Letters to the Editor - Clean slate July 10 2003

The Blu Cantrell article was a well-written piece, and I applaud the writer’s effort (Vibes, “Sophomore blues,” July 3). I do agree that posing nude didn’t help her rise above the radar. I think a talent of her caliber should have opted to keep her clothing on and let the music speak for itself. This is by far one of the best urban albums to date. My prayers are that Blu will clean up her act and represent herself in a more respectable light — at least for herself — and that her label, Arista, will give her the push her musical talent deserves.

-- Justin “Juz” Cooper, Union City


br>?Re-elect Dubya
There is going to have to be a lot more “evidence” that President George W. Bush lied before the Republicans will impeach (Fishwrapper, “Regime change starts at home,” July 3). If it is forthcoming, then, unlike the Democrats (think Boy Clinton), they will do the right thing (think Nixon), because they — unlike “progressives” — value truth.

However, it must be a deliberate lie — not a mistake, not an exaggeration. Saddam was a danger. None of this nonsense now that Saddam had to be able to launch missiles at the United States, or that Bush lied. A few ounces of anthrax are all it would take to prove GWB’s case.

Sir, you are a man who is willing to put the lives of his fellow citizens at considerable risk in order to protect a Hitler clone like Saddam Hussein. What does that make you, I wonder? A Democrat, no doubt.

Re-elect George Bush!

-- Chesley R. Johnson III, Tuscaloosa, Ala.


br>?Oh, he’s fine
(In response to Fishwrapper, “Regime change starts at home,” July 3): Excellent commentary! What can be done to get this information into the mainstream? All I still see in the corporate media is the propping up of this illegal, fraudulent administration. Until this changes, the majority of Americans are going to remain ignorant and think Bush is just “fine.”

Keep up the good work!

-- Garth Brown, Vancouver, Wash.


br>?President Alien
As always, a superb contribution (Fishwrapper, “Regime change starts at home,” July 3). The evil creatures in — and controlling — our government are far more like the alien monsters of the science-fiction [movie] Independence Day than like any political party the American experiment has known. It’s time to take our country back.

-- Linda Ann Wheeler Hilton, Buckeye, Ariz.


br>?Familiarity breeds dependency
(In response to Arts, “Show’s over, Shakespeare,” July 3): Yes, I agree. The thing about Shakespeare, though, is that he is so familiar as to be dependable — like Bach and Brahms on the daily music offerings from the public radio stations. Actually, none of those old chestnuts from the Bard could be said to engage contemporary issues that might require a play-goer some uncomfortable mental wrestling. But Shakespeare is supposed to be “universal.” (Seems to be something of a problem there, eh?)

Walt Whitman thought Shakespeare wasn’t quite-to-the-point even a century-and-a-half ago, when he remarked that the plays were the “outmoded productions of an aristocratic age” (approximate quotation).

-- James Gallant, Atlanta

?Be accountable yourself
Mr. Darren Poole (Going Postal, “Sad and hard way,” July 3) could show some “personal accountability” by opposing laws and lawmakers who violate the Constitution they swore to uphold. Making laws that create black markets and authorize robbing the citizens via forfeiture is all too easy. Better sell your house and cut your losses, Mr. Poole, before authorities make it illegal to knowingly live in a neighborhood where drugs are sold.

-- Arland Miller, Lawrenceville


br>?Tangata whenua
I enjoyed Felicia Feaster’s positive review of The Whale Rider (Flicks, “Force of nature,” June 26), a film made in my home country of New Zealand. Kudos to her for not pluralizing Maori with an “s,” as many of my non-Maori compatriots are prone to do (the Maori language has no “s”). But I take exception to the use of the generic American term “Indian” in referring to Maori or any other indigenous peoples. While Columbus’ mistaken description unfortunately survives in American English, many Maori would be offended by this misnomer being applied to them. If CL really wants to be up with the play, the Maori phrase is “tangata whenua,” which, loosely translated, means “people of the land.”

-- Andrew Hill, Decatur


br>?Pan-cake it on
I read Hollis Gillespie’s article and just about busted a gut laughing (Moodswing, “Such a mother,” June 26). It’s SO TRUE! I’m a single mom with two preschool kids, and I’ve gotten very used to seeing the boy-shaped dust-cloud once the kidlets come up in conversation. I knew I found a great man when he looked at me on our fourth date and said, “Why don’t we take the kids out for pizza and then go to the playground?”

Just for the record, your friend Michael is full of shit. I used to work as an exotic dancer (it pays better than my master’s degree). A lot of us are mothers; we just use Ben Nye pancake makeup to cover the stretch marks.

-- Marna Martin, Watkinsville


br>?I don’t want to grow up
I laughed out loud at your article “An exclusive feature on what is and isn’t gay” (June 26). I’ve been out since the Ronald Reagan years, I’ve played gay Pride (I’m a musician) since back when Dwayne and Dwayde ran the dinky music stage and would call a couple of days before and ask me if I wanted to go on at 3 or so. I even marched the year they forgot to get the permit and we marched on the sidewalk. I needed a good laugh for reasons I won’t go into — which mostly have to do with being a grownup. Did I say thanks? Thanks.

-- Angela Motter, Atlanta


br>?Creature feature
I was at the Fernbank Museum giving a talk about my exhibit, The Collector’s Confession, when audience members excitedly informed me about Felicia Feaster’s review in Creative Loafing (Arts, “The art of science,” June 19), giving this unique venue for fine art some community exposure. I found her writing about my work incredibly imaginative and insightful — her lively descriptions of the taxidermized animals surrounding the paintings, especially the image of “eternally irritated minks.”

Most importantly, she captured the atmosphere of the museum and why it was a significant environment for this particular series of paintings. Her qualification that the work might at times be a little too beautiful was interesting to me as well, since it was a known “risk” influenced by Dave Hickey’s The Invisible Dragon and serves the very purpose of sensually involving the viewer with my fascination about creatures, evolution and science, which she understands well.

Also, her comments about the nuances of the science/spirit theme in the paintings were really gratifying to me, since an artist so rarely hears what others perceive at the deepest level.

-- Suzanne Stryk, Bristol, Va.


br>?MARTA smarta?
(In response to “Mara does MARTA,” June 19): How about a story about MARTA from someone who has no choice but to depend on it — not someone who “tried” it for a week? I go to DeKalb Tech, and left early one weekday at noon to go home and take care of some personal business. The bus finally came at 1:20, and the driver had no explanation as to why the three previously scheduled buses did not show up. The bus was, of course, overcrowded and the air did not work.

Hoping to save some time, I transferred to another bus, which got me to the train station at 1:53. My connecting train had just pulled up when the bus did. Yet before I could get down the steps, it was gone — even though there were many other riders attempting to catch it, and the departing riders had barely left the train’s doorway. Upon reaching the station where I was to make my final bus connection, the bus was there, scheduled to leave at 2:05 p.m. It left at 2:18.

I recently read in that other paper that MARTA blew millions of dollars on a computer system it never used. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on computer systems that are collecting dust, they should be concentrating on customer service and efficiency. Calling customer service is a joke. The attendant is usually reading the same schedule I am, and I have been given wrong information on more than one occasion. The majority of the drivers are not nice (Shouldn’t people skills and being a people person be a pre-requisite for this kind of job?) and don’t want to be asked any questions. MARTA is smarta for MARTA because they know the majority of its riders have no choice but to put up with this crap.

-- Steven Christopher Hill, Stone Mountain