Letters to the Editor
Don’t
Amend
Does anyone else remember George Bush's
campaign promises to be "a uniter, not a divider," to be a "compassionate
conservative" and to support state's rights?
This country is more divided than ever,
we've seen little or no compassion in anything Bush does, and now he supports
the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would overrule state's rights and
write discrimination into the constitution.
This amendment isn't about protecting
the "sanctity of marriage" or "activist judges," it's
about politics. The timing is a sign of the desperation of his re-election
campaign. He has to distract the American public from the problems he
has created or made worse: The war in Iraq, jobs and the economy, health
care, education, the environment and many others. It's a desperate attempt
to salvage his campaign, by pitting one group of Americans against another.
Alan L. Light
Iowa City, Iowa
Praise
This last editorial ("Not Just
Semantics," March 2004), to Clavelle re: his wrong positioning on
this issue [same-sex marriage], was some of the best editorial writing
I have read in a long, long time.
Right glad I am that you're at the
helm of OITM and it's my hope that you or someone on the board send this
piece out to compete in competitions.
Sue Schein
Burlington
Another Take
I would like to respond to your editorial
“Not Just Semantics.” Personally speaking, I have always supported
civil unions here in VT and the U.S. and Canada. However, in my opinion,
I feel that the U.S. should opt for a more socially democratic word like
- oh yeah - "civil union," thereby leaving the word "marriage"
to the pope in Rome.
Here's a bit of personal history
for what it's worth: Having lived in N. Germany for some time, there are
only a few countries, I think Finland is one, who endorse "civil
unions" into law. Other more religious countries, like Italy, Turkey,
N. Africa [sic] Austria, Switzerland, that are so fanatically religious
- it's highly unlikely that gay marriage would be accepted there ever.
Not to say that the term "civil unions" wouldn’t be.
I fully oppose that there be a constitutional
amendment to gays or any minorities in the U.S. or elsewhere. However,
in my opinion, I would keep church and state separate at this point and
not throw more fire onto the brimstone. "Civil Unions" without
the Pope's blessing may be the trail to take.
Thank you for your time. I would also like
to add that I am not an advocate or member of any particular religion.
I am only expressing my voice concerning this matter. It is of heavy concern
to me, especially with the current religious conflicts that have been
flaring up over the last ten years and more.
Annamarie Nolte
Essex Junction
Taking Responsibility
This Friday marks the first anniversary
of the invasion of Iraq. Over 550 American Service people have been killed
in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and over 3,200 have been injured. Thousands
of Iraqis, many of them children under the age of 15, have been killed
and injured. There have been no weapons of mass destruction found. The
economy is soft, jobs are leaving the country at an unprecedented rate,
our education system is faltering, social services for the poor are being
dismantled, veteran’s benefits are being cut and affordable health
care seems like a pipe dream.
Daily we are bombarded with
accusations placing the blame on an administration or individual who should
be accountable for the policies and the condition that our country is
in today. And I agree! Those responsible for their actions should be held
accountable.
So let me be the first to come forward
and tell you who the culprit is: I am. That's right, ME! And you too!
You see, I am a citizen of the United
States of America and I elect the leaders who choose the direction that
this country will take. It's a pretty neat trick. From what I understand
there are millions of people in this world that would like nothing better
than to live as I do....
The good news is that in this
country, if you don't like the choices that you've made, you can choose
again. We've spent hundreds of billions of dollars on war and weapons
of mass destruction hoping to make us safer. Instead of being safer we
live in fear, and this fear robs us of our humanity.... We are told to
be fearful, not to trust, and then pass these values on to our children.
Perhaps [we] might consider taking
some of that money (just a little) that we spend on finding new ways to
"shock and awe" other nations use it to endear them to us. I
know that it isn't easy, this trusting and choosing a different direction,
but you have to admit the choices that we have made so far don’t
seem to be working too well.
Maybe we could start with a few little
changes in our homes and community. We could be a little kinder to our
family and neighbors, or teach our children that not everyone is out to
hurt them....
If it works we might expand the concept.
Childcare for working mothers? Better education for our children? Healthcare
for everyone? Then if it really catches on, and we feel more secure, we
might even choose to expand it to other nations. Clean drinking water
and affordable vaccines for third world countries?...
What difference will it make?
You're only one person? I used to feel the same way until one day I watched
the first snowflakes of a winter's storm float down on to the bare ground.
Each flake was very tiny and seemingly insignificant, yet within four
hours the entire landscape was transformed into a brilliant blanket of
pure white snow. Happy Anniversary. Make your choices wisely.
Hunter Charnow
Bennington
Braver
in Pink
I enjoyed Pippin's review of
Bravehearts: Men in Skirts, and I generally agree with it. However,
given Pippin's stressing of how heterosexual the book is, Pippen did not
mention the shocking pink of the slipcover spine, book spine, contents-page
background, and chapter-heading background that appear on my copy of the
book.
Peter Traneus Anderson
near Boston
No Ghosts
Francesca Susanna reviewed my
book, The Wrestling Party. Knowing my book has so offended someone
as truly idiotic as her makes me realize I'm doing something right. This
letter, however, is to defend her below-the-belt accusation that the only
part of the book she liked was ghostwritten by Shawna Kenney.
Um, no.
Bett Williams
Los Angeles, CA