Time For One More Complaint
To The Editors:
Regarding Sam Boykin’s article about NoDa (“NoDa Veterans Welcome Changes,” April 3), he is right about some things. There has always been a lot of talk about what NoDa might be one day, but it just never seemed to happen. I have been going to the gallery crawls since 1994 and hanging art since 1996. There have been a lot of different artists, businesses, and galleries come and go over the years. Even after going up there on a regular basis, I wasn’t sure what the area would become. We just kept plugging away, showing art, hoping someone would notice.
Then all of a sudden, houses are getting bought and renovated by young folks, a sign goes up across from Fat City about some lofts, the Highland Mill renovations, the Colony, then the big whammy: Crosland buys Pat’s, 23 Studio, and Wrightnow Gallery. A lot of us have been hanging art in those galleries, and drinking beer at Pat’s, for eight and 10 years now. It is gonna be strange when they tear those three places down. It’s been fun, but I was always disappointed with the lack of support for local artists in this city, by both the public and the media. There has been some really great art in 23 Studio and Wrightnow galleries over the years. Not always great, mind you, but a lot of really good art. We have often wondered what people in this town have on their walls. Ansel Adams prints from Wal-Mart?
Mr. Boykin should have interviewed a few artists, as well as Paul and Paul, and he would know that it is not just “clueless boho wanna-bes” that are concerned about NoDa, but artists who have been showing art in the area for a decade. I guess he is just upset that the Observer beat him to the gentrification angle.
Randy Crawford
Charlotte
Amen To Wal-Mart Column
To The Editors:
All I have to say about the article in this week’s CL entitled “Wal-Mart Sells Manure” (by Tara Servatius, April 3) is AMEN! It was very good and incredibly accurate.
Valerie Krasinski
Charlotte
Tell It Like It Is
To The Editors:
Boy, you guys have guts to tell the well-known truth about Wal-Mart stores, one of the richest (maybe the richest) companies in America. Ms. Servatius is absolutely right: Wal-Mart may sell things cheaply (and that is debatable) but their service is so bad you can’t even call it service. I’ve found that some of the people who work there are nice and will try to help you, or at least not mess up what you’ve bought. Too bad that’s only some of the people, though. The trouble is that they seem to just hire anybody with a pulse off the street and put them in positions where they have to deal with the public. Bad mistake, since most of them don’t seem to be all there, or maybe they just don’t want to be there. Keep on telling the truth, you guys do a great job.
Kevin McCraw
Charlotte
Hiding On The Corner
To The Editors:
I may agree with Tara Servatius’ article on “Wal-Mart Sells Manure” as far as the quality of service goes, but I am offended by her racist comments regarding some of the Wal-Mart employees. Comparing a group of people to Al-Qaida is a very serious accusation and you better be ready to support your claims. Tara, your ancestors, like many other hard-working Americans, probably also came from a “far-flung nation” and stood hiding at a store corner at one time. Give these folks a break. It is not them who are at fault but the store’s management. Tara, your comments leave a lot to be desired (but again, I guess that’s why you write for CL and not WSJ, or even the Observer for that matter).
Jaime Emmanuelli
Charlotte
We Have A Choice
To The Editors:
I just read with great amusement the column about Tara’s trip to Wal-Mart. All I can say is. . .get rid of her! What a waste of newspaper space. Has she ever heard of Target? This is not Russia. We have a choice of places to shop and we vote for them with our money. (And, no, I don’t work for Wal-Mart.) While I, too, find the Wal-Mart on Eastway Drive leaves a lot to be desired, I go there for the prices and convenience to my home. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices in order to save money and most economizing people understand this. I guess there are enough of us out there since this store is always crowded. If it hadn’t been for the same “grassroots” people that she embraces so lovingly the rest of the year, Tara would be shopping at a new Target on Albemarle Road by now and would be able to look down her nose at those of us who choose Wal-Mart.
I also take issue with her blatant racist remarks. As a white male I have to wonder what point is she trying to make by referring to the cashier as “Bonita”? And why make mention of the nationalities of the other employees at this location? The diversity of this area of Charlotte is what attracts many to live on the east side of town. If she wants to go to a store where “Buffy” is her cashier and there are nothing but good old European Americans to serve her, then she should shop in Ballantyne.
It is truly sad that it has come to the point where a certain tabloid thinks that being negative is what good journalism is all about. I guess the glass is always half empty at the Loaf.
Eric Hansley
Charlotte
Editor’s Reply: In reference to the two previous letters, we strongly disagree that there were any racist references in the column in question. Simply noting that someone is of Middle Eastern background, or that he or she can’t speak English, or being able to see humor in these kinds of cross-cultural situations, does not constitute racism. As for why the writer referred to someone in the column as Bonita, well, it’s because that was the person’s name. As for the Al-Qaida reference, that’s what’s called a joke; we weren’t suggesting that someone at Wal-Mart is actually a member of Al-Qaida; even having to explain this is kind of absurd. Beyond these minor points, though, lies the issue of political correctness and “speech police.” We are adamantly anti-racist at this paper, and wholeheartedly welcome our community’s increasing diversity and multi-cultural perspective; these viewpoints have been reflected in our coverage of Charlotte for 15 years. But we are not in favor of, nor will we succumb to, a repressed sense of correctness regarding facts of racial identity, nationality, cultural identity or any of the other terms of identification which tend to make some of us overly touchy. Indeed, we embrace the genuine feeling of comfort with multi-culturalism and diversity that leads to being able to occasionally find humor, and laugh, at cultural differences.
Reparations For What?
To The Editors:
In her column two weeks ago (“Rebel Without A Cause”), Lucy Perkins tried to peddle the tired myth that the War Between the States (or “Civil War,” as she calls it) was waged by the South to preserve slavery. The truth is, it was nothing more or less than a war of naked aggression and conquest, waged by the Lincoln government so that he would not go down in history as having presided over the dissolution of the union. Unquestionably, the southern states had every right to secede — no serious constitutional scholar today contends otherwise. Lincoln himself stated that he would be satisfied to restore the union even if he never freed a single slave; and he never even pretended that his war was about slavery, until the cynical “Emancipation Proclamation” of 1862 (an election year) which was carefully worded to make certain that it in fact freed no one. With Lincoln’s war, as with all wars, the victors wrote the history books, so Miss Perkins’ jaundiced views generally prevail.
Then, last week, Miss Perkins weighed in on the absurd issue of reparations (“Payback’s A Bitch”). She seems to feel that reparations would be just dandy in principle, but reluctantly comes down against them, because of the many theoretical and practical difficulties that would hinder implementation. Here’s the bottom line on reparations: Had there been no slavery, African-American citizens of today would not be Americans. They would be Africans, living in some garden spot like Ethiopia, Somalia or Tanzania. The poorest of African-Americans today are immensely better off than their distant cousins in Africa. Reparations? For what?!
John S. Freeman
Charlotte
Collateral Damage
To The Editors:
Tara Servatius’ April 3 column (“Time To Clean House”) on the “one-strike, you’re out” policy of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development failed to fully acknowledge the law’s potential collateral damage. The zero tolerance measure requires that entire families be evicted from public housing if anyone, even a guest, uses drugs. The youthful indiscretions of a rebellious teenager could result in homelessness for an entire family.
According to the Monitoring the Future Survey, over half of all high school seniors have tried an illegal drug at least once. Exposing 50 percent of all families living in public housing to the dangers of living on the street is not the answer to America’s drug problem. Most teenagers outgrow their youthful indiscretions involving drugs. An arrest and criminal record, on the other hand, can be life-shattering.
After admitting to smoking pot (but not inhaling), Clinton opened himself to “soft on drugs” criticism. And thousands of Americans have paid the price in the form of shattered lives. More Americans went to prison or jail during the Clinton administration than during any past administration.
As an admitted former drinker and alleged illicit drug user, President George W. Bush is also politically vulnerable when it comes to drugs. While youthful indiscretions didn’t stop Clinton or Bush from assuming leadership positions, an arrest surely would have. The short-term health effects of marijuana are inconsequential compared to the long-term effects of criminal records. Drug abuse is bad, but the zero tolerance drug war is worse.
Robert Sharpe
Program Officer
Drug Policy Alliance
Washington, DC
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This article appears in Apr 17-23, 2002.
