Thanks
To the Editor:
Thank you for the meaningful, beautifully written pieces remembering Johnny Cash by Jackson Baker and Chris Davis (“The Man in Black,” September 18th issue).
As Davis observed: “His artistry was matched in equal measure by an uncompromising sense of justice and an indomitable faith.”
Arthur Prince
Memphis
Return of Serve
To the Editor:
What is “so difficult for liberals to understand” are people like Rik Anderson (Letters to the Editor, September 18th issue) who say things like, “If you really want to pin it on a group …” as though it isn’t important to find out who actually killed 3,000 Americans. Like, “It was Muslims, and Bush is killing Muslims, so what’s yer problem?” is supposed to be a reasonable response? Hell, yeah, I’d like to pin it on someone — the guilty ones. Call me crazy, but it’s this thing we’ve had around here for a couple hundred years called justice. Maybe you’ve heard of it.
Liberals also have a really hard time understanding a fellow American who “almost” wishes for another terrorist attack just so liberals will shut up. As much as I loathe Dubya, I wouldn’t wish death and destruction on my country, even if it meant Dubya’s resignation or impeachment. The murder of thousands is far too high a price to pay for my political ideology, but apparently, for some, it “almost” isn’t.
I happen to believe that democracy is strong enough to meet the challenge of terrorism and that we can combat terrorism without giving up the principles upon which this country was founded. Liberals aren’t your enemy, unless justice and democracy is your enemy.
Jeff Crook
Memphis
To the Editor:
Rik Anderson and I can agree generally about Muslim terrorists being crazed, but he doesn’t know history. “Terrorism has always been committed by crazed Muslims,” he writes. A few minor exceptions: American KKK lynch mobs against blacks; Russian pogroms against Jews; the destruction of Jewish villages in central Europe during the late Middle Ages; the Spanish Inquisition. All those crazed “terrorists” were Christians. I’m sure their namesake must be really proud of how these groups acted in “His” name.
Muslim terrorists are bums. However, let’s not forget Christians have a long, bloody history that is the complete antithesis of Jesus’ teachings.
Jerry Nachison
Memphis
J.Lo vs. G.Love
To the Editor:
The comments by Joe Boone (Letters to the Editor, September 18th issue) gave an excellent insight into the structure of the music industry — and, ironically, provided a strong argument against file-sharing.
The music industry exists not to entertain us but to provide huge profits for its owners. “Liberating” products from such an industry has predictable results. The industry will take legal action and will also seek to control the bottom line by focusing on profitable items and ruthlessly cutting less profitable ones.
Inevitably, J.Lo will get more resources and G.Love will get less. So, if we as consumers want to see an end to practices like reissues of obscure and diverse artists and support for new ones, and if we can be happy with a music industry that only provides us with McMusic, then keep on strokin’ that download button.
Paul E. Nunis
“The Bluescaster”
Memphis
Go Back, Jack, and Park It Again …
To the Editor:
Awful. That one simple word sums up the Steely Dan concert experience. The promoters ruined it.
We turned off Walnut Grove at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show. We wouldn’t be sitting down until almost 9 — well into the band’s first set. It took an hour and a half to get to our parking spot, only to find that the spot was over a mile from the stage. I thought we were at Woodstock. No such luck. Such a lack of preparation might be understandable for a $3 concert. For $50 a ticket, the amateur performance of Archangel Entertainment was inexcusable.
J. Lewis Wardlaw
Memphis
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