Get Out of Our Faces
Thank you for the marvelous “Gay Pride and Gay Porn” column by Tara Servatius (March 23). We are a gay male partnership, with a fetish that I will not bore you with, and a liking for porn, and all of that remains within the walls of our home, and among a group of like-minded friends. In the past couple of years we were both deeply embarrassed by the displays at the festival…we are proud of being gay, proud of our masculinity, and will brook no comment or criticism of or about our lifestyle, yet we do not inflict that lifestyle on others. We are both very tired of the current trend by so many folks with a cause who find an “in your face” approach to be useful…We’ve had missionaries appear on our porch DEMANDING that we pray with them. We’ve had tracts added to our shopping bags by a cashier at Wal-Mart. On a trip to San Francisco, we had a man, wearing only a leather jock strap and a pair of combat boots, bellow to us in the street that we were “woosey fags” for not wearing “the uniform.” This seems to be a constant and increasing affront, this business of demanding that one join whatever cause is being espoused. It seems to us that this recent trend is brought about by a barely elected administration who find it necessary to jam personal “values” down the throat of others and attempt to inflict some sense of guilt on those who disagree. We are certain that there are straight people who share our somewhat odd fetishes, but they seem to have the discretion and wit to not perform in the public market place. Again, thank you for the fine article…we could not be more in agreement!
— Buck and Duke, Charlotte
Urban Whitewash
I have been reading Creative Loafing weekly for the past five years and thoroughly enjoy the news and opinions, editorials, entertainment listings, and just about everything else. I see CL as a very broad, inclusive publication that appeals to the interests of a pretty wide section of the Charlotte demographic. Therefore I was taken aback and quite disappointed by “The Urban Explorer’s Handbook” (by Sam Boykin, Mar. 9), specifically by the profiles of residents that were included for each neighborhood. Out of representatives from 10 neighborhoods from every corner of Charlotte, I didn’t see a single minority. With the racial diversity present in this city, especially in a few of the neighborhoods profiled, I have a real problem excusing the homogenous image of Charlotte depicted in your article. Charlotte may be re-gentrified, but we’re not that far gone.
— Danielle Brockington, Charlotte
Beer Cheer
I enjoyed the article entitled “Brews Clues” (“Corkscrew,” by Taylor Eason, Mar. 16). I think I am an authority on beer and brewing and found the article to be very accurate. I completely agree with your three rules of drinking beer.
I enjoy drinking wine, and having grown up on Long Island, have been to dozens of wineries, sampling dozens of varieties although by no means am I a wine connoisseur. I rarely drink it, but I thoroughly appreciate it, as I do beer. I liked how you made wine/beer pairings. For the wine drinker who might want to try different styles of beer besides the mass-marketed brews, this is a great way to do it.
— M. David Gonzalez, Head Brewer, Rock Bottom Brewery, Charlotte
STANDing Up
We, the members of STAND (Students Together and Nationally Diverse), a club which promotes diversity and inclusion at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, believe that it is an injustice for the news media to only highlight the negative aspects of our school such as low test scores and a bus driver with DWI charges, while ignoring the many positives we have to offer. Recently the Charlotte Observer published a survey on students’ views on school safety and violence in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. At Berry Academy only 58 percent of our students feel safe, as compared to 88% at Providence and 84% at Myers Park. Ironically, Providence and Myers Park have much higher incidents of violent or criminal acts (26 and 23 respectively) than Berry, which had only 5 such acts in the 2003-4 school year. Perception does not always match reality, and as we all know, the media do a lot to shape perception.
Our students have a plethora of valuable programs and extra curricular activities available to students. Students are able to get computer programming certifications, exposure to teachers with experience in engineering, medicine, construction and a variety of other fields. Our Medical Academy has the highest vocational scores in the State. HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) is one of our most popular clubs. The Southwest Regional Vice president and NC State President are both Berry Academy Seniors. To top that off our basketball team is currently ranked number two in the Big South 3A Conference, we have an award winning marching band and a Gospel choir (Unique Voices in Harmony) that just recorded their first single.
STAND’s focus this year, is the planning of the NCCJ (National Conference for Community & Justice) Diversity Summit on April 28, 2005, to be hosted at Berry in a partnership with Myers Park. The conference is designed to empower students to improve the awareness of diversity issues in their schools. Phillip O. Berry has a lot of potential and every day students, teachers, administrators, coaches and staff alike, work to make Berry a better place. We write this letter in hopes that everyone will see Berry is more than a school; it’s a community with a lot of good things going on. We invite the Charlotte Observer and any local news media organization to see come and see the good news for themselves.
— STAND (Students Together and Nationally Diverse), Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology
Unfair to Reed
The article comparing Ralph Reed to Jesus (“The Baby Jesus” by Doug Monroe, Mar. 16) was atrocious. Mr. Reed himself wouldn’t make such a comparison.
While I disagree with Mr. Reed’s position on Native American casinos, he has a right to his opinion.
You blame him because some of his friends, Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon, were playing both sides of the field in a debate in Texas to close a casino and then re-open it. Your claim is Mr. Reed should know Mr. Abramoff and Mr. Scanlon were doing something wrong because they knew each other in college and have kept in touch. I’m pretty sure the author doesn’t know the criminal records of everyone he knew in college or all of his friends. I always thought liberals didn’t believe in guilt by association. The author uses guilt by association as a reason Mr. Reed shouldn’t be the next Lt. Gov. of Georgia. I don’t care if he is or isn’t, as I’m not a Georgia resident, and I don’t want to get involved in a GOP primary, but I have to speak up against guilt by association.
I think that Mr. Reed’s group that hired Abramoff and Scanlon as well as the Tigua Indians should sue Abramoff and Scanlon for all they’re worth. They’re obviously dirty for playing both sides of the fence. If CL wanted to be fair, they would have bashed Abramoff and Scanlon, but they’re not famous, so it gets more attention to bash Mr. Reed.
— Kenny Houck, Pineville
Missing the Scene
I will miss Tim Davis’ “Scene and Herd” column. Usually when I read it, I would think, I knew I should have gone to that show. (Although I am still disappointed he did not go to the Wilco show, only the soundcheck) I hope the magazine continues to do a similar “Scene and Herd” type column. I recommend Don and Laurie Koster, since they are at every darn show anyway.
— Randy Crawford, Charlotte
Asheville’s Not All That
Creative Loafing continues to be one of the best papers in NC, by far the best in western NC. I only wish we could find copies in Asheville. I am desperate, we have no contact with the real news in Asheville, it is like living at the end of the world! There is no investigative reporting and boy, are there stories to be done up here!
The propaganda floating around about Asheville being the place to be is so wrong! Only if you want to be isolated, with no job and no income to live. If you have money come on up, it is a great place for the rich who do not have to work!
— Judy Ausley, Asheville
This article appears in Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2005.
