Your “Perry for President?!?” cover sent me to the phone to schedule a stress test. The last Texas governor to ascend to the White House left a scar on our great state that will always be a painful reminder of big business’s influence on our democratic process. To even suggest that our country might be subjected to the policies of another “man” without conscience is just reckless journalism [“Right Place, Right Time,” February 2010].
Richard Hodges
Winnsboro

The only time Rick Perry is a conservative is when he’s running for office, and the last time he saw a copy of the Constitution was in high school! Paul Burka’s a real talent for sure, but what a waste to see him build up this weasel.
Myers Raymer
Lewisville

Rick Perry for president? Hell, yes! As president, he could make every state—not just Texas—secede from the Union and create a new Confederacy. He could free us from Socialist Security, Medicare, and those other big-government programs. And he could repeal every amendment except the Second, which is the only one us teabaggers like anyway. Hit it, Rick!
Tom Walker
San Antonio

There was a texas monthly cover in recent months that had Mike Leach dressed as a pirate. Within a year Leach was no longer the football coach at Texas Tech and apparently unemployed. May this trend continue and we see Mr. Perry unemployed within a year!
Weldon Day
Lubbock

Rick Perry flippantly encourages the notion of secession among his supporters to gain a few political brownie points. This man has the gall to then turn around and entertain pretensions of becoming president of the very union he casually undermines. Perry isn’t fit to wipe the behind of even a drummer boy who was in either army of the Civil War. He isn’t fit to hold office of any kind. Who in the hell does this ignorant, irresponsible jackass think he is?
J. Roger Foster
Pecos

Sahm Kind of Wonderful

Jan Reid’s piece about Doug Sahm brought back wonderful memories [“He’s About a Mover,” February 2010]. As a teenager in the tumultuous sixties, I distinctly remember that great hit “She’s About a Mover.” To read of Doug Sahm’s talent and determination brought tears to my eyes. It’s too bad he passed so soon.
Richard Needham
Panorama Village

Conversion Experience

I found Nate Blakeslee’s article “The Convert” interesting on many levels [February 2010]. As an ob-gyn, I have done thousands of ultrasounds and understand how clearly you can view fetuses early in pregnancy. Whether you have ultrasound guidance or not, the fetus will be moving all around until it dies from the surgical abortion. That is why ultrasounds are avoided, because the patients would be greatly disturbed if they caught a glimpse of the procedure. I have talked to others who have left the “abortion industry,” and it is usually because of more than just one inciting event. It is something in their conscience that tells them to leave.
Dan Lee
via e-mail

Color Theory

I found far more problems in Christopher Kelly’s review of The Blind Side than in the movie itself [Hollywood, TX; “Stop the Blitz”; February 2010]. Kelly pronounces the movie as “among the most naively racist American movies of the past ten years” and uses the rest of his review to support that point. The fact that The Blind Side portrays a heartwarming story about members of a white, do-gooder, Southern family helping a young black man doesn’t automatically make it racist.

I, like Kelly, hope to hear more from directors Spike Lee, Sanaa Hamri, and others who portray “complex portraits of race.” But there’s plenty of room at the table and in the theater for them and for director John Lee Hancock and actress Sandra Bullock as well. We can never have too many authentic and compelling stories.
Mary Gordon Spence
Austin

O ye of little faith, there are innately good people in the world whose agenda transcends color coding. Mr. Kelly’s disdain and skepticism of the Tuohy family and their heartfelt quest to help a young man suggests to this reader elitism and, more importantly, racism.

And as for Sandra Bullock, I applaud her entrepreneurial aspirations and accomplishments. The Blind Side is something to be proud of.
Marion Harper
via e-mail

Shame on me! Here I thought I was simply watching a movie about helping those less fortunate than ourselves when in actuality I was watching a movie about stereotypes. Doggone movie had me feeling so good that after the show, I immediately went out and put money in the Salvation Army’s red bucket (it was Christmastime). Even worse was the fact that I had put in the kind of money that folds and not the kind that clanks. I was so deluded about the facts that at the time I totally forgot that I’m Hispanic and probably (or at least according to Christopher Kelly) more in need than whoever’s pockets were being lined by my misguided effort. Regardless, Mr. Kelly, I still think that my effort should be rewarded. Do you have any idea how hard it is to trade food stamps for actual cash?
R. Herrera
Lampasas

What would Mr. Kelly have producers do? Rewrite history into a progressive fictional account based on his idea of “post-racial America”? Mr. Kelly, if Michael Oher believes the movie is exploitive and presents him as a “simpleton,” as you would suggest, I’ll take out an ad in the Star-Telegram apologizing to you for this letter. Is it possible, though, that the “white guilt” and the “sense of superiority” you so easily see in others is really your own? Sometimes people do good things for others simply because it’s the right thing, regardless of the color of their skin. Or, as the saying goes, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”
John Savell
Fort Worth