Letters to the Editor

What You Say

Outta Here

Tom Namako's article on Angelina Eva Martinez, the illegal alien arrested by INS as part of a border security check, was titled "Should This Woman Be Deported?" [News, May 29, 2008]. As an American citizen and a former immigration attorney, my emphatic answer is yes. While she is not a terrorist, Martinez violated our law when she snuck into the U.S. 23 years ago and has continued to disregard it by remaining here. Furthermore, in all those years, she has not bothered to learn English. How has she paid taxes without a legitimate Social Security number?

We will never gain control of our borders, and hence our immigration policy, if we continue to treat cases like hers with leniency. What would her advocates say to all those who have tried to immigrate here legally? If we as a nation do not have the fortitude to deport those like Martinez, we should simply amend our voluminous immigration code by adding the following postscript: "As an alternative to any and all of the above you may simply sneak into the U.S., have a few anchor babies and claim hardship if and when INS ever catches up with you. Feel free not to learn English or pay any taxes after entering."

Donald S. Sabatini
Philadelphia

Editor's Note: The debate, unsurprisingly, rages online. Kick her out? Let her stay? Where do you stand? Tell us in the comments section.

Road Rules

In response to the City Paper article "Foot Power" [Slant, A.D. Amorosi, May 29, 2008], I would like to add the following comments:

We have all seen pedestrians having to dodge out of the way of bicyclists. We have all seen bicyclists going through red lights and disobeying other traffic signals.

Bicycles are classified as vehicles in Philadelphia, and, as such, are subject to the specific laws. These laws include stopping at red lights and yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks. In regards to the riding of bicycles on sidewalks, Section 12-808 of the Philadelphia Code states:

1. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district, as such district is defined in the Vehicle Code.

2. No person 12 years of age or more shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk in any district.

3. Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.

Bicyclists who violate the provisions of the law qualify under the Vehicle Code for issuance of a traffic citation and a fine of $10. There needs to be strict enforcement of the law and a public information/awareness campaign to educate bicyclists about the law.

Bruce Gerber
Philadelphia

Thanks, Shaun, for re-creating such an unlikely time in the Philly arts [Cover Story, "Raised from the Grave," Shaun Brady, June 5, 2008]. As Warhol and James Joyce pushed the limits of the acceptable, Christopher Speeth and Dan Dietrich delved into a different unknown, creating something that continues to challenge any complacent idea of film art.

Ralph Ashbrook
Via citypaper.net

Philadelphia Brewing Co.'s Walt Wit is brewed with grapefruit peel, not orange peel [Food, "Top 5: Summer Beers," James Saul, June 5, 2008].

Due to an editing error, "Fringe Fight?" [News, A.D. Amorosi, June 5, 2008] stated that Scott Johnston sold Fringe ads only for the purpose of keeping the Late Night Cabaret free. Johnston has also sold and continues to sell ads to pay for the Fringe Fest guides.

Last Chance [Arts Agenda, June 5, 2008] included a piece by Virginia Batson, titled "Embryos," that was not part of her exhibit, "Substance, Sustenance," at Nexus Gallery. City Paper regrets the errors.