Letters to the Editor - July 04 2007

Talk radio

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Although talk radio as a format makes my flesh crawl, John Sugg’s take (Metropolis, “On-air hot air,” June 28) on its clandestine support by a conservative political cabal bent on brainwashing America is laughable. Boortz, Hannity and the rest are entertainers, hired by the wealthy corporations who pay big money for the licenses to broadcast them. Their audience is composed of only two types of listeners: those who agree with the bombast and get a charge out of being validated as right, and those who don’t agree and enjoy feeling the thrill of righteous indignation. To believe that anyone actually changes their minds because of this is naive, to say the least. The ratings generated by these two groups of listeners cause sponsors to write checks, which keeps this crap on the air; if Sugg believes that Al Gore or any other liberal blowhard would be denied a spot on the airwaves if they could generate the same numbers, he is sadly mistaken. I suggest that there is more than enough money in Hollywood to buy out Clear Channel or one of the other big conglomerates, and create the left-leaning media outlet that Sugg thinks is so desperately needed. However, those folks didn’t make all that money by being stupid, and realize that their cause is better served by complaining about the likes of Boortz than by actually airing their own benighted politics so openly. After all, we have John.

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– James Wiley, Decatur

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Thank you, CL online

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I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your online edition. I am an intern at El Morro National Monument in New Mexico, and am missing a lot of things – my friends at the Vortex, beer at SweetWater and 5 Seasons, and my typical Thursday morning sit-down with CL. Although I can’t get on Facebook or MySpace from National Park Service computers, I CAN, however, get my weekly fix of Creative Loafing. In a place where the closest stores are more than 40 miles away, it is a comfort each week when I can sit down and read about the crazy things happening in Atlanta. I’m so sad I missed Screen on the Green and all the cool stuff Atlanta has to offer in the summer, but I just wanted to thank you for being online.

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– Megan Allinger, Ramah, N.M.

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The Methodist church and homosexuality

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Dear editor,

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A comment on Mr. Holman’s somewhat misleading profile about the Rev. Mark Sargent (Profile, June 28):

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I have since learned that the Rev. Sargent is quite progressive in his views in favor of gay rights within his church, to which I say: fantastic! We in the United Methodist Church need all the open-minded, progressive pastors we can get, Lord knows (pun intended).

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My concern is that the Methodist denomination is being presented as wholly anti-gay. I believe that it is not. Though it is true that Methodists do not yet ordain openly gay ministers, nor does it allow for same-sex unions, in general the UMC is among the more liberal of the mainstream Protestant denominations, and holds within its official doctrine a position of acceptance of all worshippers, including those who happen to be gay. Time, and the efforts of such realistic clergy as the Rev. Sargent, will tell what will happen down the road.

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For now, there are many United Methodists in Georgia who believe, as I do, that a viable and constructive church must be one where all may gather to worship in an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion. I for one do not wish to be painted with the same brush as the so-called Christian Right, with their intolerance and disapproval of homosexuality.

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– Robert Garrett, Tucker