PK coverage
I was pleasantly surprised by
the remarkably fair treatment the Promise Keepers event in Rochester received
in City (“The Cross and the Y
Chromosome,” June 19).
Admittedly, I expected the worst when I saw the front cover.
I paused for a second before picking it up, deciding whether it was even
worthwhile to read more slander of the white, Christian male — seemingly City’s most feared enemy at times. I’m
glad I read the article, though the writer, Th. Metzger, managed to slip in a
couple of hysterical, and in my opinion, inaccurate observations.
The first was that PK is about “militant
religion” (ostensibly based on the volunteers wearing camouflage). If
Metzger heard anything “militant” from the stage, he saw a different
event than I did. There was no talk of forcing people to convert — no need to
conjure up images of inquisition.
The second, that “Colorado’s Amendment 2… denied
civil rights to gays,” is wholly inaccurate. A Colorado amendment cannot
deny to gays that which they are already guaranteed under the Constitution.
Gays are recognized as having the exact same rights as anyone else.
The amendment simply denied special treatment based on
sexual orientation. Whether or not gays receive that same treatment may be a
point worth arguing — but not by changing the Constitution, which denies
nothing to gays or any other self-declared “minority group.”
Conversely, there were some things in the article that
were witty and perceptive. Metzger referred to cheers to the statement that
we’ve “overdosed on materialism” being heard “all the way to the
merchandising area” (filled with numerous items emblazoned with the PK
logo). That was perfect.
This irony, I assure you, did not slip by a majority of
the attendees. The selling of scented anointing oil made me cringe. I felt like
turning over their tables and driving them out with a whip.
I appreciated the recognition that “Promise Keepers
also addresses a genuine desire in men to connect with others.” This is
certainly a large part of the event and something that men desperately need in
a culture that encourages isolation.
Perhaps the fairness of the article was by default rather
than design. There were no “I beat my wife” bumper stickers being
sold, as NOW would like you to believe. And the only talk I heard about
submission in the household was in regard to men submitting themselves to God
so they can be better husbands and fathers. That’s kind of hard to protest.
Or perhaps, if my cynicism will allow, Metzger attempted
to write a fair and balanced article regardless of ideological leanings.
Whatever the case, it was a pleasant surprise to read an
article in a liberal publication like City that remained largely unprejudiced in its assessment of a Christian event —
one that welcomed only men, nonetheless! Your writer deserves mild accolades
for doing what was unexpected (“Mild” only because it should happen
all the time).
DM Lovic, LeRoy
What’s funny?
I hope I’m not the only
reader who finds the cover of your Summer Guide (August 19) in poor taste.
There are so many things that inspire in City that this was truly disappointing
to me. Even within my own circle of friends there has always been a difference
of opinion regarding what’s funny, but for myself, making fun of someone’s
physical appearance is never appropriate. We have a disturbing emphasis on the
“right” look in our society, but I thought that City rose above that.
Amy Alquist,
Bloomfield
Art director Matt
Walsh’s response: We weren’t making fun of anyone. The image was intended
to be an alternative image of summer, appropriate for the alternative nature of
our paper. We agree that society perpetuates a certain image of what is
beautiful. Rather than taking those cues, as most media do, we preferred to do
something different. We could as reasonably be criticized for putting a fit
male figure on our cover, furthering that “perfect body” image. And we thought that the composition — a large guy in
goggles, with a large beach ball — was funny.
Fighting the cabal
Considering that the two
major parties have thrown Rochester to the wolves, slicing us up into minority
voting blocks spread out among four new congressional districts, I think that
turn-about is fair play. Let’s advocate a completely different method for
electing representatives:
Get rid of gerrymandered districts altogether and hold a
statewide race in which voters cast a single, party-based ballot for a slate of
candidates.
Under such a system, qualifying political parties would
each offer a ranked slate of 29 candidates chosen at their respective state
conventions. Depending on each party’s showing in the general election, a
proportion of the 29 would end up going to Washington.
In other words, with party-based slate voting, any voting
block able to pull at least 1/29th of the total vote could send a
representative to Congress — and more importantly — not send a backbencher
in the pay of either “big tent” party.
Would such a system effectively spell the end of New
York’s Democratic and Republican duopoly and replace it with a broader spectrum
of responsive, focused parties with names like the Upstate Alliance, the
Inner-City Coalition, or Suburbanites United?
Would our cynical and disengaged electorate suddenly
start voting again?
Who knows? But given the power that one vote can have
(e.g., the Jeffords defection in the evenly-split Senate), it might do us some
good to have a small number of independent, sharply focused voices advocating
our interests in a House divided between two elephantine cabals.
Thomas F. Elston,
East Boulevard, Rochester
Not tough enough
The bishops blew it in
Dallas.
There should have been a statement that from June 14,
2002, on, there would be absolute zero tolerance for any sexually abusive
priest. Requirements should include the reporting of any (alleged) incident of
sexual abuse to the police, and the defrocking of any priest who admits or is
convicted of sexual abuse. That defrocking is an involved process is
immaterial. Also, the secrecy and protection of the alleged or admitted
perpetrators must end.
Of further concern is that, reportedly, two-thirds of the
bishops have ignored or swept under the rug knowledge of alleged or admitted
sexual abuse by priests. I don’t see too many bishops resigning or turning
themselves in. Do I need to inform the bishops that if anyone has knowledge of
an alleged or real offense and does nothing, they are equally guilty?
Dan Quilty,
Kosciusko Street, Rochester
Paying for fraud
A CEO goes to jail for
misrepresenting company assets, an accountant goes to jail for cooking the
books, a teacher for hurting a child, law enforcement officers for causing harm
when they are there to protect and defend.
Why do people whose profession is religion feel they are
better or different than those in other professions and should be given
preferential treatment when they have done wrong?
When we deliberately misuse our position and perpetrate
fraud, no matter the profession, we should be held accountable.
Muriel Albright, Manitou Road, Spencerport (Albright
is a retired accountant)
‘I accuse’
I accuse the US government of
using the September 11 criminal act by religious extremists as an excuse to set
up a military-security state. The real reason for this is to allow President
Bush’s industrial friends to get rich manufacturing weapons of war.
I also accuse the US government of using its perceived
security needs to allow its Middle Eastern friend, Israel, to destroy the
Palestinian peoples’ chance to establish a viable Palestinian state, living in
peace next to Israel.
The only way, ultimately, to achieve peace is to sit down
at the negotiating table, compromise, and settle differences in a rational
manner. Bombs and weapons of war will never achieve real peace. Only honest
relations with others can.
Jack Disraeli,
Norris Drive, Rochester
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2002.
