Creative Loafing had words about Britney Spears, Richard Paey, the Rays and Rush Limbaugh in recent weeks, and readers talked back. Peter Meinke's Nov. 21 "Poet's Notebook" column on American leadership post-JFK even prompted that rare form of correspondence, the handwritten note. The most extended back-and-forth debates — regarding Wade Tatangelo's critique of a tbt* headline ("tbt* misfires," Nov. 14), and Brian Ries' review of Salt Rock Grill ("Rock Show," Nov. 14) — are best read online to get the full, um, flavor of the arguments. Below are excerpts, edited for space and grammar, from other online comments we've received (including one on the story that just won't die, Alex Pickett's MySpace screed from last summer).
Re: Political Whore, "The taxpayers are revolting," by Wayne Garcia, Nov. 21: There is no tax revolt in Florida. … The majority of voters in Florida are well protected by the Save Our Homes cap and are quite happy about it, thank you very much. This has created some problems for non-homesteaded property owners. There are some things the legislature could do to address that. But they are so busy covering up their failure to reform property insurance, which they did not fix, they are falling all over themselves trying to create a property tax problem where, for most voters, there isn't one.
gatordem
Re: Poet's Notebook, "November 22, 1963," by Peter Meinke, Nov. 21: Vietnam a Republican war? How so, I ask? Truman sent the first Americans, and the first American died there under his watch, wasn't he a Democrat, Eisenhower warned to stay out, mmm a Republican. Kennedy sent more troops, mmm another Democrat, yet another Democrat, Johnson, really ramped it up. Nixon got us out, mmm a Republican. So can someone please explain to this old-timer how Vietnam was a Republican war?
Dusty
Re: "King of Pain," by Eric Snider, Nov. 14: This is another classic example of why America SHOULD BE AND REMAIN CONCERNED about many things in the criminal justice system. … Yes, in the end, justice prevailed, but in the meantime, Mr. Paey suffered beyond comprehension. He is a hero. I'm glad you're home, Mr. Paey. P.S. Excellent article.
Shirley Heflin
This is not a story of justice prevailing. It is more a story of justice lost a long time ago. … The real nightmare of Paey is that THIS IS COMMONPLACE. This is how America treats people it labels "addicts" or "drug abusers," and I assure you the drug cop does not bother to distinguish a patient from a criminal any more than they bother to distinguish a doctor from a drug dealer.
Alexander DeLuca, M.D., MPH
Senior Consultant, Pain Relief Network
Re: "Bay Watch," by Alex Pickett, Nov. 14: I attend about 10 games a season at the Trop, and I'm glad we have pro baseball in St. Pete. That said, this stadium plan is so ludicrous, for so many practical reasons, that I pray it doesn't happen. It's obscene. The real problem here? Mayor Rick Baker. He HAS to go. And the sooner the better. Baker never met a developer he didn't like (there are more succinct ways to phrase that, but this is a family alternative weekly, sorta).
Larry
Re: Word for Word, Nov. 14 (a transcript of Rush Limbaugh's attack on a Sarasota elementary school's plan to honor conscientious objectors): Well, look at it this way. … Who could be more of an expert on Thanksgiving than a loud-mouthed, overfed, bigoted white guy with an overblown sense of entitlement? Slap some buckles on his shoes and it's like you've traveled back in time!! Well, minus the prescription meds.
M
Re: Moodswing, "I Hate to Defend Britney Spears," by Hollis Gillespie, Nov. 7: You know I really hate to defend Britney, because people go nuts when you do, but truly I agree with this article. She is being held to a different standard because society holds all women to a ridiculous double standard. Especially when it comes to motherhood … Amazing parent? Maybe not. But probably no worse than say Ryan Phillippe or whoever else happens to not be the one with the majority of custody.
Gus
Wow, the irrationality of your argument is almost unbelievable. … It scares me to think that you really believe in all the utter nonsense you have written here and are actually someone's mother. I'm glad I'm not your kid.
T
Re "MySpace, My Ass," by Alex Pickett, Aug. 2, 2006: You have managed to obtain the opinions of more than several diehard cult followers! Applause. I was unaware they were allowed to even piss outside of MySpace, let alone speak freely. … 'Twas a pleasure to read your article. I thoroughly enjoyed it as did most of the anti-MySpace fans I mailed it to. … I am curious; when do you plan on becoming one of us again and deleting that awful space of yours? Do tell.
Mathias
Correction
A Nov. 24 Music Week entry misidentified the Avenged Sevenfold song "Critical Acclaim" as "Criminal Mind."
This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2007.