Pollution Solution
To the Editor:
Thanks for such an informative article on companies that continue to contaminate the Wolf River (City Reporter, April 24th issue). We must hold these companies responsible for cleanup and we must not let them continue to police their own reports.
Balinda Moore
President, Concerned Citizens of Crump
Neighborhood Association
Memphis
Premature Speculation
To the Editor:
By no means do I believe everything the government tells me, but the question your Viewpoint is asking (“Where Are They, Mr. Blair?,” April 24th issue) is one year premature. Our military forces went to secure Iraq and render its forces useless, not to search for WMD. And you want results two weeks after the war is over? That is ridiculous. Iraq is the size of Texas. It will take more than two weeks to find the motherload stash. Until then, you can sit on your hands like every other citizen and run your mouth — just like me.
Matt Basham
Memphis
To the Editor:
So now the president admits we may not find weapons of mass destruction. This costly war with all the destruction and loss of life and limb by mostly innocent men, women, and children will never prove to be moral or justifiable, and our dim-witted eco-criminals and corporate criminals in the White House will go down as some of the greatest demons in human history. Even the Iraqi people want their so-called liberators out of their country. How long will we occupy Iraq? Will our troops be there as long as they’ve been in Korea?
Can we now work on liberating this country, which is owned and controlled by the multinational corporations, the Israelis, and the super-rich? Our major airwaves, our so-called free press are owned and controlled by the biggest multinational corporations in the world. The working people in this country work harder and longer hours for less pay than most of their European counterparts. Our right to privacy is slowly but surely eroding. What does this tell you about the richest, most powerful nation on earth? It tells me that liberation should start at home.
Don Johnson
Minneapolis, Minnesota
A Great Impression?
To the Editor:
Thanks for printing the unintentionally hilarious letter praising the “greatness” of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (April 24th issue).
Let’s see: arrogance, hubris, lack of respect for the views of other countries (including our allies), lack of respect for differing views back home in America (including those of Secretary of State Colin Powell and many other principled members of the Bush administration), lack of concern for the views of the Iraqi people, lack of concern for the looting of priceless antiquities in Iraq, lack of concern about the effects of his many boneheaded and ill-considered statements regarding Syria and North Korea — the list goes on and on.
Oh, Rumsfeld is making a great impression all right. He’s the epitome of the Ugly American. Only John Ashcroft rivals him for the title of the all-time worst member of the U.S. Cabinet.
B. Keith English
Memphis
Lottery Debate
To the Editor:
The people have spoken: The voters of Tennessee decided they wanted a state lottery (“Place Your Bets,” April 17th issue). It took years to get it on the ballot, now it appears it is going to take more years to get it implemented. Politicians and the religious establishment that were once opposed to the lottery are now fighting for the profits, even before they exist.
The reason the taxpayers voted in a lottery was for tax relief. Now, greedy politicians await the forthcoming lottery loot, and religious schools want a bigger cut of the pie, even though they were totally against the lottery in the first place.
Any bets on how long it takes before we have more scandals and corruption?
Elbert Howard
Memphis
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