. Clearly, the huge crowds at Coachella are a recipe for disaster.”

But Gabriel thinks Appleford is a hero, having “nailed the massive disparity in experience between this Coachella and the other six I've attended since 2004. Hearing Paul T. address the problems and assume accountability for the outrageous capacity problems has gotten me excited for the festival again.”

One reader, Victor, doesn't seem to care either way: “It was a clusterfuck but I'll be back. I live for that time & space with my friends and family.”

But CoachellaVeteran has a suggestion for Tollett and company: “The irony is that you could solve the issues of overcrowding by selling single-day tickets again. If they sold 20 percent of tickets as single-day (like they have in every other past Coachella), that would mean 15k tickets would be single-day. That automatically means 10k LESS people each day, while still selling the same amount of tix overall (75k). Goldenvoice would also make MORE money this way than if they just cut back to 65k three-day-only tickets.”

Are you listening, Mr. Tollett?

SEIZURES

Articles on immigration tend to inspire a lot of commentary, and Monica Alonzo's story about coyotes holding immigrants hostage in Phoenix safe houses (“Seized: Inside the brutal world of America's kidnapping capital,” August 12) is no exception. Some white guy in PHX — that's his moniker — has this suggestion: “Law enforcement should focus their resources on finding these 'violence houses' and bandidos. Put the Minutemen and other anti-immigration groups to productive use by targeting the REAL CRIMINALS. With the resources (and technologies) the federal government has allocated for 'intelligence' and 'homeland security,' these types of torture homes should not be allowed to exist. Period. Maybe they can take half the law enforcement & prison budget spent on marijuana cases and save these people from this horrific sh*t.”

Jim Nelson, who may or may not be some white guy from Phoenix, points out a flaw in our thinking: “Phoenix is not the 'kidnapping capital' of the U.S. John McCain tried to use that lie in his current campaign to retain a seat on the Sunday gagbag shows but ceased after numbers from both the FBI and the Phoenix PD indicated this isn't true. Myths live forever, as apparently do old, useless politicians. But if we just confine the survey to the area of the AZ Statehouse, Phoenix might qualify as the stupidity capital of the country.”

Finally, a little something different from reader (and immigrant) Luis DePillo: “Where does the writer put the blame where it really belongs — on the corrupt government of Mexico? My family came here LEGALLY, and waited, and waited until we immigrated safely, without all this 'coyote' drama. My parents were educated, with skills needed by this country, and the means necessary to ensure we would not be a burden on the generous entitlement programs afforded here. When I turned 18, I joined the U.S. military and honorably repaid my debt to this country. My parents put a high value on education, and so far, we are doing okay (thank you, God). Oh, we're from Israel via Italy emigration in the early 1950s. Complain to Mexico. Call out that corrupt Calderon government for making things so — not the U.S. for enforcing its laws.”

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