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LETTERS

By D Magazine |

The Invisible People



YOUR FEBRUARY feature “One Week In Winter” by Richard West was brilliant writing on a troubling topic: “the street people,” “urban Bedouin,” and the “new homeless.” Estimates are that one-third of the homeless have long-term mental illness and have been “de-institutionalized” into a community without enough facilities to help them. West, by describing in a colorful and caring way, [these] many different personalities, will help us get to the point where they are no longer “invisible” or frightening. His careful reporting describes the people, facilities, and the problems in a very helpful way for those who are trying to get a handle on a growing problem.

Maura McNiel

AMI/Dallas Alliance For Mental

Recovery, Inc.



Terrell: The System Works



I FOUND “The Soul and the System” [January] to be a rather interesting retrospective on mental health care in the Seventies. While my recollections of the Terrell State Hospital during this period are somewhat different from those of the author, it is nevertheless gratifying to see the dramatic differences in the mental health system today, especially at the Terrell State Hospital. The Texas Legislature, influenced by many external pressures including advocacy groups and the federal court, has dramatically increased funding for mental health in Texas in the past ten years. The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation has also been quite successful in recent years in enhancing program effectiveness and resource utilization. The increased resources along with the improved facilities of the MHMR have significantly influenced the quality and quantity of services available to the mentally ill in Texas. We are proud of the quality of care rendered today at the Terrell State Hospital.

I realize that an objective documentary on the care provided today at the Terrell State Hospital probably would not sell magazines. It is unfortunate that many of your readers will read “The Soul and the System” and believe that it describes conditions in the mental health system today. For those who have family members in this system or who may themselves find the need for public mental health services, “The Soul and the System” is likely to cause unnecessary alarm and concern. If indeed this article shapes the perceptions of your magazine readers with respect to the public mental health care available in Texas today, then a disservice has truly been done.

Don Gilbert

Superintendent

Texas Department of Mental Health and

Mental Retardation



The Soul of Mexican Food



MY COMPLIMENTS on your recent cover story in the February issue [“The Death of Tex-Mex?”]. It was a hoot. However, if your food critic ever goes looking for the best Mexican food restaurant in Dallas, I’ve got a place he needs to check out. It’s Galvan’s on Denton Drive. Might I suggest he try the “El Paso.” He’ll end up eating those words about no four-star Mexican restaurants in Dallas. Again, congratulations.

Wayne Sockwell

Dallas



I WAS NOT offended by your article “The Death of Tex-Mex?” But I just have to believe that somewhere between Taco Bell and Taco Bueno. Montezuma is eagerly waiting to get his revenge on your two critics and writer. When hamburger was mixed with ketchup and then called taco meat. Mexican food was in deep, and I mean deep, trouble. Mexican food should be protected from those that believe that just because they once lived next to a Mexican family that they are entitled to tell the whole world what Mexican food should taste like. Your readers deserve better than what your writer is passing out. Thus, you will have readers thinking that Mexican food has to be over-spiced and hot when, in reality, whenever you do that, you do it to cover poor quality of the ingredients. The big difference between a Mexican eating Mexican food and an Anglo eating Mexican food is that tomorrow the Anglo will eat something else, and the Mexican will be eating Mexican food. What a revelation!

Adolpho H. Garcia

Owner, A&T Garcia’s

Oklahoma City



Portrait of the Artist



ERIC MILLERS ARTICLE “Land War at Cityplace” [“Inside Dallas.” January] was a disgrace to your magazine. In his usual sensationalist style, Miller wrote an article that was biased, vague, and filled with inaccuracies. From Miller’s article, one would believe that Bellamy is an eccentric hippie artist who has achieved little and who has now gotten himself into trouble by trying to deal with the large and powerful Southland Corporation. In fact, Bellamy is a very intelligent artist and businessman who has achieved much critical acclaim for his art. Despite his numerous contracted projects and showings in Dallas, his paintings have been sold at Gump’s in San Francisco for over five years. Bellamy’s principal desire is not to beat Southland, but to get lair prices for his home and for the homes of his neighbors, who are mostly poor and disadvaniaged.

Brenda Bentley

Dallas



Mixed Reviews



WHILE SOME of the writing quality in D is quite good and witty (Chris Tucker’s column, for example), others fee! more appropriately written for a cheap tabloid. John Bloom’s February “Tales of the City11 [“Motivational speaker Pam Lontos: self-made myth”] is mean-spirited. It shows neither wisdom nor compassion. Does he like anyone? He writes like one of the ego-trippers he professes to despise.

Sharron Belson

Dallas

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