To the editor: Regarding those who have complained about the Jan. 14 PETA ad: Do you realize that Fort Worth Weekly is an alternative newspaper? Key word here: "alternative," meaning differing somehow from traditional.

An alternative publication prints controversial stories and advertisements that many newspapers may not. Alternatives counter the "safe" mode of traditional, money-dominated corporate-venture newspapers, whose readers are, sadly, all too often unexposed to views outside their norm, especially those of "minorities." (That doesn't necessarily mean black or gay people but can refer to the handicapped or even a group that seeks the ethical treatment of voiceless animals.) Such close-minded individuals are often easily offended by the views and actions of those who differ from them, such as PETA.

One woman from Burleson wrote that the Weekly "is more concerned with the money than the long-time traditions we have here in Fort Worth... ." Since when? Give me some evidence of your claim. An Azle reader's ludicrous comment referred to radical groups targeting the Stock Show. Where is the proof? Who is targeting whom here? Minorities such as PETA all too often must turn to non-traditional publications in order to be heard by larger segments of society. Is this evil newspaper repressing your complaints so that its readers won't be exposed to them? No! Nor will it suppress those of PETA, fortunately for democracy.

PETA has as much right to place an ad as any other group. I hate to see "Re-elect Bush" and "Go to church" ads, but I do not try to keep their makers from placing them in a paper that I read. I merely ignore them, even if they offend. Maybe you should ignore, too.

The Weekly does an exceptional job of giving us open-minded, logical, rational, and reasonable moderates and liberals -- as well as you easily offended conservatives -- free space to air views in letters to the editor. The same constitutional freedom that gives you the right to complain about PETA's ad also gives PETA the right to place that ad, one which, believe it or not, may have actually paid for or helped pay for the space used to print your complaints about it.

I recommend that you cancel your subscription to the Weekly. Oh, wait! This is a free newspaper. Can you open your mind long enough to realize that PETA was not targeting you, but rather expressing its viewpoints on events where animals are possibly and often treated like cattle? Pun intended.

Robin Fletcher
Denton

To the editor: I just wanted to let you know what I thought of your article on Texas Music ("Killer or Filler," Jan. 14, 2004). I don't know where the hell you were raised, but you sound like a damn Yankee to me. If you can't understand the music or don't like it -- don't listen to it! I am a die-hard Texas Music fan -- Pat Green, Cory Morrow, and the like. I was born and raised in Texas and, to put it mildly, I take major offense to the things said in the article. Even bad language could not describe the anger I am feeling toward you and your "opinions." Music is supposed to make you feel good and remind you of good times. Country music is always being criticized for being too depressing, always about leaving or losing someone you love. But when someone like Pat Green sings about having fun by drinking beer, you want to criticize that too. I don't see you playing at sell-out shows. So take a hint and shut up until you wise up.

Elise Tschoepe
New Braunfels

To the editor: Dan McGraw ("Fake Cowboys and Nubian Goats," Jan. 28, 2004) should lighten up or go back to the "buckle on the rustbelt" he came from for a couple of years. Then he'll come to appreciate "Foat Wuth, Ah Luv Yew," fake cowboys, Nubian goats, and "trust fund babies" at the trough.

I speak from experience. Just as you were arriving in Fort Worth in 1990, I remarried and moved from here to Dayton, Ohio, with my Air Force colonel husband. Talk about hostile environments -- there's nothing like living for two years with rude Yankees, a federal compound otherwise known as an Air Force Base, snow up to your bahootie, and a wind chill of 25 degrees below zero to make you appreciate Texas in general and Fort Worth in particular. I'd take an 8-second ride just to recapture the years I lost in the frozen wastelands of the north. The minute the colonel put in his retirement papers, we were gleefully on our way back to the big blue skies, white puffy clouds, and friendly howdies and thank-yews of Texas.

Now for you folks who are offended at this, let me say that my son married a Yankee, so I'm talking about family. My son and his wife live in Lansing, Mich. In an effort to fully acclimate my daughter-in-law to all things Texan, we flew them in this year just for Stock Show weekend. Even though my daughter-in-law is a Yankee and a vegetarian, she had a terrific time touring the stock barns and dressing up like Annie Oakley for the rodeo. We did have to explain why the bulls were so unhappy, however. If you ask me, Fort Worth is the best-kept secret in Texas -- or for that matter, on the planet.

Linda LaBeau
Fort Worth