Regarding Amy Chavez's Sept. 10 Japan Lite column, "The power of spiders in rural Japan": In July 2003, a spider killed my 7-year-old daughter, Ana. Now, I don't just hate spiders; I've sworn to exterminate them from the face of Earth.
Making fun of the fear of spiders does not feel nice. Be more careful about the advice you choose to give. An insect or spider, as lovely as it can be, can take your life in just a few minutes.
Here in Mexico, no less than a thousand people die every year because of bites and stings from flies, scorpions, spiders, bugs, etc. Many are a very serious threat to human beings, especially kids.
And you should realize that, in large areas of Asia, it's a hundred times worse. If you don't, then you're just as stupid as the "I-hate-spiders" people whom you naively pretend to insult. Please, let us know you're part of the superior species on this planet.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.