Stearns Punishment
Re: "Best Media Slut," "Best of the Bay" (Sept. 20-26)
I have been featured in a positive light in The Tampa Tribune, St. Pete Times; channels 9, 10, 28 and PBS; WMNF and a.m. radio's Parent Talk; Tampa Bay Magazine, Stash Magazine as well as many media nationwide. You contend that makes me a "media slut" who "loves the sound of his own voice." I contend that I am a self-published author living on a shoestring, and one of the only ways I can get my message out to the public is through the media and by making public appearances. I also contend that my book's positive messages and my struggle to bring the book to fruition are perceived as newsworthy, which is inspiring in light of all the negativity one finds in the media. It's hard to believe that the only medium that had anything negative to say is a paper that I once proudly considered my family, and I used to think the Weekly Planet cared about bringing positive news into the community.
Michael Sterns
Via e-mail
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I admire and believe in what Michael is doing and feel shame for the good hard work your paper has endeavored to undo. Free press aside, and personal vendettas removed from the equation, ruin is still the result. In a nutshell it was downright poor journalism right out of the muckraking days. Don't be so quick to point out and pull on the string dangling from the sweater. The owner's mother may have made it. Your business-as-usual practices are unraveling a lot of someone else's hard work.
Michael E. Scalco
Via e-mail
What on Earth?!
Re: "Two Perspectives on the Earth Charter" by Rex Curry and Jan Roberts (Sept. 27-Oct. 3)
If it weren't for the seriousness of this proposed plan, the commentaries would be comical. I've read the entire document, and the Earth Charter is nothing more than pure and absolute Marxism.
Want specifics? Due to space considerations I'll merely mention one; "Two billion people live on less than a dollar a day and we must care about them." Huh? It's not our fault that these people live on a buck a day. Some of these buck a day people haven't learned not to pee in their drinking water, and that's our fault? We should be concerned about them? You must be kidding me! How much of that dollar did they EARN? Have these buck-a-dayers endorsed and/or embraced our political or economic system? Answer, NO!
Curtis A. Holmes
Via e-mail
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Who's this Rex Curry guy? He made quite a statement in his article about the Earth Charter Community Summit. It really put things in perspective. I have long loathed the socialist nature that has crept deep into American society. It hurts charity and breeds dependency. It also wastes our tax dollars.
Gary Parnell
St. Petersburg
Terrorism, Home
and Abroad
Re: "A Line in the Sand" by John F. Sugg (Sept. 27-Oct. 3)
I'm relieved that I am not the only person who finds this war more terrifying for our reaction to it rather than to the horrible act that occurred. I think that Sugg's plea for reason will go unheard by most, or result in ridicule and possible threats. I hope that I am wrong.
Theresa Baecher
Via e-mail
After reading John Sugg's article, I feel the need to let you know how much I appreciate and respect what you have written. I found that your article captured the thoughts that have been spinning through my head for quite some time now, and even more so since the attack on Sept. 11. While I am very saddened and angered at the events that took place, I felt that I was the only one in my immediate surroundings who was taking a step back to analyze why this had happened. Obviously, bin Laden is not the sanest of all people, yet an attack this large does not come without instigation, and I feel that many Americans are bypassing this fact. As you referred to Orwell's Big Brother in your article, I have kept my comments and questions concerning our role in this attack to myself, for fear of seeming unpatriotic, and I am just a regular citizen, nobody famous. Actually, I have donated money to the relief efforts, bought a flag and wept for the victims and the end of a way of life that I have known my whole 21 years, yet I cannot condone a massive retaliation that will make our country no better than the terrorists.
Your article put into words what I have not been able to speak nor put down on paper, and I thank you for that. I am sure that many people feel the same as you and I do, yet are unable to express for a variety of reasons. I plan to photocopy this article and give it to every person that I think will benefit from what you had the courage to say.
Tia Elder
Tampa
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You are critical of our government boycotting U.N. conferences? Do you really think the people (yes, the everyday-working stiffs of the U.S.) would want our government to attend that comedy called the conference on racism? My! How quick that conference condemned the Sudan for its continued practice of slavery. Is justice in your mind selective?
Your column asserts that religion and state are one in the Muslim nations. Does this mean that we must roll over and play dead to the extremists or engage in our own holy crusade to wipe out Islam? Your column seems to imply that these are our only two choices. I disagree.
Being a father with a son in the military, I have spoken to him and his fellow soldiers about this situation, and in unison they spoke as one that they want to protect this country, their families, and our way of life. It's their time and duty, as their father and grandfathers protected us from fascism and communism.
We were attacked, we will stand together, and we will let no moron separate us. You are not a voice in the wind; you are just breaking breeze.
Tom Shier
Via e-mail
So, We Suck
Re: Weekly Planet's coverage of the terrorist attacks
Please, do us all a favor: shove your little "college" 'zine right up your ass. You live in a country that lets you spew this tripe. Now, go get real jobs and see if you can dig up Bill Clinton and you can all go live in another country. I've been reading WP for the eight years, but this is just BULLSHIT.
Mike DePrisco
Via e-mail
This article appears in Oct 11-17, 2001.