Feedback from July 25 and Beyond 

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Cover story, July 25, "The Beyhive State"

This was such a good piece!
Westin Porter
Via Twitter

News, July 25, "Unshackled: New film centers on the life of Green Flake, one of Utah's original slave pioneers"

Finally. This helps me answer all the know-nothings in Provo who refuse to acknowledge the church's role in Black oppression.
Soni Brown
Via Twitter

Online news post, July 25, "Green Flake descendants march in Days of '47 Parade"

I want to share a huge thank you to Peter Holslin for his coverage of the Green Flake ancestors who were in the Days of '47 Parade. My nephew (seen in your photo) and his mom's side of the family represent a small group of proud descendents of one of the first black members of the LDS Church. Green Flake is hardly, if ever, mentioned in Utah's history and connection with Brigham Young. One of my nephew's relatives wrote a book in partnership with the history department at BYU, covering the significance of Green Flake's contribution to our city's existence. They always comment that we shouldn't be saying "This Is the Place," but rather "This Is the Place That They Have Prepared for Us."

My parents and I watched the parade on KSL with anticipation to see my nephew and his family in the parade. Much to our disappointment, they were not shown or talked about. While Nadine Wimmer and Bruce Lindsay went on with their silly commentary (in my opinion, it was a great display of white privilege), we could faintly hear Nadine say "Flake" while Bruce continued jabbering. Was that the moment that the Green Flake family was passing by their view? If so, was it intentionally avoided? One might say it was an accident, but my gut feeling is no. The commentary was nothing less than one's white privilege, as Bruce mispronounced "charro" as "churro" while the Mexican consulate was going past their booth. Within seconds, he jokes about their horses wearing leg warmers. The best was certainly saved for last, unintentionally, when Nadine mentions that Utah's statehood day is Jan. 4, to which Bruce responded, "Really? I didn't know that!"

So again, I express my gratitude to City Weekly and Peter Holslin for featuring this story. It is important now more than ever, to share important stories like Green Flake's, so that our black and brown children can feel pride in what their ancestors did to help this great state. These are the stories that we need to have discussions about, however uncomfortable, to bring light to the unjust actions that we have accepted throughout history. My nephew is lucky because he has two sides of his family with historical connections of history being made. His Green Flake side, and my family's side of Danish immigrants settling towns in northern Minnesota, at the turn of the last century, that are still thriving. We all ensure that my nephew knows his identity and lineage.
Heidi Jensen,
Midvale

Opinion, July 25, "Trump's Latest Physical Exam"

Thank you so much for making it clear why I find his speeches so distasteful (to put it "properly").
Lorna Hardy
Via CW comments

I've looked forward to City Weekly for many years, especially Robinson Sr.'s writings.
Gisela Cavalleri
Via CW comments

A&E, July 25, "No Graze Area"

[This Land] is a great book about the criminal cattleman's industry/lobby and our amenable Congress. Just about done with the book.
Mike Coronella
Via Facebook

Online news post, July 25, "All Pride, Zero Emissions: Utah Pride Parade inches toward lofty zero-emissionsgoal"

Mankinis? I haven't been to a SLC parade in awhile. Are there women in bikinis, too, or is this some kind of throwback?
Clair Ellis
Via Facebook

Online news post, July 31, "Loud & Uncut: 'Blood Stained Men' protest infant male circumcision"

So many truly stupid males in Utah. Could it just be the water?
Fred A. Schmauch
Via Twitter

I'd like to have a word with God about several imperfections.
Dustin Clark
Via Facebook

Just babies giving their 10% to the church.
Hugh Devlin
Via Facebook

Having a hard time understanding who would fight for this besides the kind of single moms that post pics with their sons 40 times a day that say "my king."
Derek Clement
Via Facebook

I 100% wholeheartedly agree with the statement. That being said, no pregnancies should be allowed any longer. Stretch marks, back problems, knee problems, etc. because, after all, "God made your body perfect and you should not modify it."
Ronnie Schluter
Via Facebook

The question is about people choosing to modify their own bodies, instead of their parents modifying them at an age before they can consent to it.
Jimmy Mac
Via Facebook

OK, so what if your child is born with a birth defect that severely disables them. Are you going to wait until the child is 18 to make a choice for him/herself?... meanwhile holding them back from a lot of opportunities.
Brianne Hadley
Via Facebook

Who let the patients out of the state hospital?
@Grkscorpio7
Via Twitter

Please leave my penis out of this. Thank you.
Christopher Bell
Via Facebook

Who do they call themselves? The Lone Foreskins?
Shawn Lowry
Via Facebook

Saw them a couple of weekends ago on 9000 South and Redwood Road. I don't know what my opinion is because what about all the ones without circumcision and want it as an adult? I think people should be left to make decisions for their own children. I think they should be able to talk about it and maybe they can convince people to think about it. But I have heard of people having boys and then asking the doc what they did to their son and the doc saying you know they don't come circumcised. Idk, to each his own, but nobody should be made to feel bad for doing it or not doing it ... nobody's business.
Candace Ewell
Via Facebook

We encourage you to join the conversation. Sound off across our social media channels as well as on cityweekly.net for a chance to be featured in this section.

Thank you for this fairly balanced article. Here are a few other facts your readers might not know:

1. Circumcision was a blood sacrifice for sin under the old covenant in the Bible (Exodus 4:24-26).

2. Circumcision was abolished and called mutilation in the new testament (covenant) by the Apostle Paul (Philippians 3:2).

3. The Jewish rabbis admit in their Jewish Encyclopedia that they changed their method of circumcision to be the "laying bare of the glans" in about 130 A.D. Before that, much less skin was removed.

4. What the pro-circumcision people never bother to tell you is that their so-called 60% reduction in HIV due to circumcision was talking about the relative risk. The actual reduction in those very flawed studies was only 1.3%!

These are just some things that scratched the surface of this large human rights issue of our time.

Thank you,
Jerry Boor,
Michigan
Via cityweekly.net