LETTERS

Referring to responses to "Alien Nation," December 8. When are people going to wake up and tell it like it really is? Yes, it was a good article, however it did leave out a lot. Those two, Quevedo and Agular, miss the point completely. This isn't about sympathy or charity or doing the right thing for the downtrodden. This is about misuse and taking advantage.

Sure, there are American-born white people who are lazy and take advantage of the system. But you know the difference here? More often than not they work here legally and pay taxes, contribute to our economy and don't take away from the people who work for and deserve the benefits of this country. So what if they're willing to work, get ahead? Look around you, they work for crap wages, which forces the employers to lower the wages for everyone else. This in turns hurts the economy because people can't afford the housing at those wages. And don't lay out that crap that they are willing to do the crap jobs nobody else wants. There are guys willing to do good quality construction work but can't because of the illegals.

This is America. We speak English here. This is the only country that will alter or cater to an outside country by trying to change our language or force our kids to learn "their" language. If they want to work here, use our medical programs, go to our schools, let them get legal, pay taxes and contribute just like every other American citizen. Why should I be turned down from a job because I'm not bilingual? Make them learn our language or suffer. I know a lot of highly qualified people who lost promotions or couldn't get a good job because they couldn't speak Spanish. That is just total bullshit. I know of more than a few contractors, one in particular who hires illegals, they live in his garage for a few months, they make a ton of money and they take it back to Mexico. We lose all the way around. The revenue and taxes are lost, and it's happening a lot. The medical programs are the same way. Comparing the guy who jams you for a nothing fender-bender to the illegals abusing the emergency rooms and health care is like comparing apples and oranges. You don't have hospitals going bust because the guy went in for a bogus neck injury. He had insurance and it was paid. Rightfully or not. These people have squat and nobody pays it. Justify that! What about all the hit-and-runs, all non-English-speaking, no license, no insurance, no registration, but hey, they just wanna be able to drive here.

It's time we woke up and get it together before we lose this country to the inconsiderate, disrespectful (people) who only want to take advantage and take what they can, then leave. If they want to be here, I'm fine with that, but make them do it legally and quit trying to change our country to accommodate them. Make them accommodate us. Get legal, learn the language, contribute fairly or get the hell out.

Editor's note:
It's too late to worry about losing this country to disrespectful people who only want to take advantage and get out—the Cheney administration is already in charge.

Well, she admitted it in so many words in her last column and confirmed all my suspicions about her. She's just an attention whore who's using her column to get it. Yep, I'm feeding into that by reading, and then writing, about it. It's like watching a car wreck, actually. I wouldn't want them to happen, and I don't want to have to see a lot of them, but when I encounter one, I just can't help but STARE. Sonja's right, there is certainly a voyeuristic aspect to this. If I had the power to actually control whether this column gets written, though, I'd halt it. Like I'd like to be able to halt my craving for BK Whoppers, even though I know they're bad for me. Or like I'd like to be able to halt my listening to Rush Limbaugh, even though he pisses me off.

Sonja's also right in that, hey, she has the balls to publish the unvarnished truth. There's a sort of comparison to be made to Bush, too. He is fighting for his decision to go to Iraq and is sticking by it, despite his f--ked-up behavior. So, yeah, she is putting it out there for all of us to see. Hope it's worth it.

From when she used her own child to feed her monstrous need for attention by putting her on the cover [Editor's note: Sonja's daughter was not, in fact, pictured on the cover.] in some preconceived attempt at an emotional manipulation of the Weekly readership (in regards to some date-rape she had), to this latest gimmick of getting some guy who likes you to write a column explaining what it's like to date her and then saying things like "bet on the over," and then dumping him later because he (insightfully) realized that it was this column that was probably a large impediment to both Sonja's actually finding true love and any guy who loves her having much of a chance of finding everlasting happiness with her. UGH!! I'm curing my voyeuristic addiction, but also getting involved.

Yep, I'm judging, and I have been judged in my life. And thinking that because someone reads this column and then judges the writer for her words merits statements like this: "Or you can just be a passenger in this crazy game of life and judge everyone who does anything that doesn't sit well with you. In my opinion, being the passenger sucks. I'd rather be in the thick of it. No manufactured drama, baby. Just life."

What the f--k kind of defensive, sanctimonious bullshit is that? A little lesson, Sonja. Anyone who BREATHES is in "the thick of it," and your column is just one very small part of my own life, you hypocrite. I've seen SOOO much judgment on other people in your column, and yet you get all hissy and upset with people for judging YOU. It's life in the public eye, baby. Get used to it. Anyway, if you deem yourself the steward on this tiny little train in this tiny little part of my life, then I'm getting off. No more LV Weekly. Go CityLife. (By the way, I'm sending this letter to them, too.)

One last little barb, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's said this:

I bet on the under.

Sonja,

Please keep Winking in 2006. As one who admires real talent, I always look forward to reading your column.

Best wishes for the new year,

Whenever I pick up a copy of your cheesy attempt at an "alternative publication," I'm dumfounded by the popularity of Wink. Sonja represents everything that is wrong with women in Las Vegas, and American women in general. She is an emotionally crippled, immature, unsophisticated, insecure individual incapable of learning from life and moving on. An emotionally healthy individual takes life as a lesson, and moves on with it; the person who is unable to cope with reality becomes an all too common American species known as "baggage girl." ... I suggest that Sonja start a new relationship, one which entails her getting psychological help.

Editor's note:
Wait—our columns are fluff? Damn. We were going for fuzz.