Letters to the Editor

Sticks and stones

Re: “Playing Hardball at the Ballot Box” (Metro Times, Nov. 17), Keith A. Owens states: “What should never be underestimated is how easy it is to manipulate the uninformed. Most Americans are uninformed on the issues ...” Mr. Owens: So? So what? Implying the electorate is ignorant achieves what, exactly? From where I sit, either advocate voter competency laws or deal with a population that is perfectly happy with its point of view and capacity to make a decision based on its own comfort level. Indirectly calling people stupid doesn’t really do anything but create bad feelings. —Michael Mace, Redford, [email protected]

Cheers to Keith Owens! He got it right. We need a Democratic candidate with balls, and a party that will back him up. We need a machine that will go for the jugular, as Mr. Owens says. As he says so well, LBJ and JFK didn’t take any B.S. from anybody.

Thanks for your article, Mr. Owens. As an American Coming Together (ACT) volunteer in Columbus, Ohio, on Election Day, I witnessed the theft of an election with the simple, low-tech strategy of taking voting machines away from minority and Democratic-leaning polling places, creating 10-hour long lines. By the time you realize what’s happened, it’s all over.

We need to lay bare the details so the world knows what the Republicans did. I just hope the recount effort is able to do that. Please keep up your fight! We can’t let this die. We owe that much to all those people who stood in line in the rain for those long hours, just so their votes would count, just so they would count. —Carolyn Sherman, Washington, D.C.

Re: “Electoral Collage” (Metro Times, Nov. 17): I didn’t vote for Bush. He doesn’t deserve to be president. I didn’t vote for Kerry. He didn’t deserve to be president. But I’m amazed at the whining, sniveling, we-wuz-robbed Dems who see a ballot box conspiracy and religious zealot behind every “bush,” while pretending their own self-righteous zealotry is OK. Give me a break. Get off your pompous asses and offer people more than a rich-guy-pretending-to-be-poor, flip-flopping, pretentious, fish brain. It’s a no-brainer the Repubs will come up with somebody better than Bush in four years. Let’s hope the Dems don’t dumb down to Hillary. —David Pilgrim, Leslie, [email protected]

I am a musician. I am an advertiser with your publication. I do enjoy reading the Metro Times, but the one thing I am not is a liberal or a Democrat. Yes, it is possible to be somewhat hip, but not have views that always fall on the left side of the political divide. You are so obviously slanted to the left. Did you ever stop and think that a good portion of your readers and advertisers are fairly conservative? I guess what they say about the liberal media is true. —Ken McCauley, Rochester

I believe the time has come for real leadership, which requires tough decisions. Congress needs to have a nonpartisan organization set up to handle all appropriate issues. These issues include but are not limited to:

• Redistricting: The Supreme Court has ruled that Texas redistricting is illegal. This is so necessary for proper representation.

• Salaries: Why Congress can set and increase its own salary is beyond me.

• Elections: All election counts, recounts, machines and results must be handled by a nonpartisan organization.

We have put a man on the moon, and these are necessary and overdue reforms. This will be the first step in restoring confidence and credibility to our government. —Seamus Quinn, Oak Park, [email protected]

I suppose that Jack Lessenberry’s recent column, “We must get out of Iraq — now” (Metro Times, Nov. 17), will get its fair share of “I’m so outraged” letters, maybe more than usual. Being that it may, I feel the need to actually comment on this and let him know how much I think he is so correct. He wrote a great piece. It’s a sad, sad world we live in. The reality of it is tremendously depressing. I can only assume that people must have felt this disgusted (or worse) when Vietnam was the war du jour. —Zach Glueck, Clawson, [email protected]

I couldn’t agree more with Jack Lessenberry’s column on getting out of Iraq, but the question is what does the average person do? People seem to have forgotten that there was a time back, oh, about 200 years ago when Britain was attempting to be the occupiers in our land. All they wanted was to show us how, if we just listened to them and did things their way, life would be so much better for us. Did we listen? Of course not, and neither should the people of Iraq. We do not belong there. Period. I for one want our government to know this, and I want to let the people of Iraq know that contrary to what they are seeing and being told, a lot of us here do not support this mess. —John Bow, Birmingham, [email protected]

Re: “For a better Detroit, try a clean sweep” (Metro Times, Nov. 17), I want to commend Ric Bohy for his comments about Detroit City Council member Alonzo Bates. There is definitely not enough exposure of the characters and biographies of our council members in the local press. I would welcome any in-depth features in the future on council members, and especially Lonnie Bates and Barbara-Rose Collins. I think there would be a collective dropping of your readers’ jaws at the antics of Mr. Bates. That this man is on the City Council is unacceptable and inexusable, and the Metro Times is the only place that has bothered to mention his contemptible behavior. —James Dantzer, Detroit

Thank you for your recent article on the shocking passing of environmental activist Mary Beth Doyle of the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor. As a former mom-turned-environmental activist-turned-elected official, I knew Mary Beth for a span of more than 10 years. I first met her when she was working at the Ecology Center and going to school for her master’s degree. Her untiring determination was evident then, and she remained determined in her dedication to the protection of the public’s health and human rights until her untimely death. Mary Beth Doyle was a magical combination of tenacity, turbulence and tolerance, a person of conviction and compassion, and I am honored to have known her and considered her a friend. —Cheryl Graunstadt, Westland

Fred Mills is the best thing that has happened to the Metro Times in close to 20 years. His Roger McGuinn album reviews (“Spun,” Metro Times, Nov. 17), like everything else he has done for the paper, are brilliant. You should really turn the whole paper over to him and call it The Fred Mills Weekly. On the other hand, that would force me to read your entire paper every week. Never mind. —Scott Campbell, Detroit, [email protected]

Re: “Morrissey vs. Clay Aiken” (Metro Times, Oct. 13), the fabulous Clay Aiken is amazing! Musical singing sensation Clay Aiken is magnificent, fantastic, marvelous and outstanding! The sensational Clay Aiken is my favorite new musical star. Clay Aiken is so talented. I am writing to say that I absolutely adore and enjoy Clay Aiken’s first full-length CD Measure Of A Man very much! Clay Aiken’s great new songs “Proud Of Your Boy,” “This Is The Night” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” — I love those songs very much! Clay Aiken is the greatest and the best singer, performer and entertainer ever on American Idol! Clay Aiken definitely needs a whole lot more radio airplay, awards and honors! I love Clay Aiken! He is going to be a huge pop and adult contemporary star! I can’t wait! Clay Aiken is definitely the next Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra combined! Clay Aiken Rules! —M. Hinojosa, Corpus Christi, Texas

How you can let freelance writers like Serene Dominic spew hate and venom in your paper? I am not a Claymate, but I pity your parents. How sad they must be to have raised someone like you! Also, the phrase “white trash” really offends me, just like the N-word offends everyone. I feel an apology is in order to all your white readers. —Dotti Klevins, Hackensack, N.J.