Letters 

-- Rolf Kuehni, Charlotte

Students in an Undemocratic Society
How does one make it to the title of Student Body President at the university level and that person is not primarily motivated by the interest of their students ("Democracy Disdained," by David Walters, May 5)? Stefano Arethas issued the biggest blow to the student body of UNCC by dismissing their hard fought victory as "uninformed." I am a pissed off environmental science major at Winthrop University in Rock Hill who strives to motivate people into a sustainable way of thinking. I am very "informed" on green technologies and of the work of the UDI at UNCC. Why give the students the opportunity to take charge of their own student union to follow it up by taking a shit on them afterwards? Don't let the university become another example of hypocrisy in democracy. Leave that one to the government.

-- Lauren Sampson, Charlotte

Quit Ranting and Pay Attention
Paul Reali's argument against Quinn Cotton ("Does Quinn Care for All Unborn?," Backtalk, May 5) is absurd. I became a lacto-vegetarian in 1973 for two reasons: 1) I could no longer stand the thought of killing animals to eat. 2) By eating protein lower on the food chain (e.g., beans, corn), more of the world's hungry people can be fed.

Yet I still wear leather shoes, belts, and wallets. Additionally, I am in favor of a woman's freedom to choose abortion. Do these different stances make me a hypocrite or seemingly inconsistent? I think the latter. I simply am not bothered by the fact that I use a leather tool holder when I volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. With respect to abortion, I believe that this decision is between a woman and her God, and should not be legislated or based on my theological beliefs.

Because Reali was raving and ranting, he missed the entire point of Quinn's article, which was a condemnation of needlessly killing animals for their fur; bioethicists consider this killing to be one part of "the vanity industry."

-- W.F. Daniel, Jr., Charlotte

CL Misrepresents Blacks
Un-Creative Loafers, once again you have illy misrepresented African Americans (Blacks) in Charlotte, NC. Your illiterate author of City Festival Live ("Bum Rush the Show," by Timothy C. Davis, May 5) may need to go back to CPCC and take another English Literature course.

Your inference of having Blacks downtown at City Festival in Charlotte has truly struck a nerve. Although your paper is free, according to you, Blacks should use it as a kenneling to start the backyard BBQ as they prepare their BBQ spare ribs. For many years your paper has not represented the African-American community, and with your latest article -- still has not.

-- Trevis Alexander, Charlotte

Editor's Reply:
Mr. Alexander needs to go back and re-read Tim Davis' article on the Rhythm "n Rims stage at CityFest Live. The article was very positive about the artists playing there and in fact said it was the best part of the festival schedule. There was nothing whatsoever in the article that was negative in any way, shape or form regarding African Americans.

Don't Knock Homeschooling
As a faithful reader of Creative Loafing I am saddened and disturbed by the article "Homeschool Horror" by Quinn Cotton (May 5). For your magazine to characterize homeschoolers as some fanatic cult is an exercise in ignorance. These parents are not martyrs, they are making the sacrifice that few parents in public school do, of getting involved. So many times in the news we have learned about children groomed by society making the wrong choices, such as the kids that died in a car chase after doing home invasions and selling drugs. I have come into contact with many Charlotte-area homeschoolers of my age (26) and they will be the first to tell you that every homeschooling experience is different. Some parents tired of the public or private school system and did not feel that their child was being adequately served. When did truly investing in your child's education, possibly their spiritual well-being, become something that is like an "Islamic terrorist"? Your magazine has done many articles exploring the failures of our public education. "No child left behind" has not worked. Just this week there was an incident of a kid getting beaten by five thugs at Myers Park High School and the school system was aware of these boys' previous behavior. I am not the strongest advocate for homeschooling, but each day as I hear of incidents like this it becomes a better option if I were to have a child.

-- Rodney M. James, Charlotte

Home Attack
How dare Ms. Cotton attack homeschool moms the way she did! That is slander against something she obviously knows nothing about! I myself was homeschooled from the age of 9 all the way through high school; I attended a very prestigious college and now work in a bank. Unless I tell someone, they have no idea that I was "trapped in a house all day," as she put it so eloquently. How in the hell does she think that it is "unnatural" for "children and a mother to be isolated together" beyond a certain age? I am so sorry that she isn't creative/patient enough to be around her child for more than two or three hours a day after they have been taught by our oh-so-wonderful public schools. It makes me ill to think that she is naive enough to think that a "certified" teacher would do a better job than a mother, whose only interest is making sure her tiny ones are raised to be good and upstanding adults. These teachers, that she speaks so highly of, are moonlighting as strippers, bartenders, and who know what else!

-- Abby Michelle Draxler, Charlotte

Horrified
I am utterly appalled at the article "Homeschool Horror." I cannot believe that you would allow such trash to be posted in your publication. As a parent who has had my children in private school and homeschool, I can attest that the insinuations, however "humorous" in intent, are insulting, ludicrous, and ignorant. I am truly insulted at being compared to a "terrorist" simply because I have chosen to educate my children at home.

People choose to homeschool for many different reasons, the main one being that we do not want our children to turn out with the type of attitude and character that Quinn Cotton seems to have. Anyone who can refer to children as animals has no place critiquing any type of schooling, much less berating parents who choose to make a commitment to try to provide their children w/the best education they feel is available. Shame on you for printing such trash.

-- Lori Grem, Waxhaw

Nothing Weird About It
As a longtime CL fan who has written several letters of praise in the past, I must say I am sickened and disturbed by Cotton's attack on homeschooling. As an ultra-liberal, non-Christian homeschooler of two kids and a nursing baby, I am shocked at the generalizations and stereotypes Cotton painted. There is no way to defend homeschooling in the short space of this letter, but a couple of points I choose to make: firstly, how is it that 20+ kids crammed into a room and told to only speak if they raise their hand, learn any kind of realistic socialization? Merely being in the presence of a large group of peers is not what teaches appropriate behavior. Secondly, I feel sad for the author that there is such a desperate desire to get away from one's own child. My kids and I have a great time together, as well as have plenty of arguments and debates. They play together and fight together. There is nothing weird or sick about enjoying being with one's family. Homeschooling allows us to take life at a pace which facilitates getting to know one another on a deep, multi-layered level.

-- Amy Sutton, Charlotte