Letters to the Editor

Once the shock of Andre's death diminished a bit, I realized why the Post had to run the story that day: They do not publish on Saturday. While other media could wait on the story for their late broadcast or the paper the next day, if the Post did not run Andre's name on Friday, they would not have the chance to get in on the story. Indeed, that Sunday's Post did not have one word about Andre. He was old news by then -- except to those who miss him.

Responsible journalism is an oxymoron. Journalists need to publish, and damn the consequences. The bias must be for freedom to write, even if it is "irresponsible." However, for the Post to claim its decision was anything but a desire to get readers to its website is crap. The Post made an economic decision, and if they want to pretend otherwise, no one with a brain should buy it.
Brad Geiger
Denver

Ask a Mexican, Gustavo Arellano, March 8

Gustavo Arellano, your column's mascot has my vote. As you stated, being Latino and using it drains its racist power. African-Americans strive to do the same thing with the N-word, and though it is still not wholly benign (and probably never will be), the epithet's many years of circulation in the community has markedly weakened its impact as a racial slur. Of course, no matter how successfully these insults are co-opted by their erstwhile targets, their ugly history must never be forgotten.

Okay, that's enough sociological analysis! Call me a fake or tell me I am in denial, but my first impression of the cartoon honestly was not "fat, dirty Mexican." I perceived a friendly guy beaming over his love of life -- and perhaps a shot or two of mezcal. He embodies the cliched infectious smile, with the disarming touch of a single gold tooth. To me, he looks like a grandfather or uncle who has just caught a glimpse of children at play. That leads me to my suggestion for your logo's name: I think Tío César (as in Chávez) would be a perfect name.

I know this is a caricature of your father, but Padre sounds intimidating, and Papá only works in North America when followed by "Bear" -- or, in this case, Oso. Tío is a nice term of endearment for any male elder -- blood relative or not -- and as you know, César Chávez was a contemporary revolutionary. Good luck!
Karen Caspian
Englewood

Gustavo, aren't you perpetuating racism, or at least stereotypes, by using the cartoon character at the top of your column and by using the term "gabacho" to refer to all (I assume) whites, "Anglos" or non-Mexicans?

If the column were Ask a Yankee! (since "American" can refer to anyone who's from Alaska down to Tierra del Fuego), would you use a cartoon drawing of Bubba Redneck, or a handsome movie star? Granted, both might be Yankees, but it seems you've chosen to use the Mexican equivalent of Bubba Redneck (gap-toothed, overweight, stereotypical sombrero, ammunition bandoliers over the shoulders).

I'm never sure what the reference is with the term "gabacho," since in my Spanish dictionary (Bantam New College Revised, 1987), "gabacho" means "Pyrenean" (someone from the Pyrenees, the mountains between France and Spain), "Frenchy" or "Frenchified Spanish." I would think most of the "Frenchified Spanish" in America would be found in Florida, New Orleans and the West Indies. Or has the word come to mean something else in the last twenty years?