Work Permits, Boxing, Apathy, Martha Stewart

Foxnews.com readers enthusiastically responded to Matt Hayes' article on costly work permits that enable immigrants to take U.S. jobs. Mike Straka's comparison between Roy Jones, Jr. and the Ultimate Fighters also struck a chord with some readers.

Readers were impressed with a University of Oregon student’s thoughts on his school's assembly against military action. Other topics of debate included chance cancer clusters in Nevada, Martha Stewart's true attitude, and the possibility of a woman administrating the central region of a post-Saddam Iraq.

Here is a sample of this week's mail.

In response to Behind the Bar:

Isidro writes:

I am currently residing in Spain and would like to go to the U.S. Although I agree with your last statement, I also believe that a well-managed immigration policy is favorable for the recipient country. It would be better that if under a points system, it were easy to immigrate if your are well qualified but difficult if you are not. On the other hand, I must say that there are some ridiculous rules. My brother is American and so is my wife's sister. If I want to join them I have to wait for ten years to receive a visa.

Umesh Sood writes:

As you may know, the L1 visas are similarly being abused.

Kate Travis writes:

I do not think many Americans realize just how ponderous and at times detrimental our current immigration policies are. I know many people in IT/computer programming field who struggled to find jobs after the bubble burst and had to take gut wrenching pay cuts when they did find new jobs.

Ken Pruitt writes:

I don't know how you get this information, because it seems like the government and law enforcement hides many of these facts from the public, probably under the direction of local and national lawmakers who smell new (albeit illegal) votes, and are complicit in these outrageous violations. Thank you for getting this out to us.

Greg Rochford writes:

Having worked in a high tech software programming environment, there were times in the late 90's when the skill sets of the available U.S. work force did not meet the needs of employers, so we had to go to India/China whatever. When schools like the University of Illinois would not even give us interview space since we were so small (65 programmers), and when the Georgia Tech and UT Austin kids were looking at us like idiots for even thinking that they should come to Indianapolis when they could go to RTP or San Diego, there was a real need for foreign nationals. You also have to remember a "computer programmer" is not really an identified entity. Programming languages, situations, and skills are all needed. If you need a Spanish interpreter and your ad for an "interpreter" only brings French speaking applicants, you are screwed.

In response to Strakalogue:

Anonymous writes:

Thank you for writing an article that actually takes an intelligent stance on MMA. Too often people come out and criticize MMA without knowing what it is really about. Once again, thank you for taking the "fair and balanced" approach that makes FOX News so great.

Daniel Murphy writes:

I am often trying to explain to co-workers why I still participate in submission wrestling/jiu-jitsu competitions and follow MMA events. My co-workers initial reaction when the subject comes up is "bloodsport." It is wonderful to read an article like yours that hits the nail on the head regarding the competition that is involved in a MMA event.

Kelly Schmidt writes:

I am a fighter currently trying to get into the UFC. I really appreciate you and others like you who have an open minded perspective on the subject and can appreciate the hard work and skill it takes to succeed in this sport. Once MMA is accepted in the main stream like boxing or football, these athletes might start making the money, and receiving the respect that they rightfully deserve. As of now, we do it for the love of the sport.

Rudy B. Silva writes:

One thing you failed to mention is that yes people train for there sport. For example Boxers train in boxing, endurance, stamina and strength. On the other hand UFC and similar MMA athletes train in boxing, endurance, stamina and strength as well as kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Grappling, wrestling and other Martial Arts. Don't get me wrong I have a lot of respect for boxers but they are 1 dimensional. MMA athletes are versatile fighters.

In response to Off Campus:

Vicki Marquis writes:

This article is a very valid depiction of how viewpoints are shoved to the forefront that may not be the ideology of the masses but of the powerful.

Jeanie Hughes writes:

This article was thought provoking. I sent it to my three grandchildren that are in their first years in college. They are experiencing pressure from anti-war groups and are expressing their opinions that often differ with the liberal professors. I too wonder if students will be punished through their grades for expressing these opinions or, for that matter, for expressing any political opinion that disagrees with their professors. I was a young woman during the Korean conflict and found that I experienced put downs by professors that believed that their opinions were to be accepted as the Gospel.

In response to Junk Science:

John Stotz writes:

I have lived here in Fallon with my family throughout this episode since retiring from the military and taking a local job. The hoopla has been amazing. The far left has blamed everything from the navy, to the gas line company, all the way to George W. Bush. The far right has blamed the "evil" federal government, etc. The most sane treatment of the situation has been from the small Fallon newspaper, who has managed to restrict itself to the facts, such as they are. Virtually everyone here knew a cause would never be determined, as it never has in any other cluster. Certainly we would all love to find a cause and eliminate it. Short of that we can do what we can for the families and avoid the sweeping generalizations and finger pointing which has thankfully somewhat abated with no new cases in over two years. Thank you for a reasoned and measured summation of the situation. We have a great, supportive, little town and things are definitely looking up.

Scott Leahy writes:

The CDC has said that they have not "so far" been able to pinpoint a single cause for cancer clusters. Their inability to associate to a single causative factor is not surprising, given the nature of the disease and the vast unknowns involved. The way I read their position is that they are not going to say they have found causation when they have not. No issue with that here. Also, no issue with your critiques of some of the nuts running around Fallon. At the same time, I think your column leads readers to believe that such will never be found, and that, I fear, is junk science.

Mark Brown writes:

I have no other recourse than to file a lawsuit against Mother Nature. How dare she laden streams, trees, and earth with this deadly substance? Honestly, we live in a world where everything causes cancer. I remember when eating an apple a day kept the doctor away, then it caused cancer, and now it is healthy again. I would encourage everyone to stay within the confines of their own homes, but they would have to worry about the Radon in their basements.

Jim Johnson writes:

It's encouraging to know there is someone with sanity in the news publishing industry intent to report facts not fiction. I've lived in Fallon all my 44 years, have two young children ages 16 and 13 who were born in Fallon and drink and swim in the water and appear as healthy as any other child. In fact, with the clean air they breathe from living in the country, they'll likely outlive those born in one of the major metropolitan areas.

In response to Fox News Watch:

Margaret Schlosser writes:

The woman may be a shrew, I don't know. But, she is hugely talented, and part of the public dislike for her is rooted in jealousy. She tends to give the impression that if you don't do it her recommended way, you're remiss somehow. While a lot of what she does would be expensive to replicate, her ideas are adaptable and should spur ideas of one's own.

Candy Clendening writes:

Can you really find refinement in K-Mart?! Larry King, in an interview with Martha, asked her about the passing of one of her beloved dogs while showing a picture of Martha and her dogs walking on the beach in a misty fog. She stared at him with no expression at all and if I recall correctly, after a lengthy silence, said something to the effect of "he died." And finally, I enjoyed your article -- but what I really want to know is - does anyone else find it annoying that she can't keep her hair out of her face?

Kevin Liebeck writes:

Why the press permits this charade to continue, and why they were ever complicit in it at all completely escapes me--especially given that nothing garners ratings like a good media character-assassination frenzy.

Anonymous writes:

This is a general report and is not an investigative report. This one attacks her as a person and is opinionated without proof. We would like to have investigative report giving her wrong doings if any and not a personal judgment of what kind on a person she looks like.

Anonymous writes:

Your article about Martha Stewart is consitent with some of the little publilcized things I have read about her. At a party, she once reportedly responded to a stranger's introduction of "How are you?" with ...."Very rich."

Jim Martin writes:

You are using hearsay and second hand info to deliver your scathing opinion. While there seems to be a lot of truth to what you say, it also seems to be, pardon me, a witch hunt.

In response to ifeminists:

Kamran Hashmi writes:

I guess the "freedom" of women in the Western World is represented by the many strip clubs or massage parlors or perhaps the disgusting content on television screens. Women are constantly put in compromising and shameful situations in the West. Why are there so many cases of women "sleeping around" to move up in companies? This trend is virtually nonexistent in a lot of other nations. In these places, a woman does not need to wear a short miniskirt to her interview in order to increase her chances of getting a job. It's a sad reality, but this type of behavior is prevalent in western society and is, furthermore, being exported to countries around the world via media outlets.

Keith Kokinda writes:

To left-wing feminists, any woman who shows conservatism in her political views is not really a woman, she is a man with female physiology. It's amazing and sickening how the left prattles on and on about wanting more women in power until a conservative woman wants to be part of that movement; any time a Republican woman runs for office against a Democratic man, the left always supports the man because it's not more women in power they want but more left-wing feminists.

Gary Morley writes:

Bodine would be a great choice to take a leading part in the reconstruction of Iraq. But not because she's a woman. Playing the gender card is like playing the race card. Instead, Bush should make Bodine's appointment the merit card. The rest of us will understand.

Heather Thompson writes:

I am not a feminist. I am not anti or pro war. I just believe that we should stand behind our president's decision, whatever it may be. A lot of people would not agree with Bush's decision to allow Ms. Bodine to administer to these people. But I believe it is a very great idea. It is about time. I will support her with my thoughts and prayers. I could only wish that I had the opportunity to do what she is doing. Please, if possible, let Ms. Bodine know that she does have a great deal of support.

Craig Hortin writes:

How is initiating a policy that is guaranteed to fail miserably going to "solidify Bush's domestic support"? While I applaud the idea of wanting to put a woman in charge of a post-war Iraq (right- or left-wing), it is idiocy to think that it would do anything but continue the chaos in the region.