So What?
In response to Connie Hymer's letter in particular ("A Fine Mess You've Gotten Us Into," issue of Nov. 16-22) and all others blaming Ralph Nader voters for Al Gore losing in general, I have but one response: So what? Maybe those of us who voted for Nader don't want Gore as president. Personally, I'd never have voted for Gore anyway. I usually vote Libertarian.
The real issue is this: Gore supporters are mad at voters for not voting for their candidate. Huh? If you have the nerve to get angry at people who don't vote for your candidate, why bother with having more than one candidate anyway? Yes, George W. Bush is worse than Gore, but given the voting record of both men, their differences are very slight.
I voted for the person I want in office, and if that bothers you I couldn't care less. I spent a lot of time researching this election, issues and candidates, and I think Nader is a man of integrity and ideas. I trust him to do what he says. I can't say the same for either Gore or Bush.
Telling me my candidate couldn't win and so I've wasted my vote is arrogance, purely and simply. It also seems to be circular logic -- he can't win if you don't vote for him, so I won't vote for him because he can't win.
I and the Nader supporters I know voted for the best of the choices available. I think the closeness of this election shows that if the Democrats want to win next time, they need to put up a candidate people can tell isn't the Republican.
-- Michael Bast,
Cincinnati
Nader and the Angels
Just wanted to say how much I loved your April Fool's "Campaign 2000" edition (issue of Nov. 2-8). Even the people from West Palm Beach, Fla. had enough sense to vote mistakenly for Pat Buchanan over your choice, Ralph Nader.
Also I have to give it up to your movie critic's review of Charlie's Angels. Grade B? Is that for cup size? What's the deal with your critic? Either he's a 13-year-old male or he's trying to divert attention from his homosexuality. Which is it?
Using such a scale, all upcoming reviews must be an A-plus! I'm sure I lost 25 percent of my brain cells watching that movie. Afterwards, Al Gore and your campaign endorsements made some sense.
-- Rob Strobel
Cincinnati
Plenty's Wrong
What's wrong with America? Plenty, and you can blame our elitest forefathers who invented the Electorial College for the Constitution, which was ratified by the required nine states and became operative in 1789.
The Electorial College had nothing to do with little states. It had to do with making sure there were no rebellion or ignorance problems in the 13 states arising during election time. Our forefathers could not imagine 50 states in the union and the mess that would cause 211 years later when a single, biased woman of a political party could decide who would be president of the United States -- one she preferred even when a majority of votes of an opposing party were cast by the people.
Somehow it happened women had no part in the creation of the Constitution and Electorial College. So much for sanity in modern politics.
-- Mark Warren,
Clifton
Cops Are Blunt Instruments
As soon as Kathy Wilson began her column, Your Negro Tour Guide, I began e-mailing her (four times) in hopes of getting her to acknowledge that the war on drugs is a smoke screen for a war on Negroes. She hasn't done so, which is fine. It's her column.
Wilson's latest, "Killing Us Softly" (issue of Nov. 16-22), has caused me to "go public," as it were. In the column, she says, "I was raised to believe that the job of cops was to protect and serve -- not to profile, overreact and murder." If that's true, Wilson is an imposter! She must have been raised in a white family.
Allow me to take a moment to clarify. As my last name might convey, I am a cracker. My subclassification is Southern hillbilly.
Back to my point. Cops are blunt instruments. Cops are oxymorons: trying to achieve peace through violence. Cops are at "war" and therefore constantly in need of "justification." Is there such a thing as a "just war?"
Like Wilson, I'm a peacenik. I'm no friend of cops, mainly because they enforce insane laws. But I'm willing to admit that "excessive force," violence or the threat of violence, whatever, might be conducive to tranquility in general. I will go further: "Excessive force" might be a more effective tranquilizer than force alone.
-- David E. Gallaher,
Over-the-Rhine
Offensive Remarks
Regarding your Critics' Picks reference to the Cincinnati Celtic Music and Cultural Festival in the Sept. 28-Oct. 4 issue, we found it inappropriate, ignorant and offensive. The mission for the Celtic Festival is to spotlight the best qualities of Celtic culture. These do not include Lucky Charms cereal, Irish Spring soap, four-leaf clovers, famine or terrorism.
We respect your right to practice liberal journalism and we do not mind the occasional flippant remark, but in making such statements you directly impact the self-respect of all the Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Breton, Galician, Manx and Austrian nationalities and other cultural organizations that are a part of the Festival.
-- Steering Committee of the Cincinnati Celtic Music and Cultural Festival and Board of Directors of Cincinnati Folk Life
TABD: Learn or Burn
I just returned from the demonstrations at Union Terminal regarding the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). I would like to address my concerns on the media coverage of the TABD, the protesters present at Union Terminal and the behavior of the Cincinnati Police Division.
During the days preceding the TABD meetings, the local major media had little to say on the topic. What was said dealt mostly with how the local police would handle the protesters.
The mainstream media does little to keep the public informed on the nature of the World Trade Association (WTO), so why bother addressing anything associated with it? This is very unfortunate. The result is that the public, though already apathetic, remains ignorant when it comes to an issue that will affect not only the people of this city, this state and this country but also the entire world.
Somehow, a small number of people have become aware that there's reason for concern when it comes to the WTO. But it seems as though these people are also lacking information. It would make sense to me that protesters would want to inform the public about their cause. By the looks of it, though, the majority of the protesters were more concerned with their costumes and performances than with understanding the nature of this particular issue, the nature of our government or the nature of the political process.
A local TV news station had a woman on who had seen the antics of the protesters during the day on Friday. She said that it didn't look like many of these people had ever even held a job. How sad. Most likely, this woman, and many other people, would sympathize with and support this cause if it were better understood.
The only time during which I can say that I'm genuinely pleased to be an average-looking white female is during encounters with the police. My demographic seems to be infrequently targeted by this group. Though I've never had more than a traffic ticket, I have a general distrust and fear of police. The situation in the United States with police-citizen relations is abhorrent. Cincinnati is certainly not an exception.
It's understandable that, after the behavior of protesters on Friday afternoon, the police would have concern about the activities of Friday evening. But the behavior of some of the police seemed to only encourage trouble. I was surprised to be pushed into the tunnel under Union Terminal by officers in riot gear. Surprise turned to alarm when I heard a nearby officer engage his shotgun, though there was no apparent threat from the protesters.
When nearby demonstrators began heckling the police, my companions and I chose to end our participation. Several officers attempted to bar us from leaving the tunnel. Eventually we were allowed to leave but were followed by a couple of officers as we went to the car.
As an aside, I noticed the fear and nervousness in the eyes and voice of one of the officers attempting to detain us. When I asked him why he couldn't answer my questions, he continued to respond to me with canned statements. It disturbed me to notice that someone would respond in such a defensive and irrational way to three rather small, calm and unimposing women.
I was even more disturbed to know that the training these people -- who carry numerous weapons, including guns -- receive isn't enough to allow them to calmly, reasonably, respectfully and thoughtfully respond to the requests of people treating them in a calm, reasonable, respectful and thoughtful manner.
The TABD chose a fine setting for their discussions. Cincinnati is a town of apathetic and uninformed citizens, not unlike the rest of the country. The WTO will continue to progress without many impediments. When people finally understand the implications, it might be too late.
-- Jessica Tipkemper,
Mason
