Cynics’ view?
Over the course of the past few months, I have found the
cynicism and tone of your political commentary to be discouraging. As a
long-time reader, I urge you to find a renewed sense of optimism and to be less
quick to judge.
Mitch Rowe, Monroe County Legislator,
District 26
Old-news Dems
Cheer up, folks; the Republican landslide puts a little more
truth in advertising to your paper’s subtitle, “Greater Rochester’s
Alternative Newspaper” (“To the Barricades,” November 13). After all, how
“alternative” is a Democrat newspaper when Democrats controlled both
houses of Congress for most of the past 40 years?
If you
really want to understand the 2002 Republican landslide, consider the case of
Christopher Hitchens. The former writer for The
Nation quit that liberal rag because he felt the people there were more
afraid of John Ashcroft than Osama bin Laden. How many former Democrat voters
felt the same way?
I once
subscribed to The Nation, but they
are out of touch with the average American nowadays. Let’s face it; the
Democrats are old news. Protesting Viet Nam is all they’ve done for the past 40
years. Viet Nam is over, and the only anti-war protesting Americans are
interested in now is protesting terrorism.
Joe St. Martin, Penfield
History, repeating
Once there was a nation that, in the midst of financial
chaos, became overly proud of itself. It flew its flags everywhere and hung its
troubles on a group of its own citizens with cultural roots in the Middle East.
This
nation, rather than spending its money on its homeless and disabled, chose to
build the world’s finest, most powerful military with the most advanced
weaponry anywhere. It began to make extraordinary demands on its neighbors, rattling
its formidable sabers while claiming to only want peace.
Not many of
its citizens chose to speak out against this belligerent behavior, nor did they
speak for the poor and oppressed among their own countrymen. All the world
trembled before this rabidly aggressive nation that chose to ignore the
treaties it had signed, until the world saw that it would have to do something
about it. That was called World War II. The nation with the best army and air
force did not win.
Some would
say history is repeating itself. All the world fears America. But just how far
can the world be pushed? It’s not likely that the world would declare war on
us, but it could start planning its future without us, refuse to cooperate or
invest in America, and wait for our economic and educational systems to
collapse of their own accord.
Some also
say that the meek shall inherit the earth. Perhaps they will be all who are
left. In any case, it’s not likely to be us unless we choose to change.
John Kastner, Ericsson Street, Rochester
Cobbs Hill’s past
Regarding “Cobbs Hill Diaries” (November 13): Nice article.
I have been visiting Cobbs Hill almost every day for the past year, mostly
reading or walking, and I too have always wondered what Ben was listening to. I
stumbled across this web site recently and thought it might be of interest to
you:
Jason Nabewaniec, Monroe Avenue, Brighton
Best Gap
My appreciation and gratitude to City Newspaper readers for voting me the “best musician” (Best of
Rochester, October 30). That is an additional and special reward for having as
much fun as I do playing music here in Rochester.
I invite
all of you to come hear us. Our complete itinerary of performances, at the
Lodge at Woodcliff and elsewhere, is online at xxx.gapmangione.com.
Gap Mangione, Rochester
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2002.
