Letters to the Editor
ELYDOG
Published Letters: 712 Editor's Choice: 52
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Hippie Haters and Boomer Haters
[Read the article: Through a bong, darkly]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You know, the sixties (which ended in 1975 by my calendar) are still with us. All the hippie-haters and Boomer-haters really hate, not the past, but the present. And us old hippies are used to being hated. Nothing has changed. Even the same old conservative ruling class is still in power.
Marijuana? There is more BC Bud coming across the border now than there ever was at that time.
Communes? As one poster noted, who lived in communes in the 90s, there were more communes formed recently than in the 60s-70s.
Organic food? Can you say Whole Foods. Local, vegan, organic, cage free, you name it, pick a restaurant near you.
Environmentalism and Earth Day? The environmental hippies at my local Utility have hundreds of windmills turning on Buffalo Ridge in Minnesota/Iowa. The hippies at UPS have their roofs covered with solar panels.
Anti-War? Ah, well, the anti-war movement is alive and well, and even in the unions. It grew faster than in the 60s. It is worldwide. And even the Demo candidates have to pretend they agree. Go to a Demo and you see the old hippies and the young hippies. The protests at Seattle against the World Bank and the IMF in 1999 were organized by young 'hippies.'
Jam Music? Well, the Dead and the Allmans begot Phish, and Phish begot My Morning Jacket and dozens of other bands. Woodstock begot Coachella and Bonnaroo. There are now many outdoor festivals all over the country, far more than in the 60s, and they have been running for years. The Winnipeg Folk Festival has been going for more than 40 years.
Women's and gay rights? Well, Obama just announced he might tank 'don't ask, don't tell' in the military. Women's rights is taking on new meaning all over the world against Mormon, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist and Hindu fundamentalism. Even the conservative state of Texas felt moved to protect the female children of the Mormon fundamentalist sect, and protect those children against incest, child abuse and rape. More peoople live together now instead of geting married than in the 60s.
Again, I could go on, but the hippie-haters and Boomer-haters only reveal their own conservatism and ignorance of history. The 'boomers' like me grew up on the stories of World War II and the depression, and we respected our parents, who lived through those events. There is no way we didn't respect them, as THEY WERE OUR PARENTS. And they grew up on the experiences of their parents, fresh out of World War I, the Bolshevik revolution, and immigration. It is a long historical chain, and it is still going on. Don't hate the people before you, learn from them, and go on.
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Noise Pollution
[Read the article: Beware the ninja Prius]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Actually, the quietness of the Prius is a very nice plus. I'm a cyclist and walker too, but have never been threatened by one. You can hear them moving through the air, and the tires running on the road, so I don't think they are 'soundless' at all.
Harley riders claim their bloviating tailpipes are 'safety' equipment. It has always been the fall-back argument for people who really just want to be very very loud. Again, same issue, where is the evidence of these claims?
I think noise is a greater issue than quiet, even for the deaf.
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Re-Assuring Columbia
[Read the article: Bush's dumb move on trade]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Columbia is our military catspaw in Latin America, and could easily be used to invade or infiltrate Venezuela.
He is doing this to keep the Columbians on the side of the U.S.
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Air Travel will become too expensive...
[Read the article: Ask the pilot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Champion Air went down last week too. Low cost charter airline to Mexico, etc. out of Mpls and other northern cities. And Frontier declared bankruptcy today.
Peak oil and demand for oil is going to change the airline industry into one for the rich only, and for working class people when they can save up for something very special.
For instance, in 2004, I flew to Hanoi for $800 from Minneapolis. A flight to Phnom Penh now (admittedly farther away and a more 'no-where' destination) is $2,000.
I just booked a flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas for $275. I paid $100 about 5 years ago.
Say goodbye to plane travel, folks. It is only going to get worse.
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Hurricaine Hugo
[Read the article: Bush's dumb move on trade]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The Republicans yesterday accused the Democrats of blocking with Hugo Chavez. They all but called them commie dupes. Several were near hysterical in their speeches broadcast over NPR. That is the heart of this matter.
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"Free" traders say ...
[Read the article: Bush's dumb move on trade]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]On Bloomberg, the 'free' traders are accusing the Democrats of breaking a "30 year bond with the executive branch" on the issue of trade pacts.
I.E. the Democrats and Republicans have stopped their politics at the shore, and agreed for years, on this issue. So for the first time in 30 years, the Demos said 'no.'
Why would Bush think that perhaps they wouldn't say 'yes.' They nearly always have! This is a historic vote, folks, if they don't re-think it and back out...
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Moving
[Read the article: Where have all the bohemians gone?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Mr. Anderson got it right. It is not easy to move unless you have money, or no artistic roots. Not everyone works off the internet, and so can live 'anywhere.'
Most real bohos can't run to NY at this point in history ...