Letter 1

A friend passed a copy of your Aug. 18 editorial concerning Terrell Owens on to me. I was delighted at seeing someone else who feels the same as me about this semi-literate, overpaid baboon.

I finally lost my patience when the Inquirer devoted over half the front page recently to a banner headline extolling the fact that this monkey swung down from the trees and showed up for practice — just like us ordinary peons with the exception that we are not paid millions a year to play a kid’s game. I sent them a letter, which they declined to print. I wouldn’t know what TV news had to say, as I rigorously avoid them as I consider them intellectually bankrupt.

If T.O. ever decides to give up on athletics and get a job at his other skill level, I’ll be glad to vouch for him to McDonald’s. Keep up the good work!
H. J. Adamcik
Collingdale, Pa.

Letter 2

In response to those who think that taking Burholme Park or part of it is inconvenient, I would like to remind them that death from cancer is even more inconvenient.

As for the squirrels in the park, they will not leave an area filled with so many nuts.

I have a suggestion: When someone is diagnosed with cancer, take them to the batting cages in the park, then take them to the golf course. After that, if they are not cured, take them to Cottman Avenue.

They can go west to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery or other cemeteries on Church Road and Huntingdon Pike. No inconvenience, no traffic jams, and the squirrels can take over the park. But remember, you could be that person.

Cancer can take anybody — even the selfish.
Bill Bartle
Fox Chase

Letter 3

I am writing about Mayor Street's recent racist comment about "the brothers and sisters running the city.

I am extremely angered that he would say such a thing. If a white man said that, he would be booted out of office before he finished his sentence. I can't understand why Mayor Street would be such a racist -- some white people voted for him, why doesn't he recognize that?

Fortunately, there is an election coming up and we have the chance to vote Mayor Street out of office for GOOD, all of us, BLACKS AND WHITES! Get the bum out!
Jamie Lindberg
Pennswood

Letter 4

It would seem as if the debate over boys playing field hockey is not as much a referendum on boys playing field hockey but rather a referendum on Mike Walsh of Washington High School playing field hockey.

I proceed with a bias, for Mike Walsh is my son. When my son was 5, I put him on a local soccer team. The typical score during his tenure was 8-0, 12-0 and 10-1, whereby Mike would score every goal. I became somewhat embarrassed by his natural talent. Parents would become very angry. I would tell Mike to let the other kids score just so the other parents would not be so angry.

Once a professional golfer was sitting at a local driving range and told my 15-year-old son Mike that he should consider professional golf because he had never seen a kid hit the ball with such a natural talent. Mike was not interested. He simply wanted to hit the ball as far as possible for the fun as well the challenge.

When Mike was 16, he scored 40 points in a championship basketball tournament, having never played on a school team. The commissioner of the league said that every so many years a kid comes out of nowhere and all of the coaches ask, "Where has he been?"

This is my son. He lives for the love and the challenge of sports. Keep an eye out for him, for he has tried out for basketball at Washington High School.
John Walsh, proud father
Royersford

Letter 5

I suggest that the administrators of Lincoln High School leave their ivory tower and walk from Lincoln to Frankford Avenue at dismissal.

Take the driveways between Cottman and Aldine and listen to and observe the behavior of some of their wannabe thugs. It’s easy to blame the victims of Lincoln's kids' disrespectful, foul-mouthed walk to the bus stop. Try to instill some behavior-modification en route, since you are "parente en loco."

Look at our cellar ways where they sit to smoke and get high; pick up the liquor bottles that are strewn on our lawns. Stop the wolfpack fights on other kids. Clean the air of the most filthy language known to man, and maybe you’ll get the respect you want for your classes.
The police do everything possible within their limits. You need to stop defending those who disrespect our Mayfair community. I’m sure they would not appreciate herds of fresh-mouthed vandals swarming over their grandmothers' neighborhoods like they do here.
Patricia Ubele
Mayfair

Letter 6

Every time I turn on the TV, I find the women who give us the news pregnant.

It is quite disgusting. Why don't they get early maternity leave?

I turned on a local channel, and there were two weather forecasters who were pregnant. Pregnancy is a joyous thing for women, but they should try to be discreet and keep it private. Now I just watch public television.
John Stuhr
Morrell Park

Letter 7

Dear grateful person:

I received your generous gift at the hospital. I had no way to contact you personally to thank you, so I'm hoping you read this thank-you note. It was very much appreciated. It was not necessary for you to do that.

I'm glad your stay was pleasant and for whatever I did for you to make it a pleasant stay. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I wish you the best of health.
Barbara Jastrzebski
Parkwood

Letter 8

I would like to remind voters that the wives of the president and the vice president also represent America around the world.

Do we want a disrespectful and vulgar first lady? I don’t think so.

Do we want women in the White House that do not dress very well?
How about a first lady who controls her husband and flashes around all the money she has?

How about overweight women? Remember, they are representing America.
Both John Kerry's and John Edwards' wives control their husbands.

We had that in the White House not too many years ago. Do we want that again?

Just a thought when we vote on Nov. 2.
Robert C. Kralle
Parkwood

Letter 9

I think it is a disgrace that Rosa Parks was put on display at the Rotunda in Washington, D.C. This honor is supposed to be for U.S. presidents and military leaders! Who made this decision? Sure, Ms. Parks stood up for a belief, but to be put on the Rotunda like that is a joke.

What about our military members who are returning in body bags from Iraq? Put them there for serving their country, but not a civilian like Parks.

Who's next? Al Sharpton? Louis Farrakhan? Jesse Jackson? O.J. Simpson? Go ahead, call me racist. The brothers and sisters are running the city!
James Kelley
East Torresdale

Letter 10

I read the article in the Jan. 27 issue concerning the development of the East Torresdale properties. This area does NOT need another bar/restaurant.

If any of the developers coming into the area would take a very long drive around the area extending from East Torresdale to far and beyond its borders, they would notice that there are absolutely no bookstores around.

This may not concern the many that spend their paychecks at all of the bars/restaurants around here, but if they could construct some very nice book stores such as Borders, which is also a very cool coffeehouse (which can be found in the suburbs) or even a Walden Books or Barnes & Noble, that would be a welcome change to the many who do like to spend their time reading and relaxing.
Joann C. Hutton
Upper Holmesburg

Okay. Two are not from the Northeast Times letters page, eight are. Can you spot the fakes? The first person to e-mail or comment with the correct answer wins a puppy. Er, a photo of a puppy.