'Torture' culture only getting worse

I read John Hayes' article "Tolerance for Torture" (Films and TV up the ante on graphic torture scenes, Jan. 19) with great interest. The tolerance for torture has also expanded to a tolerance and actually entertainment of the rape, murder, kidnapping and exploitation of children in the media.

Several months ago, all four "Law & Order" segments in one week were about the rape and murder of children. This is now the entertainment in American living rooms. Did you know that district attorneys all over the county now deal with the "Law & Order" and "CSI" factor? We are losing jury trials because we can't compete with this sort of entertainment.

Now a movie with actress Dakota Fanning is coming out depicting the rape of a 12-year-old, one more attempt to lower our level of outrage about adults having sex with children. I have tried to get our national organization, The National Children's Alliance, involved in at least appealing to the TV networks, but to no avail. It seems the media have grown tired torturing and raping women and have moved on.

Can you please help us and the children of our community?

Joan Mills
Manager, Allegheny County Child Advocacy Center at Mercy Hospital

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No taste for the violence

I really enjoyed John Hayes' article on "Tolerance for Torture" and the podcast he and Barb Vancheri did regarding torture and brutality in movies. It was informative and well-balanced.

I guess the problem is, if people really like escalating violence in movies, then it won't go away. At least if there's a better rating system, we can use that to avoid the brutal stuff.

I don't like excessive violence in movies; but, maybe I'm overly sensitive to the torture thing. I was a Navy fighter pilot and flew 147 combat missions over Vietnam. Operating off an aircraft carrier and having people shooting at me was bad enough, but what I really didn't want to do was end up getting shot down, and tortured in the "Hanoi Hilton" like some of my friends. I suppose the violence is more real to me than some others.

I'm glad the reviewers like Mr. Hayes and Ms. Vancheri are at least thinking about what's going on. They're doing a good job.

Fred Dale
Moon

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Did they just give Mook an award?

I know nothing about hip-hop, but I read the awards show article (Event preview: First annual hip-hop awards show aims to lift the local scene, Jan. 11) and the accompanying Paradise Gray interview (Paradise's vision: 'One city, one people, one 'hood,' Jan. 11)with my always open mind, hoping to learn more. It all sounded cool, upbeat and fun till I got to the nominees.

Artists, songs, groups, producers, etc. -- all normal awards categories. Record store, clothing store, video store -- all neat.

Thewn: Best Graffiti Artist?

This is not art. This is crime.

Mook? Is he not the punk who cost our bankrupt city thousands of dollars cleaning up his messes? (Editor's note: he won.)

If any of these "artists" would like to decorate my barn, I'd be glad to demonstrate the "arts" of a hound dog treeing and a shotgun peppering.

We should expect better from every culture.

Carl Walter
Mercer

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Oh, how they roll

Kudos to Bob Batz Jr. for his terrific (albeit tongue-in-cheek -- slightly chauvinistic) piece "Hot Wheels" (Steel City Derby Demons put their bodies on the line for the thrill of the game, Jan. 18).

Having a professional roller derby league in town would considerably lessen the trauma if someday the Steelers are seen permanently jogging out of town with a Pirate under one arm and a Penguin under the other.

It's time the distaff side of sports is given the publicity and fan support it deserves.

These female juggernauts are tougher than Shiite police officers who walk the night beat in a Sunni neighborhood.

The article's mesmerizing action photographs transform these rippling athletes into a pride of powerful lionesses honed by the hunt, and I can't wait to see the big can of whooping the Steel City Derby Demons are going to open on Jan. 27.

Women of Pittsburgh, unite and support your flat ring roller derby sisters while encouraging your boyfriends and spouses to temper their non-priapic man crushes on Pittsburgh's male professional athletes long enough to give these "Hot Wheelers" a chance to prove their mettle.

Xena and Gabrielle were the peers of Hercules and Iolaus; the Steel City Derby Demons will eventually rival the Steelers.

Robert Biller
Fombell

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PSO in FLA

We are "snowbirds" in Florida. On Jan. 15, we went to see our Pittsburgh Symphony at Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. It was a sold-out event, so we had to get two separate seats. Around us were very friendly people, and in talking, we mentioned that we were from Pittsburgh. The concert went on, and it was so powerful, we thought that the entire orchestra would "rise from the stage" from the sound.

At the end, the people around us were so thrilled, saying, "This is as good as it gets!" The orchestra also played several encores. ... What pride! What an ambassador for our city!

Judi and Iz Rudoy
Boca Raton, Fla.

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Life beyond the Steelers

Is it expecting too much for our local TV stations to report real news, other than the Steelers, during the first 10 minutes of their broadcasts?

With all the turmoil in the world and important issues in the region, must we forever be subjected to Steelermania for an inordinate amount of time that the "news" is on the air? Contrary to popular opinion, not all people are sports fans.

Carolyn Czapor
Oakmont

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Here's Plan C

As a Pittsburgh resident, I feel the local television media should have built Heinz Field for the Steelers and PNC Park for the Pirates and should build a new arena for the Penguins.

Without the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins, the television news media seem to have nothing else of importance to report locally.

Surely there are more important news issues that need to be investigated and given more time as part of the prime-time news reports.

S. James Weiser
Squirrel Hill