Letters to the Editor

Lending a hand

Thanks to Brian Smith for the story about Bootsey (“X inflammable,” Metro Times, Oct. 1-7). He’s sure had a hard life.

I’m in the band Cinecyde. From time to time, I’ve given a helping hand to Bootsey. Last Thursday, I spoke to him and found out the bad news. He’s right in that it could have turned out a lot worse. He’s lucky to be alive — most die of smoke inhalation.

Bootsy was in Cinecyde in 1989. We played some shows and the band appreciated his style. He only recorded one song with us, but the ironic part is the song was “Burn The Crack House Down.”

We would certainly like to help him out and we’d be available for any benefit show. —Gary Reichel, gary@thomasvideo.com, Royal Oak

Suckerpunched

Thanks so much to Metro Times for glorifying Bootsey X. I’m sure your readers will breathe a sigh of relief now that we know his record collection was saved.

I happen to be the woman who ran to the Police Department for help. Perhaps your readers would like to know that I’m OK as well and that the Hamtramck Fire Fighters managed to save most of the contents of my apartment from Bootsey’s careless actions. However, I also no longer have an apartment thanks to Bootsey. Perhaps he’ll share with me the proceeds from his benefit so I can get a new place to live too.

Your cover said, “Another week in Detroit, another musician burned.” Please — how about “Another week in Detroit, another insensitive Metro Times article.” —Amy Hennes, formerly of Hamtramck, now residing in Ferndale

He could be worse

Jack Lessenberry is wrong about George Bush (“The worst president in history,” Metro Times, Sept. 17-23). Lessenberry goes too far in describing Bush as the worst president in history ... at least until we see how much farther Bush and his scary Attorney General Ashcroft will go.

Lincoln was more tyrannical and not merely for his horrific war crimes in the South. Wilson was even more of a goofy “world crusader” than Bush. And Franklin Roosevelt did infinitely greater lasting damage both to America and to Europe. But Bush hasn’t earned the title yet.

He’s working on it and, in his own dull, plodding, moronic way, doing his darndest, and maybe he can still achieve the distinction of worst president, sort of like the children’s story of the little engine that could.

He is clearly itching to get wars going with Syria and Iran. If he can accomplish these feats of war-mongering, this will bring his score up to three wars. With just one more he can bring real meaning to the slogan I am suggesting for his supporters in the 2004 election: “Four More Wars! Four More Wars!” —Sam G. Dickson, Atlanta, Ga.

It’s all about us

I agree completely with Jack Lessenberry’s piece on President Bush. I can’t believe that there are people in this country who still think he is doing a decent job. He has failed the people on all counts and we will be paying for it for a long time. He apparently still believes that we can survive on our military might and can ignore the rest of the world’s political and environmental problems. If the terrorists don’t get us the destruction of Mother Earth will. —Patrick Drummond, Royal Oak

Grand slam

My hat is off to Jack Lessenberry (“Thieves in high places, Metro Times, Sept. 24-30). It’s the best piece of writing since Curt Guyette’s “A Hole in the Heart” (Metro Times, Aug. 6-12). It’s about damn time the truth is exposed. The only question I have is: Why did it have to take the worst season in Tiger history to reveal what most of us already knew?

Perhaps if people had been a lot more concerned about what was going on behind closed doors a few years ago, we very well could have been watching a 2003 Tiger team preparing themselves for the playoffs in Tiger Stadium!

Again, great writing, Mr. Lessenberry and Mr. Guyette. —Dale Atkinson, daleatkinson@msn.com, Grand Rapids