League of Liberal Women Voters

Brian Kelsey was recently invited by the League of Women Voters to
debate his opponent in the December 1st state Senate election, Adrienne
Pakis-Gillon. His response to Jackson Baker of the Flyer when
asked if he was going to accept the debate invitation was: “Why should
I waste my time with the League of Liberal Women Voters, when I’m
trying to deal with real voters?”

Does Kelsey not think that women are “real voters”? Statistically,
women make up the majority of voters. Kelsey’s remark
additionally proved his ignorance of a very old and established
nonpartisan organization, the League of Women Voters, whose local
chapter had a Republican as its previous president. Kelsey’s comment
was insulting and condescending and proves that he lacks the finesse
and intelligence to serve a state Senate district as large and as
diverse as District 31.

Amy Silberberg

Cordova

Happy 20th Birthday!

Congratulations on reaching your 20th anniversary (November 12th
issue). I still remember the first issue I picked up. It was at Cat’s
Music on Austin Peay in 1989, after a friend highly recommended it.
I’ve yet to be disappointed.

Every time I visit another city, I pick up a weekly in hopes of
finding similar treasures, but they never deliver what I’ve come to
expect from the Flyer — excellent writing, insightful
reporting, and humor that would make even David Sedaris jealous. Keep
on truckin’, blown head gasket and all.

Tina Pierce Sullivan

Memphis

Farewell, Tommy

As an ardent supporter of Memphis football and Tommy West, I was
shocked by the decision of U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson to
fire him at this juncture.

Although it has been a very disappointing season, much of it had to
do with key injuries and breakdowns on defense and special teams.

Coach West has taken this program to five bowls in his nine-year
tenure and deserved another year to make some changes in his staff to
get it turned around. As Tommy said in his press conference, it is
going to take a commitment by the university to get us into a BCS
conference and upgrade facilities, which includes money to hire
top-notch assistants in order to compete against the local SEC schools
we recruit against.

Tommy West is an excellent coach and judge of character, and it
showed up in the young men he recruited. He will be missed.

John Jacobs

Memphis

Health-Care Option

The Flyer cover story by Sarah Bolton and Hannah Sayle
(November 5th issue) overlooked a very good option for women looking
for basic gynecological care: Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region
(PPGMR). The Planned Parenthood health center at 1407 Union Avenue
provides annual gynecological exams, including a Pap test, breast exam,
pelvic exam, tests for sexually transmitted infections, blood pressure
check, and other testing as indicated. PPGMR also offers a wide range
of birth control options at prices that anyone can afford (and free to
those who qualify). We also provide affordable STD testing for men and
women, and confidential HIV testing is always free for anyone who comes
to our health center.

All our health services are provided at no or low cost to women who
are uninsured, under-insured, or whose insurance doesn’t cover birth
control. No patients are ever turned away. Jessamyn Bradley, the young
woman mentioned in the article, can definitely afford to come to
Planned Parenthood when it is time for her annual exam. Appointments
are preferred and can be made online at ppgmr.org or by phone.

Your writers would not have needed to go far to find out about
Planned Parenthood, since we advertise in your publication regularly.
(See p. 41 of the November 5th issue.) Please help us spread the word
about our affordable health services which are so badly needed by the
young and uninsured in our community.

Joan Carr, Director of Community Affairs
Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region