Wrong Bone
To the Editor:
I just wanted to respond to the article about Jakob Dylan and
the Wallflowers by Mark Jordan [November 13th issue]. He wrote
that the Wallflowers’ last CD was produced by T-Bone Walker when
it was actually T-Bone Burnett, who was a good friend of Bob Dylan’s
and who toured with him on the Rolling Thunder Review. They’re
two totally different people, so I thought I’d point that out
if someone hasn’t already. Thanks.
Tami Chandler
Jonesboro, AR
The Other Side of Artistry
To the Editor:
In his review of the latest Yes album, Stephen Grimstead sarcastically
refers to the Rolling Stones as “artists” while lumping them in
with the likes of Bob Seger [November 20th issue]. I guess we
should lump Mr. Grimstead in with all those folks who still take
Dungeons and Dragons way too seriously just because he digs early
Yes? I state the obvious: The musical simplicity and feeling found
on Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street (or Otis Redding, or
the Replacements, or Son Volt,) is the other side of artistry
from the technically brilliant but ultimately soulless artistry
of good prog rock.
Chris Wood
Memphis
Tic Talk
To the Editor:
I’ve just got a quick comment about “A Fresh Start” for the Tic
Price era [“Sports,” November 20th issue]. It says that the last
time Finch was not on the bench was in 1979. That’s not exactly
correct. There was a suspension from a game that he had to serve
two or three years ago when he was being critical of some officials.
He did not coach or sit on the bench that day. I believe the game
was coached by Dorsey Simms. So just a little technicality there
... a little error, but a good article. Thanks.
Dennis Lyon
Memphis
(Editor’s Note: The reader is right. Also a few weeks ago we left
out the name of Thomas Harding in a story about the new Tiger
beat reporter at the C.A. Harding came between Mike DeCourcy and
Zack McMillin.)
To the Editor:
I just got home and enjoyed Dennis Freeland’s article on Tic
Price [Cover story, November 20th issue]. It was a great article.
It put The Commercial Appeal to shame. It’s just fantastic to
see your insight on the Tigers. I’m really excited about the Tic
Price era and the signing of Paris London. Thanks for your coverage
and keep it up.
Steve Gross
Memphis
No Need for Tradition
To the Editor:
In last week’s edition, Kevin Huffman stated that “the black
community needs to get educated about the Civil War before they
begin to make false accusations about what the flag represents.
If it were not for organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and
the Neo-Nazis adopting this flag to represent their cause, the
flag would not have such a bad reputation.”
Duh. Those hate organizations chose that flag because it most
clearly represents the spirit of their beliefs, goals, and objectives.
It seems that Mr. Huffman is the one who needs a little education
on what the flag represents. …
What it represents to most people who are not blinded by racism
(and most people I know personally who cling to this flag are,
at least to some degree, racist) is an archaic, feudal system
which was diametrically opposed to equality and which supported
terrible treatment of blacks. Yes, the war was technically about
states’ rights, but at the heart of those states’ rights was the
right to own slaves and to treat them in any way one saw fit,
even to the point of beating, castrating, raping, or killing them.
And (racism aside) the war was largely fueled as a matter of economic
greed in wealthy plantation owners who enjoyed free labor (less
the initial cost of the purchase – and slaves born into a family
did not have to be bought). …
For the record, I am a white male who was born and raised in
the South and whose family roots, as far back as my grandparents
remember, are Southern. I would never want to march under this
banner any more than I would want to wave a swastika or a hammer
and sickle. And I would daresay I am not alone in my feeling.
Thank God not every white Southerner agrees with Mr. Huffman.
Bill West
e-mail (Memphis)
More History Lessons
To the Editor:
In response to Kevin Huffman’s letter to the editor in your November
20th issue, I must say that his argument supporting the Confederate
flag at Ole Miss and elsewhere is flawed.
I argue that we should not be supporting tradition simply for
tradition’s sake. Since he claims to know history so well, he
should know that slavery was a tradition and so was not allowing
women to vote and accusing people of being witches! Tradition
is not always right! History lesson for Kevin: Even the name “Ole
Miss” is rooted in what slaves used to call the slavemaster’s
wife! And that tradition and its obvious connotations should
be thrown out too!
Secondly, sure the Civil War was about states’ rights – states’
rights to own slaves! The fact still remains that the flag was
a battle flag, a militant symbol of an effort to maintain a horrible
tradition of black servitude and Southern white aristocracy and
affluence.
Lastly, to compare Malcolm X paraphernalia to Confederate symbols
is absurd! Malcolm was a champion for human rights and a rational
byproduct of a tradition of oppression, particularly during the
1950s and '60s. The Confederate flag symbolizes the very antithesis
of human rights – the irrational antebellum days when some Southern
whites had it good, Northern whites were jealous, and blacks were
slaves. …
The Confederate flag should not be forgotten, but it should not
be glorified either. It belongs in museums, documentaries, and
history books, in a tasteful and mutually respectful manner to
all descendants of the directly involved parties – not on state
flags, capitols, or at football games. Get a grip! You lost the
war – 132 years ago!
Meka Egwuekwe
e-mail (Atlanta)
The Memphis Flyer encourages reader response. Send mail to: Letters to the Editor, POB 687, Memphis, TN 38101. Or call Back Talk at 575-9405. Or send us e-mail at memflyer@aol.com. All responses must include name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters should be no longer than 250 words.
We received an e-mail message recently from a reader who wanted
to know why employees at MLGW do not have to pay Social Security
taxes. This question was raised by a story we ran about the well-funded
MLGW pension fund and a letter on that topic from the utility’s
president Herman Morris.
Here’s the skinny: Employees who were hired on or after April
1, 1986, only pay a Medicare tax (1.45 percent). When these employees
retire, they will have coverage for Medicare only and will not
be eligible to draw Social Security (unless, of course, they qualify
from another job or through a spouse). A federal law requires
this.
Employees hired before that date do not pay any Social Security
or medicare taxes and will not be eligible for Social Security
or medicare when they retire (with the same caveats as above).
This is true of other large public pension plans as well. We hope
that clears up any confusion.
And, speaking of confusing, a headline in last week’s City Reporter
about U of M professor Dr. James Wetherbe’s $100,000 donation
to the school to start a Bravo Zulu award was misleading. Wetherbe
is the director of the FedEx Center for Cycle Time Research at
the University of Memphis. He is not an employee of FedEx. – Dennis Freeland
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