Online comments
In reponse to “Letter to the editor” (by Eric Tompkins, Sept. 30):

There is actually a comma between “arms” and “shall” so it isn’t a stand alone clause. Good try though.

— Jake

Well said! I am tired of people alienating law-abiding gun owners with fear, lies, and ignorance. I do not own a firearm, but I wouldn’t want to lose my right to one because of ridiculous feel-goodism. We seem to be so eager to legalize pot, but also so eager to ban alcohol, guns, and other “bad” things because of their supposedly “negative effects”.

Guns do not kill people. People kill people.

— GoodGuyGreg

In response to “Societal morals need reconsideration before we judge” (by Shelby Thomas, Sept. 30):

It’s mainly the culture that woman like to be seen as attractive and appealing to men and other women that is the problem. Women judge other women on their appeal and gossip about them behind their backs, otherwise I don’t see why other women would watch Miley doing her naked wrecking ball dance and VMA performance if it wasn’t to chat with other women about it or they were really into the music.

In contrast, you don’t see men flocking to go to see “Magic Mike” or “Brokeback Mountain” so that we can gossip with our male friends about it later. Men watch mainly because we are visual creatures, women not so much (that is why there is “50 Shades of Grey”).

So if women don’t want to be objectified, then they should not dress half naked and slutty. Sometimes I feel like women even enjoy the attention they get from men that objectify them.
For example, this coming Halloween, how many women are going to be dressing up in sexy nurse/policewoman/witch/Disney princess with skirts and other attire that would normally only be found at strip clubs and bachelor parties. Not to mention the skin tight yoga pants and spaghetti strap tops women normally wear out even though they are not going out to exercise.

How many men do you see with any sort of pants shorter than knee length or that are skin tight? Maybe speedos at the beach, but the beach is a whole different area. Men cannot stop being visually “intrigued”, its imprinted on our DNA, so if you want us to stop staring at women and objectifying them as slutty then change the fashion culture first.

However, let’s face it, that is not going to happen. Women keep buying the trashy, slutty clothes and the other non-slutty clothes go to the bargain bin so there is no profit for corporations to change.

Women also need to change the way they gossip about other women behind their back. If women buy the non-slutty cloths, they are told they are wearing ugly clothes that look like they were handed down from their grandma.

You don’t see men dissing other men’s clothes (except maybe at Walmart, that place is fun to “people watch” at).

So for a short summary of objectification: men like to look at pretty things (not gonna change), women like to be looked at in an attractive manner (not gonna change), women like to gossip about women behind their back (not gonna change). Hey, look at that — the problem is not gonna change, so I’ll see you ladies at Halloween.

— Tim