Letters to the Editor
Buffalonian
Published Letters: 371 Editor's Choice: 74
-
Why This Matters
[Read the article: Rutgers women's basketball coach speaks out]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Chances are many of you were as angered and disgusted as I was by Don Imus's comments. I believe strongly that even protected speech has consequences. We can help send a message that racist/sexist cant like this is not acceptable by pressuring advertisers to not support Imus.
Two of Imus's advertisers, Staples and Bigelow Teas, have already suspened their advertising. To encourage them to make these suspensions permanent, I have written to thank these companies and ask them not to resume advertising with Imus in the future. If you would like to do similarly, you can click on the links below:
http://www.bigelowtea.com/contact/
http://www.staples.com/sbd/content/help/contact/other_quest.html
I understand that Imus is a jerk who can say what he likes. People have suggested that we should just ignore him. I disagree. I don't feel Imus's comments should go unanswered. I look at my young daughter and shudder at the thought that no matter what she becomes, she could be reduced to the most base racist and sexual stereotypes and the country will accept it as business as usual. I won't accept it and I hope others won't either.
To Tim in Auckland, institutional racismis a vital problem, but it is only moments like this when it becomes visible to most white people. Hate speech should be met with more speech (and economic boycotts/pressure).
-
Silly game
[Read the article: Maybe his wives always did the shopping]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This was a silly game when it was played with H.W. and it is a silly game now. I didn't care if Bush the elder had never seen a supermarket scanner, I presumed that he hasn't done much shopping.
I on the other hand do all the shopping for my family. I buy milk three times a week. I know what milk my children drink (organic 1% for my daughter, organic Vanilla Silk soy for my son), but to be honest, I don't know what they cost. $3 a half gallon? I pick up what I need. I throw it in the cart, I pay for it all at the end. I'm not rich, I'm a teacher. It is not that money is irrelevant to me and I am perfectly well aware of financial pressures facing average americans.
Does the fact that I don't know what a gallon of generic milk in Alabama cost make me unfit for office? No.
Why don't we stop these silly games and stick to the issues. This is a distraction and it encourages the impression that all politicians and both sides are the same. This is just the sort of crap that Obama rails against and which makes him so attractive.
-
Taking a Stand
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm very happy that Imus was fired and worked to that end by emailing everyone I knew, distributing links to advertisers and station feedback forms to facilitate the protest. I did this because Imus possessed a high profile bully pulpit and therefore matters in a what that Michael Richards does not. Tim Russert didn't go hang with Kramer. He did with Imus and consequently he (and all the other powerful white men who hung out in that broadcast lockerroom) help to normalize sexism and racism in a way I find repellent.
He can say whatever he wants and so can the thousands or millions of people who loudly said that they disagree and are disgusted by what him and his kind. No one went and burned down his house. No one went and arrested him. We exercised our right to free speech and our right to spend our money on companies that don't endorse and support racists.
Does this end racism? No. But it sets a baseline standard of what can be said in polite company.
My wife is black and I'm white. If Don Imus stood in front of me and called my wife or daughter a nappy headed ho, I'd kick his decrepit ass from here to tomorrow and gladly take my chances in front of jury of my peers (hoping I don't get an all white jury of course). Imus will find a home on satellite radio, but this will have cost him a few million dollars and was a symbolic victory. While not as good as an ass-kicking, it's something.
-
Tiberius is Right!
[Read the article: Justice to White House: Let's "muddy the coverage" on firings]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Of course completely undermining the legal and political systems of the country is trivial. Why should any one care if the courts were being used in a partisan manner to try to influence elections? That's just politics! Right?
If this isn't a big deal, what would be? Would locking up rival candidates be a big deal? How about arresting campaign workers for littering while they distirbute flyers? How about usingthe IRS to commence audits on every Democratis candidate? I mean, if they have nothing to hide, they'll come out fine, right?