Letters to the Editor
Penny Barrett Hornsby
Published Letters: 47 Editor's Choice: 3
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Brain Transfat
[Read the article: Who the hell are Heidi and Spencer?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have always abhorred the whole concept of gossip rags. I couldn't for the life of me understand why anyone would care what Brittany or Paris or Heidi (?) had for breakfast or paid a ridiculous amount of money for. But I have come to realize that throughout human history, we have always felt the need to live vicariously through others or to boost our feelings about our reality through escapism. Remember how huge those crazy musicals were - the ones with Esther Williams and Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelley? During times of war or strife, people flocked to these nuttily happy performances to inject just a little trippy glee into an otherwise bleak existence. During the horrors of the Vietnam and Korean Wars, many found escape through mind-altering drugs but also through celeb worship - Beatles, Hendrix, Joplin. During what I would consider to be a horrendously dark time, the Bush years, many people that weren't benefited by the tax breaks or the oil profits, turned to the celeb rags. I would see perfectly decent, well adjusted middle aged women sitting at tables with all the weekly crap magazines spread out before them, like a buffet of junk food. They picked up one and consumed it ravenously only to toss the remnants aside and greedily lunge at the next. I don't know if they ever thought about the validity of the information contained within, it was more of an involuntary consumption. But it is a form of escape. I realize that I don't read the magazines, but I do watch Survivor, Big Brother, Biggest Loser, etc. all shows that allow for viewing with very little brain activity. Emotional at times, these shows are my escape from work, from obligations, from the stresses of everyday life. Perhaps that's what readers of celeb gossip magazines are doing. I guess it's better than crack or heroin....for the most part. Regardless, I'm glad to see them begin to fade...perhaps it's the wave of hope and the titillating idea of change rippling across our country brought about by this year's election season that has curbed the hunger for celeb drivel. I am grateful, whatever the reason.
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The Beauty of the Change Campaign
[Read the article: The GOP attack plan for Barack Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There is not a human amongst us that can dodge the laser ray of GOP hate groups. Not one. Every person has done something, known someone that can come back and kick him/her in the butt. I want to believe that America is ready to turn the corner on all the torpedo tactics, but to not be prepared for it would be woefully detrimental to a win in November. Although, I am of the mind that if Obama is responsible for what Wright says, how about all the Catholics that became aware of the abuse of minor children by priests? Are they somehow aiding and abetting by continuing to go to mass? Aren't we all responsible for ourselves and not for the actions or the words of others? And really, don't we all know someone that speaks lunacy on ocassion but we dig them for whatever reason anyway?
Regardless, I believe that Obama has set his campaign up, strategically, in a position of being able to counter just about anything by reiterating the "out with the old, in with the new" mantra. Attack ads can be countered with "same ole strategy - getting kind of old, don't you think?" There are people that will follow along with all the innuendo and fear mongering with little to no thought. However, I really believe that the majority of people are ready to throw the dice. I think that the primary has only strengthened us, not divided nor weakened us as some might think, and prepared us for the fight ahead. McCain will undo himself, the guy cannot keep a lid on that anger problem for any length of time. And he does have quite a bit of trouble keeping up with all those pesky facts. We just need to unite behind whomever is chosen as our nominee and push through. The people of this country are ready. Let them say what they will, because there is no stopping that mess. We just have to rise above and stay on task.