Letters to the Editor

Run them out on a rail

Re: “Moving to run” (Metro Times, July 28), Detroiters are outraged, and seriously disappointed in the establishment that continually helps to fuel this activity.

While it is the right of anyone who qualifies to run, the voters in this district are tired of these antics and are expressing it — and we will all see the results on election night. —Rose L. Jones, Candidate, state Representative, District 2, Democrat

What’s different now?

Re: Jack Lessenberry’s article, “Barbarians in the Rose Garden” (Metro Times, July 21), I, too, am greatly alarmed by the “trial balloon” floated by the administration suggesting that the election might be postponed.

I find this notion particularly ironic in view of the fact that the Republicans insisted, during the 2000 election, that the Florida results had to be expedited because the country could not possibly stand a postponement. —Warner Mach, Westland

No blame game

In response to Jack Lessenberry’s column, blacks get blamed for a lot of things, both deserved and undeserved, but being blamed for putting Bush in the White House is a new one on me. My thanks go out to those who fought and put their lives on the line so that I could have the right to vote, and I personally exercise that right (along with a few other blacks, I’m sure) — but guess what? In America, any person, black or otherwise, who has the right to vote also has the right not to. Instead of pretending that blacks are the only people who do not vote (and are therefore responsible for the election of any president who is starting to tick off those who do), you would be better off focusing your frustrations on all of those voters who did put Bush in the White House and want to keep him there. —Cassandra Edwards, Detroit

Dems must earn votes

Re: “Those big-heart Dems” (Metro Times, July 28), it’s that time of year again when I (hopefully) get to chose which rich, white guy for president. Even a marginal student of American history should realize by now that the Republican party is the party of whites, and those granted honorary whiteness — currently Hispanics — while the Democrats are trying to keep what few whites remain by essentially being moderate Republicans. Both major political parties are fundamentally committed to maintaining America’s version of apartheid and the minor parties typically do the same.

So why is my black vote so important to the Democrats? They’ve had the black vote since FDR and the last Democrat to do anything politically meaningful was LBJ.

I’m 49 years old and I’m tired of “sending a message” and “having my voice heard” when it really isn’t. Enough of this ritualistic bullshit. Blacks, nonwhites and poor whites need to organize their own political party. I include poor whites because Democrats and Republicans feed them racialized code words and the promise of white privilege until after the election — then they get treated like niggers too. I’m still thinking on how I’ll vote. Or if it even matters anymore. —Marcus K. Adams, Ypsilanti

Off with his head

Re: “Head case,” (Metro Times, July 7), Dr. Dennis Zembala, director of Detroit Historical Museums, astonished me with his remarks regarding the old Detroit City Hall statues at old Fort Wayne.

He says the statues have “been exposed to the elements for over 100 years.” He further says, “They’re really meant to be seen from a hundred feet below. … Displaying them at eye level would not do them justice”.

Statues, buildings, and monuments in Europe, have withstood hundreds of years, wars, neglect, vandals and invaders, yet today stand proudly. I suppose he would discard the “Venus de Milo,” or sell it, as it has no arms.

Zembala apparently has not visited historic sites, as he misses the value of our young heritage. We as a country are only 228 years old, and are a throw away society. He lacks the vision of a progressive museum director. —Frank Slomzenski, Livonia, franzjosep@aol.com

Erratum: In Metro Times’ review of Carandiru, the paper erroneously reported the movie’s star rating, which should have been three stars.