Letters to the Editor
rocket999
Published Letters: 139 Editor's Choice: 11
-
protests don't work so why not enjoy?
[Read the article: Cracking Code Pink]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think there are two competing aims to most protests.
The first is to actually bring attention to the cause, be it civil rights or the Iraq war. The second is to energize the base of the people doing the protesting.
To bring positive attention to the cause, it is probably best to dress nicely, avoid protest highjackers (e.g. the "Free Mumia, Palestine, and Drugs!" crowd), and be very articulate about your cause.
However, that tactic is useful only if the protests can have any effect at all, and if they are covered by the media. In the last 8 years, coverage has dropped off precipitously and the protests themselves have proven ineffective. After all, from the 100,000+ people who protested at the beginning of the war, to Cindy Sheehan, to Code Pink, nothing made a dent in the war.
So if the protest are not going to work anyway, why not have fun with them? Make it an event that energizes people the people who attend, who will hopefully then do the real work behind the scenes- writing letters, talking to public officials, donating money, lobbying, etc.
Not saying that I think tiaras and people on stilts is the best way, just that it does make some sense in the current political climate.
-
anybody got any better suggestions?
[Read the article: Cracking Code Pink]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]For those who say there are no protests against the Iraq war...ummm...there are. A lot. Plenty of them involve well-dressed middle-aged people carrying on-topic signs.
And the coverage they get is...almost nothing. And the response of Congress and the President is...exactly zero.
Kinda frustrating, you know?
-
interesting article
[Read the article: Religion is poetry]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It does seem to me that some of the wonder of the Christianity has been lost in the last 50 or 100 years. Like the sublime religious experiences in Dosteyevsky's "Crime and Punishment"- we can't write books like that today because we don't understand the world in those terms anymore.
And I think that is a loss, to the world and to ourselves. These days, religion is very wrapped up in very basic morality- sex, abortion, what clothes to wear. Those things always were important, but historically religion penetrated so much more deeply than that.
The great religous thinkers of the past tried to understand the meaning of life and the world through the prism of their belief systems, and some of what they had to say was both beautiful and correct. Not necessarily on a scientific level, but nevertheless it was Truth, with a capital T. And I say that as an avowed atheist (why do religious people always have to put down the atheists? Really, we're not so different from devotees, we just believe in one less god).
This isn't my area of expertise so sorry if my comments are a bit muddled. I just know that I agree with the author that religion has had its wings clipped, and that's a loss for the human condition. Maybe religion needs to find a way to incorporate atheism, since we are the future.
-
This is a great person to know
[Read the article: My friend has gone bad]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]She's a social connector- through her, you can meet the people who will become your real friends. I always try to keep one or two social hubs like this around- they're great for break-ups and other tough times.
As for being close to her, well, that's a bit harder. She's GOT plenty of friends, and she's obviously happy with quantity over quality. You'll be fine as long as you don't expect anything more from her than invitations to parties, and a conduit to meet other people.
My advice is, don't drop her, just change your expectations. If you're not looking for generic parties or more friends right now, politely turn down events that don't interest you outside of her presence. Then you can have a good time when you do show up, and keep a small part of her in your life.
-
A game about how to get ahead socially in high school
[Read the article: Not another teen video game]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You know, that might have been useful when I was in high school. The popular crowd rules were so confusing! I never did figure them out (maybe I should have watched more 90210???)
If the games are done well, why not? The fiction books I read at the time served the same escapist purpose.
-
@SWozniak
[Read the article: My family car is an SUB and I love it]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Don't know anything about adult tricycles, but I have spent a bit of time bicycling on narrow highway shoulders. It's fine as long as there's not much traffic, but as soon as the density of cars gets high, I consider it a little dangerous. Of course, each person's tolerance for cars whizzing by at 60+ mph is different (some love the adrenaline rush), so your best bet is just to experiment. Spend a few hours/days on the roads where you live and see if you feel comfortable. Do this before you invest in an expensive tricycle, and make sure your bike has plenty of lights and reflective gear.
-
anyone else have this problem?
[Read the article: Breaking: Boobs need support]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Petite size body, average endowment. I can find a bra with enough support without too much trouble. Problem is, then it feels like my chest is being constricted, making it a bit harder to breathe. Which is disconcerting when I'm doing heavy exercise and want to be able to breathe freely.
I've always thought that there's gotta be a better way to design sports bras than by having a constricting band go right across the chest and lungs.