Dramatic License
To the Editor:
Your article on Rosie Jackson and her
unfortunate living conditions (“Home Alone,” March 13th
issue) made me sad and angry. But was it really necessary
to include those close-up shots of her face? Rosie
Jackson is a sweet lady who needs some serious help,
but she ain’t cute. In this celebrity-obsessed pop
culture we’re living in, it is refreshing to see someone
who isn’t one of the “beautiful people” on the cover of
any publication, but her nostrils gave me the
heebie-jeebies. I was eating a cheeseburger at the time, and now
I can’t eat cheeseburgers anymore.
Thank you, Memphis Flyer, for making
people aware of her horrific living conditions, but please
revoke your photographer’s dramatic license.
Cody T. Williams
Memphis
Of Course …
To the Editor:
“Why of course the people don’t want war. …
But after all it is the leaders of the country who
determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag
the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a
fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. … The people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to
do is to tell them they are being attacked and
denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing
the country to danger.” — Hermann Goering, Nazi
leader, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II
If all of us would only learn these few words as
well as our current administration has done.
David Singelyn
Memphis
In Harm’s Way
To the Editor:
My husband is a 24-year Army veteran. Our
son has proudly served in the military 14 years. In 1991,
he was a Gulf War veteran at age 19. He is once again
in harm’s way along with thousands of sons and
daughters, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters.
I agree with those who say we need to “get
100 percent behind our troops” but probably disagree
with what that means.
I support my son and his friends by
contributing to an organization called Veterans for Peace. This
is just one of many veteran organizations who are
working to see that our government explores every
peaceful and diplomatic means to resolve the many
international crises in which we are involved.
I am no naive flower child. If we do go to
war, then let us make sure our troops have had the
best training, the best equipment, the latest
intelligence, and flawless communication. And when the wars
are over, after the last bit of confetti has been swept
up from the “welcome home” parades, let us make
sure that our troops return to adequate housing and
do not need food stamps to feed their families.
Let us make sure that our veterans get the very
best medical care for any and all war-related injuries
and illnesses. Let us not see our veterans portrayed as
wild-eyed madmen in movies and television programs
simply because their souls were wounded by the horrors in
which they were forced to participate and to witness.
Carmen Klapperich
Spring Hill, Tennessee
Won the Battle …
To the Editor:
The winners of the Shelby County Republican Party
may have won the battle but lost the war (Politics, March 6th
issue). That is apparent from the recent local party caucus and
convention. The last four years under the so-called leadership of
chairman Alan Crone have been marked by political divisiveness.
It looks like the next four years under new chairman
Kemp Conrad will feature more of the same — political factions
and fewer Republicans in local office. I noted the very poor
attendance at the recent Lincoln Day awards dinner and the
fact that almost no one attended the reception before dinner.
Chas. S. Peete Jr.
Memphis
Changing Objectives
To the Editor:
We should change our objective in the Middle
East. We should use our regular forces, already in the
area, to evict Israel from the West Bank. Then we
should use our special forces for nation-building to create
a new Palestine.
This would comply with and enforce several
U.N. resolutions.
It would not be harmful to Israel, and it would
make friends of the Arab world that is rapidly becoming
our enemy.
Jim Osburn
Memphis