I’m Right, You’re Wrong, I Win
Maybe one of the reasons Karen Shugart concludes that many young people today aren’t politically active (“The Selling of the Revolution,” Nov. 16) is that she seems to be hellbent on only looking at one corner of the political landscape. As evidenced from the hackneyed list of songs on her “organizing soundtrack,” and the few student leaders she interviewed, Shugart seems to only accept students who subscribe to a left-leaning ideology as being politically active. Perhaps intelligent young people now aren’t as willing to swallow whatever the left dishes up to them, without closer inspection. If she had done all of her research, Ms. Shugart would have found that some of the most active campus groups around the country represent a much broader array of political ideologies than the one she herself adheres to.
Dave Potts, Charlotte
In response to “Conservatives’ Problems and the Problems with Conservatives” (John Grooms, Nov. 9): I still like Bush and support most of the things he has done. The war is the right thing to do, his response to Katrina was more than acceptable, and he has now named two worthy candidates for the Supreme Court. The reason the war spending does not bother me is because the military is a legitimate government program. How many times have we been attacked since 9/11? Oh yea, NONE!
Eighty-five percent of this country is Christian. Believers of this faith trust in God to guide them. So, tell me why it is so bad for a Christian to say they are conservative and that God would endorse this view? You have to stand for something. Personal views pour into politics with everyone, including you, just like the radical Muslims who think their god is telling them to “kill the infidels.” By the way, these radicals are “the most hateful people on earth,” not Christians. Last time I checked, Christians were not blowing up buildings. You liberals preach “tolerance,” yet you never practice it.
Ronald Reagan was the best president of our time. He was no racist. He tried to help blacks by giving them an opportunity to help themselves. You liberals just want to get them on welfare to keep them dependent on the system; that way you still have control. So, who has the elitist attitude?
Homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else, but marriage is a sacred religious ceremony that God designed for man and woman. Homosexuals can still have wills to give their significant others their belongings. They can write their partner in on their life insurance. They can do whatever they want. Why do they need to be married? They don’t. Let’s spend our time on some real problems.
Kelley C. Payne, Charlotte
No Narks
Jared Neumark’s column on the freakishly deluded Clean Heart Ministries (“Urban Explorer,” Nov. 9) was fantastic, but my question cocerns the part about “Don’s” arrest. Does CL make a habit of using its personal ads to land its readers in jail? From the way the story was told, it sounds as if “Don’s” only crime was trusting CL’s personal ads for a hook-up. Clarification, please?
Brian Whitehead, York, SC
Editor’s reply: Good question, Brian. Thanks for asking. We assure you that Creative Loafing does not work with law enforcement in any way. However, police do sometimes use local papers in their investigations. CL has no control over this, as paying adult advertisers do not discuss their businesses with the paper or its representatives.
Just say Register
Wow, another Republicans-keep-the-poor-from-voting article (“Another Blow to Poor Voters,” by Karen Shugart, Nov. 2). Are you kidding me? Why would a housing nonprofit need to register people? That’s for political groups to do. And saying that for-profits can register people is very deceptive. For-profits only care about cash, not votes.
The truth is anyone can go to the local Board of Elections to register at any time. I know because I’ve done it. It wasn’t hard.
And as far as Mrs. Ortega saying she doesn’t allow political materials at her office, is she kidding? I remember someone by the name of Angeles Ortega who ran as a Democrat for County Commissioner in 2002. What a coincidence!
The US House is right to try to pass reforms against coercive voter registrations. Who wouldn’t register with the party you think they’re supporting if you want a house? And everyone knows which political party most of these groups “represent.”
As far as blasting Bill James for keeping the homeless from voting, that’s ridiculous. The homeless can vote, they just have to follow the law and draw a map to where they live. I’m sorry they’re being punished for someone else’s sins, but the law has to be enforced. As to who made the sin of not registering people properly, that was a local Democratic operative of ACORN, who was too lazy to ask what the laws were.
Kenny Houck, Pineville
This article appears in Nov 23-29, 2005.
