ballot – Memphis Flyer

Best of Memphis

Once again, the Flyer‘s “Best of Memphis” issue has both entertained and infuriated me. I realize that polling is an imperfect art and the (sometimes) lowest common denominator will determine the winner. And yes, I like Huey’s hamburgers.

But seriously, how can a multi-million-dollar golf course such as Spring Creek Ranch possibly be tied (for third-best golf course) with a goat track like Overton Park? And how can a pedestrian “Italian” restaurant like Pete and Sam’s possibly be in consideration for “Best Italian” in the same garlic breath as Ronnie Grisanti’s?

I could go on: “Best Service” had Texas de Brazil first, followed by Chick-Fil-A??? Holy crap! That’s just insane. And Mud Island Amphitheater winning third in “Best Place To Hear Live Music”? Yeah, like what, twice a year?

I know the Flyer doesn’t have any control over the voting, but, people, please — show some common sense!

Ricky Gardner

Memphis

I want to know how Geoff Calkins and Wendi Thomas win “Best Columnist” every year when the Flyer offers us such stellar and superior talents as Jackson Baker, John Branston, Mary Cashiola, and Bruce VanWyngarden?

Haven’t you people ever heard of stuffing the ballot?

Mary Warren

Memphis

War Ethics

As I watched the excellent PBS Ken Burns series The War this past two weeks, I was struck how American expectations and standards seem to have changed since World War II. Think about what President Bush is reviled for in Iraq.

Under an order signed by Roosevelt, well over 100,000 U.S. citizens — mostly based solely on their race — were sent to concentration camps and much of their property was stolen. For years after Pearl Harbor, Americans weren’t told the extent of our losses in men and ships. GIs in Europe, three years after we got into the war, had such lousy equipment to fight in winter, they were stealing from the German dead to try to keep from freezing.

The Allies killed 35,000 German civilians in one night in one city. A million Japanese civilians were burned out of their homes in one day in one city. German Army prisoners were executed out of hand, and an experienced U.S. soldier protesting this was warned he might get shot too.

“Intelligence failure” hardly seems an adequate term for the massive surprise military attack on Pearl Harbor after FDR had been in office for years. Of course, the U.S. in 1940-’41 had a military smaller than Romania’s, years after Germany and Japan were arming to the teeth.

If you don’t like Bush, fine — there’s a lot not to be happy with. But maybe think about what you accept without reservation in one president before you curse another.

Herbert E. Kook Jr.
Germantown

Air America

Because I still mourn the loss of Air America Radio, I am writing in response to the letter from the gentleman in Germantown (“Letters,” September 27th issue) and his reference to a “disgruntled” listener (and the three other listeners).

There were actually a lot more than three listeners and would probably have been many more if we had been made aware Air America wasn’t going to be available in our area. He mentions “hate,” and I won’t say there wasn’t some in evidence, but I guess it was just the wrong flavor for him, because I didn’t hear it directed at homosexuals, minorities, pro-choicers, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, or war protestors.

The “bile” being spewed was more directed at those who were perceived to be failing in their duty to protect and defend our Constitution and to respect our country as a nation of laws. How can dissent be un-American? Is that not what created this country? I would ask the gentleman, and anyone else, if you had been around in 1776, would you have stood with the king or the colonists?

Linda Cowart
Germantown

Iran and the U.S.

I keep hoping the damage the elected heads of state of Iran and the U.S. can do is reaching its limits.

It is a sad commentary on democracy when an “Ahmadina-Bush” is chosen. For my part, I vow never to vote for a Republican again, as I did in several races in the last general election.

Let’s send a message and work to take back our country from the election thieves of 2000!

Greg Williams

Memphis

Granted, the August 3rd election ballot confronting Shelby Countians is large, long, and complex, and it remains to be seen whether the new Diebold voting machines being employed for the first time won’t present further difficulties on top of all that. Even so, it would be an inattentive voter indeed who failed to develop a sense of déjà vu while working through the ballot.

No fewer than four candidates appear on the ballot in two different races. To start with what on the surface appears most bizarre, John Farmer is running simultaneously for the 8th District congressional seat and the District 89 (Midtown) seat in the state House of Representatives. Correct us if we’re wrong, but those two districts don’t even seem to overlap geographically. Yes, the residency requirements for the two offices are sufficiently ambiguous as to permit this dual race in the short run, and we suppose that even Farmer, a stout enough soul, would be forthright enough to acknowledge that he has little hope of capturing either seat from the incumbents who hold them.

Then there’s Joe Towns, the longtime state representative from District 84 (South Memphis), who was running both for reelection and for the 9th District congressional seat. God only knows why he did the latter, since his lackluster pursuit of that race made his chances only academic, and thus he dropped out. He will probably win his state House race.

And there’s Larry Henson, a serious activist for various causes who has offered himself both for the same District 89 state House seat being sought by Farmer and for the Charter Commission. Henson’s chances of prevailing in the Democratic primary against state representative Beverly Marrero are as remote and hypothetical as those of Republican Farmer in the general election. So his only realistic expectation is that he can win the Charter Commission race.

The fourth instance of a candidate involved in a dual run is more troubling. This is state representative Henri Brooks, who has a good chance of prevailing in both her race for the District 2, Position 2, County Commission seat and her reelection race in House District 92. There is apparently nothing that would prevent Brooks from holding both seats, although to do so would be awkward, and Brooks has indicated she would be willing to surrender the House seat in the event of a dual victory.

One problem: The candidates opposing Brooks — Novella Smith Arnold for the commission seat and Michael Saine and Elbert “Skip” Rich Jr. in the House race — have demonstrated themselves to be worthy of holding the seats in question. Since there is no automatic second-place succession in the event of a winner’s withdrawal, Brooks’ decision to hedge her bets is unfair to her opponents. Worse, it probably means another in the recent series of special elections to be paid for by the taxpayers of Shelby County, and that’s worse than unfair. It’s an unnecessary and expensive imposition on the public. Legislation may be in order to prevent such cases as this from happening again.