Hated Showdown
To The Editors:
I was stunned by the “Showdown at McCrory Corral” article by Tara Servatius (CL, September 26). I don’t know what Ms. Servatius was hoping to accomplish, but what she showed me was that she lacks any compassion and humanity for her fellow Charlotteans, and indeed she lacks any caring for other humans at all.
By taking a toy gun into the Government Buildings and parking decks, Ms. Servatius clearly put other people in harm’s way to serve her own selfish agenda. What if a security guard had noticed the gun, and in these very stressful times decided to pull a firearm of his own? What if an innocent bystander was injured if the security guard happened to be a little trigger happy? You can try to justify what you did by saying that the citizens of Charlotte need to know, but there are responsible ways to make a point without carrying a provocative toy firearm into government buildings. Your actions were selfish and quite juvenile.
I hope that those who were on duty at the buildings and parking deck didn’t lose their jobs over this article. They probably have families to feed, but Ms. Servatius obviously lacks compassion enough for her fellow human beings to care about them. She has marginalized herself with her lack of maturity and selfishness.
Joe Baucom
Charlotte
Loved Showdown
To The Editors:
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the hilarious but sadly accurate article by Tara Servatius on the “beefed up” security at the Government Center. Two good things came out of that story, it seems. The city government’s blather about how they were working hard to make everyone safe was a bunch of hot air and wasted money on some junior Barney Fifes, and now everyone knows it. Also, now the powers that be have been forced to make some real changes in the Government Center’s security measures. It’s sad that it took your article to make it happen, but I hate to say that I’m not surprised. Keep up the good work.
Janice Hinson
Charlotte
Stand Up To Irresponsible Eateries
To The Editors:
Lucy Perkins’ commentary “Beat the Parents” (CL, September 26) was short-sighted. It is your responsibility as a patron to voice your complaints to the restaurant manager, and it is the restaurant management’s responsibility to ensure you have an enjoyable dining experience. I know of a small, independent restaurant that often turns customers away who demanded separate tables for their children. They would rather the customer leave without buying anything than to upset the other patrons who wanted an enjoyable dining experience.
All restaurants that do not serve fast food should have the policy that all children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult at the table. If the customer insists on having minor children sit alone, the restaurant should inform the customer that the children will have to order food from the adult menu and that a 20 percent gratuity will be added to the check.
It was Ms. Perkins’ responsibility to complain to management about the food fight, the noise, and being attacked by bread. Lucy allowed herself to be the victim of a bad dining experience. The concept is simple. Everyday, America votes! We vote in elections. Americans vote with their pocketbooks, their wallets and their money everyday. By not standing up to the establishment that provided her a terrible dining experience, Lucy gave them a vote of confidence. If management didn’t listen to her needs, her column could have been called “Beat The Restaurateurs,” even if they were advertisers in Creative Loafing.
Drew Lane
Charlotte
Oh, So Now We’re All-American
To The Editors:
A faith institution in my neighborhood has a marquee out front that reads “Continued Prayer for Our Nation.” These words have been prominently displayed ever since the events of September 11. Supplications of this nature may vary in wording, but essentially convey the same message — “God Bless America” — and are typical of many houses of worship throughout Charlotte and the United States during these uniquely troubling times. But I must give pause to ask the question: why are the prayers limited to asking God to bless solely the United States? Isn’t “Pray for all the inhabitants of the world” and “God bless mankind” more in keeping with God’s urgings of universal love and peace for everyone?
Could it be that during times of pain and suffering there is a tendency to look towards those who are also experiencing what you are? To engage in a collective dialogue with others who understand? To proffer a shoulder or lend an ear to others when necessary?
It is for all of these reasons and more that significant numbers of persons of color realize the importance — the necessity — of maintaining a hyphenated name such as African-American.
I bristle when John Q. Public proclaims that as a result of September 11, we are, at the drop of a hat, “all Americans.” For other African Americans and myself, these words ring hollow. Such words are indicative of a collective that for centuries has either been unable or unwilling to see the political oppression, economic exploitation, and social degradation
endured by Blacks. Unquestionably 300-plus years of pain, suffering, disenfranchisement, and internalized oppression can and should result in a people finding solace in those of like experiences; seeking dialogue with those who understand; to position a shoulder for the repose of those who must endure life in a country that refuses, in a real way, to see them except as a problem or a statistic.
It is an unmitigated affront for anyone to assume that the horrific events of one day will magically erase the personal and institutional racism that pervades the very fiber of the United States and thus make my new moniker American. To those and others, I suggest you come back and make that request when the conditions that brought about the need of the hyphenated name have ceased to exist.
The events of September 11 must serve as a clarion call that this nation’s words and actions continue to touch people around the globe in ways that are humiliating, harmful, and deadly. Let’s dare to go beyond the displays of superficial patriotism and learn to want for our brothers and sisters what we want for ourselves.
Ahmad Daniels
Charlotte
Go Home, Anglowimp
To The Editors:
In response to David Walters’ “Afghanistan’s Plains” (CL, September 26): Mr. Walters, what the hell are you doing in this country? Leave NOW, before I see your face somewhere! You Eurowimps, or Anglowimps rather, will never understand American resolve or Americans at all. This isn’t Vietnam, Nicaragua, or even a covert cold war operation. A chunk of NY was leveled! 7,000+ dead! This is unprecedented, except for Pearl Harbor. But even after Pearl Harbor there was dissent against striking back. They, including WWI hero General Pershing, thought it was insane to fight a war against people who would commit suicide attacks against our ships, i.e., the kamikazes. I know this one is different, and the President has reiterated this point over and over again. The war against terrorist thugs will go on indefinitely, which is fine with me. Bush said this will entail great sacrifice, a sacrifice I am prepared to undertake as a member of the NC Air National Guard. Not a single shot has been fired by a US soldier and the American Left has poured out on college campuses across the land, including UNCC last Wednesday, to blame the United States for these attacks. They camouflage themselves as just being anti-war, but they are really anti-American “blame America first-ers” who are hoping that the US military will be embarrassed by another Vietnam. These spoiled college kids are disillusioned romanticists. The ironic thing is they will never get close to being drafted to fight in this damn thing in the first place! You, Mr. Walters, are one of those people that think if we do nothing, the extremist Muslims will just cool off and go about their daily life. Wrong, they will continue doing this, because to them, it is an honorable, humanitarian mission to commit these barbarous acts. It is us — freedom loving Jews, Muslims, Christians, whatever, of the world — or the terrorists. The world is not big enough for both.
Jeff Jones
Charlotte
Housing Fiascos Make Me Angry
To The Editors:
Tara Servatius’ stories regarding the Charlotte Housing Authority and Reid Park are sensational. I would like to know the city government’s response/ explanation. I think the citizens deserve at least that from the mayor and city council regarding the Charlotte Housing Authority and Reid Park fiascos. I would like to know their response to squandering my tax dollars and not really helping those in desperate need of housing.
It’s time for the CHA to use their resources and time to work on truly prioritizing their waiting list for the elderly and disabled, but instead they choose to waste valuable time on investigating Creative Loafing and “leaks.” I believe any agency that is so worried about “leaks” instead of improving their services really does have something to hide. It should tell people something when the CHA refuses to release information that is public record. It should also tell people something when the CHA allows $20,000 a year to “drift” out their door. Do you realize how many people could be housed, or renovations done for that kind of money?
It makes me angry when I think of my friend who died from AIDS. Before he died he told me that the only thing he wanted before he died was his own apartment. He was on the CHA waiting list for a year and a half when he died. I encourage Tara Servatius to keep on writing until someone answers and things change.
Billy Hicklin
Charlotte
It’s Not About Race
To The Editors:
In the Tara Servatius article “No Longer Taken For Granted” (CL, October 3) about the defeat of Mayor Pro-Tem Susan Burgess by mayoral candidate Ella Scarborough, Ms. Servatius took the simple mathematics of three out of four City Council District primaries in predominantly black districts and attempted to turn the primary election into a racially divisive issue. The way Ms. Sevatius chose to report this election is unhealthy for our community. In a one-page article, Ms. Servatius managed to use the term “African-American” 11 times, “white” 17 times and the term “black” 22 times. This was not a black vs. white issue. I think we should really take a look at this type of journalism. Instead of pointing out our colors, maybe Ms. Servatius could have spent some time explaining the political differences between the candidates and what their vision of Charlotte was. If we ever expect to live in a world class city, we will need to put our racial differences aside once and for all and work together to make Charlotte a great place to live. This is not about political correctness, it’s about racism, pure and simple.
Mark Rosen
Matthews
Don’t Blame Reagan
To the Editors:
In response to the letter “Bin Laden & The CIA” (by Patrick Sallee, September 26), Mr. Sallee makes some serious oversimplifications in his assessment of the US government’s role in training Osama Bin Laden. It is true that the United States armed and trained the moujahedeen in its defense of Afghanistan from Soviet invasion during the 1980s. To say that the US government and the CIA helped prepare Bin Laden and others for terrorist acts like that which occurred on September 11 is obtuse and shortsighted.
The Reagan Administration chose to supply and train Muslim resistance groups. They did not train them in the art of terrorism against civilians as Mr. Sallee wrote, but trained them in guerilla war tactics against the Red Army. Some of the men we were supporting have become our biggest enemies, but to hold past administrations and the CIA responsible for the attacks on September 11 is preposterous.
I can only hope that the present administration will also take steps to insure that the most appropriate policy for the security of the United States and its people will be followed. Yes, violence does beget violence, but we need only look 60 years back in history, and to another evil historical figure, to see that appeasement and inaction lead to greater violence.
Sean Blest
Charlotte
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2001.
