Ellington

Yours is a liberal or "progressive," if you prefer, publication. That is your prerogative. But James L. Dickerson's "Liberal or Conservative? The Home Test" column (Vol. 6, No. 12) strains credulity.

You probably could have saved column inches (or was the news hole just big that week?) by Mr. Dickerson simply stating, "Resolved: Conservatives are racist, misogynistic, hateful warmongers who would take great delight in razing rural health clinics and torturing criminal defendants." That was the whole point of his little quiz, wasn't it? I particularly liked this question: "(Yes or No) African Americans have too many rights and privileges." That's not a straw man, folks. That's the scarecrow on a six-month cycle of steroids.

If Mr. Dickerson's purpose was to vent and feel better about himself, I'm sure he succeeded. I doubt, however, he won any converts to his side. What his lazy rhetoric ultimately did, though, was insult the intelligence of even your most "progressive" readers.

Kevin Broughton
Madison

Nuclear Jeopardy
Now that President Bush's timeline on gaining knowledge of Iran's defunct Nuclear Bomb Program is being questioned by his lapdog press, he has made a subtle change in phraseology. Now, instead of Iran having a nuclear bomb-making program, it is about getting the know-how to develop a nuclear bomb-making program.

It worked so well with Iraq's WMDs, his handlers figured he would just trot it for another run around the track. This bit of semantics may save him from a war crimes trial, but it really is just another in a long line of that term the press will not utter: a lie.

At one of these Q&A sessions someone might ask "Mr. C student" about his knowledge of say, 1946-47 physics textbooks, Progressive Magazine's how-to article in the late 1970s or any number of peer-reviewed articles on Russia and India's nuclear programs available at your local library.

Somehow, George is of the understanding that gaining nuclear knowledge is exclusive to America, and the rest of the world does not have the ability to comprehend it.

Now the question becomes, is someone going to call him out, or does it disappear down the short-term-memory loss-hole?

"White," "sneaky," "bald-faced," "misleading," "dissembling," "big" and "George Bush"—all adjectives describing types of lies.

Alex, I'll finish the category for $1000, please.

Brian Essex
Jackson

Crossing Attitude Lines
Ms. Burks, thank you for your article "Crossing Neighborhood Lines." I am part of the 20 percent still in Jackson, but I'm contemplating leaving.

You mention words like "we" and "they." We white folks can't solve the problem because the "they" don't/won't/can't solve the problems: black males and crime, black females that keep having babies they can't raise that then become black males—and the cycle continues.

Until the black community says "we've" had enough, it won't stop. It's an attitude—got to fix that, or it will just get worse.

Thanks for having the courage to write this.

Trip Barnes
Jackson

Previous Comments

ID

75740

Comment

Mr. Dickerson is good people and without any bias whatsoever as it regards politics. Had it been otherwise he wouldn't have my undivided support. I don't know what the fellow, Kevin Broughton, is talking about. I do note he's from Madison and that states his problem with marked or underscored clarity.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-12-20T09:50:27-06:00

ID

75741

Comment

Britney Spears' 16 year old sister got pregnant too. Hopefully, she will go on to school anyway and have the child. Her big sister, although arguably nutty at this point, can make sure the child has a decent place to live and food to eat, if the boy turns out to be a mere donor, as is the case too often. My neice got pregnant in high school but never missed a day of school and went on to graduate from Mississippi State. She's now married with 3 outstanding children and selling real estate in Dallas.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-12-20T10:06:21-06:00

ID

75742

Comment

I forgot to add that my neice had the child and was lucky enough to have a mother and step-father to galdly raise the child while she was away in school. That child is now in college in Texas.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-12-20T10:16:03-06:00