Once again, Keith A. Owens has defied conventional wisdom in speaking frankly and honestly about segregation in contemporary America ("Choosing segregation," MT, April 11-17). I agree with Mr. Owens; I see absolutely nothing wrong with folks wanting to live in communities or to have their loved ones attend a school where their ethnic/cultural kindred is in the majority. It’s simply much more comfortable and natural to be around folks that you can relate to and identify with.
Back in the mid-’80s, I attended a forced-desegregated school in Jacksonville, Fla. The
school was 75 percent black, 15 percent white and the rest made up of Asians and Latin Americans. I really can’t remember anything particularly great when my ethnic/cultural kindred was in the minority — I’m sure the present-day minority groups can relate to that! It was more or less a feeling alienation, at least in school. While I lived in the predominately white suburbs and my friends wealthier families were able to send their children to private schools, I was bused more than an hour to downtown Jacksonville — for some quality, government-sponsored social engineering. That was indeed a life lesson I will not soon forget and hope not to repeat with my children. —Steve Snyder, surtursflame@yahoo.com, Sterling Heights
Better than Cincinnati
I commend Keith A. Owens on a wonderful article regarding the recent (and apparent) uprising in Cincinnati ("Just like Detroit?" MT, April 18-24). Fangman has some nerve stating that if his cops didn't do what they do, then Cincinnati would become another Detroit or Washington, D.C. Is he blind? Can he not see that Cincinnati is nothing more than a shithole version of Cleveland or Detroit for that matter? Yes, the Detroit Police Department is under investigation, but so are about 30 other departments around the country, and the situation in Cincinnati has just sped up that process. I don't know how many "terrorists" (what a ridiculous way to describe unarmed traffic violators) Detroit cops have killed since 1995, but I will say that I think they have a much larger problem in Cincinnati than we do in Detroit at this point. I've lived here all my life, and when I hear jackasses making uneducated statements about a city they have probably never been to, I lose all respect for what they have said. Again, thank you for a great article. —Russ Cusamano, rcusuma@uwcs.org, Eastpointe
On the wing
To Jack Lessenberry: Your disrespect for George Bush and John Ashcroft is boring ("Their killer and ours," MT, April 18-24). I find it quite amusing that you cannot write your column without resorting to name-calling to show your disdain for our government officials. If there is a real "twit" or "bumbler," it is you, sir, and your high-school-newspaper level of writing.
I gather from reading your column that you are of the left-wing persuasion, thus the sympathetic viewpoint for anything relating to socialism/communism.
My only satisfaction in life would be to read that you were tied to the wing of the Chinese plane that was so unmercifully brutalized by our Navy aircraft. Perhaps I may realize my wish if you were to offer yourself up as Kervorkian's next candidate!! —Gene Rawlins, West Bloomfield
On the money
I wanted to thank you for Liz Langley’s garage sale piece in the Metro Times ("Sale away with me," MT, April 25-May 1). Not only was it hilarious, but I also enjoyed the nice metaphor she sneaked in there to disguise the whole article. I've written similar things, and it's always amusing to spot the people who figure it out and the ones who don't. —Alex Vojnovski, Auburn Hills
