Letters to the Editor
Axordil
Published Letters: 200 Editor's Choice: 17
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Terrorizing civilians? Nah, just harmless fun
[Read the article: Kerry apologizes, Hillary attacks]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There's his statement a few months ago saying American GIs are "terrorizing" Iraqi civilians.
Hey, shooting old guys and planting weapons on their corpses isn't terror, it's more like a fraternity hazing. Didn't you do that when you were in school?
It's quite clear that some GIs have, in fact, terrorized Iraqi civilians (although at this point the Iraqis are doing a fine job of terrorizing each other while we watch). It's also clear that some GIs are keeping their heads down and just trying to survive another patrol. As with Vietnam, or pretty much any war, the exact number of each will probably be a mystery for all time.
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Well, now that the beginning and the end of the story are covered...
[Read the article: "The Nativity Story"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...maybe some religiously-inclined financiers will make a movie covering all those inconvenient things Jesus is recorded as doing and saying in between the goalposts. You know, about abandoning one's riches to follow him, the meek inheriting the earth, not judging lest ye be judged and such.
**crickets**
Oh right, they like movies that have an AUDIENCE.
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All other things aside...
[Read the article: Obama's magic]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...the last time the American people elected a president because of their positions on the issues was when? 1964? We may not like it, but having all the right positions on all the right issues doesn't add up to victory, and hasn't for a generation or more. Why should 2008 suddenly be different?
What Obama represents is the potential--and just that, for now--of someone who can both excite what passes for the core constituency of the Democratic party AND appeal to a lot of independents. I don't see anyone else that people here have mentioned fitting that bill.
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Out of curiosity
[Read the article: Obama's magic]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"When I mentioned Barack Obama in the breakroom only one of my co-workers (the other Salon reader) knew who he was."
How many of the presidential contenders of either party could they name? This isn't a flame, it's real curiosity.
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The Heart of the Matter
[Read the article: My wife is lying to me about her affair]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Cary said--
She is unhappy. That is unfortunate. But you cannot make her happy. You can only participate in her misery.
LW--Truer words were never spoken. Putting the kids aside for a moment: if you really want to be altruistic at your own expense, face up to the fact that you are doing her no good, and probably never will. She needs something else, someone else, not you--and thus it's not your job to help her find it.
Now add the welfare of your children back in, not to mention your own self-respect. And DTMFA.
Been there, eventually done that, got it right the next time.
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Elk I don't know about
[Read the article: Breaking news on climate change]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]But I knew someone who routinely hunted mule deer with a spear, and an axe to finish them off.
Alas, there aren't enough mule deer to feed 8 billion people.
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OK, the end times are indeed upon us
[Read the article: Taking it to the streets]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I never thought I would live to see Dungeons and Dragons mentioned in the same breath as crank in terms of threats to our young. Hey, Rene, you left out comic books and horror movies.
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Life's little ironies
[Read the article: Camille's back!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's both shocking and shameful to learn that this is who makes up Salon's readership.
-- Anonymous
italics mine
Or in this case, NOT learn.
Anyway: Paglia is capable of decent, even insightful writing, but is also capable of pointless and self-aggrandizing snark, and it is on the latter that she has coasted for some time, certainly all of this decade. As previously noted, this is not an isolated move. The bent lately here has been toward desperately post-modern and self-referential writing in general, with more than a nod towards retro-conservatism.
That's enough hyphens for me for a while, thank you. I changed my account option off of auto-renew, and I await with interest what happens over the next 121 days. There's still a lot to like here. I just don't know if it's enough for me to pay for it.
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The Answer
[Read the article: My daily bread]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Why do you need to invent a God to fill these gaps in your life and explain its mysteries?
Because some folks are allergic to cats.
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Well, they could always fight back...
[Read the article: Female law students targeted online]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...by posting commentary on the shortcomings of various suspected male student's equipment, performance, et al, equally anonymously. Or perhaps ALL the male students, depending on just how cutthroat the competition is. Perhaps, a la The Incredibles, if every graduate of Yale Law has some sort of kerfluffle going on online around them, it will cease to be notable, and employers will stop looking at such incredibly stupid non-measures of their competency.
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I have to agree this isn't the best place for the article
[Read the article: Stating the obvious]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...but I will forgive GK and the editorial staff here for working under the assumption that the Salon audience was actually capable of reading something written above the high school level, where the Irony isn't necessarily noted by the shooting off of flares and the sounding of air raid sirens.
To put it bluntly, if you think the piece is homophobic, or nostalgic, or self-indulgent, you should go ask for your money back from wherever that BA on your wall is from.
PS--Prarie Home Companion is and has always been magnificently ambivalent about its putative genre. There's warmth there, sure, but also pettiness, insularity, and plain ol' human dimness, all touched on in turn.
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SEB and AM
[Read the article: Costly contraceptive ruling]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not to defend the ruling, which I too have issues with, but Tracy doesn't mention that prescription of oral contraceptives for treatment of the conditions they help with IS covered, and I believe always was, by the plan in question, and this was noted by the court as I understand it.