Letters for March 8, 2001

Conservative smack- down challenge

Re “Where’s Walter” (SN&R Capital Bites, March 1):

I am a member of the local Council of Conservative Citizens and also subscribe to Community News which you describe as a standard right wing, extremist screed—pro gun, anti-government, paranoid about the new world order, and filled with thinly veiled racist rants-described as a “hate sheet” by some of your letter writers.

Having been around for some 67 years, served in the US Navy, read the general press, I would say that you are in error. The one-time European-American majority has been subjected to thinly veiled racist agitprop for more than 50 years. Racist hate propaganda directed at Euro-Americans pervades in the commercial press and media. Arabs are also vilified on a regular basis.

I am also curious as to why you characterize pro-gunners as “right wing”? Long guns and hand guns are mandatory for a free people, a people who do not own the Sacramento News and Review or the Sacramento Bee. Is freedom limited to “right wingers”? Perhaps some “left wingers” would also prefer to retain their freedom.

It is also a curious fact that every other Israeli wanders around with a US taxpayer-supplied “assault rifle,” free to shoot Palestinian children, while the US press remains silent. Is there some sort of problem here?

I have a suggestion. Why not ask Mueller for an interview during a C of CC meeting, with members present. Why not agree to being interviewed also at the same time and to take questions from the members?

Perhaps we all could determine what would “imply a certain degree of intellectual cowardice.”

Harvey Taylor
Nicolaus, CA

Editors note: Bites has sent a letter to Taylor accepting his invitation to interview Mueller before the Council of Conservative Citizens and is waiting for a reply.

A fan in the band

Re “She Can’t Wait” by Jackson Griffith (SN&R Music, March 1):

Mike Golden here, drummer with Stark Rhythm Maniacs. We’ve known Larisa Bryski for about two years now and we’re proud to call her a friend and here’s our two cents on her and her talent:

We came across L.B. when she auditioned and ultimately got the lead singing spot with us back in about April 1999. Besides having a great set of pipes, she was the consummate professional. She was always well-prepared, on time (a rare thing for some musicians) and very enjoyable to work with.

She left us in late 1999 to pursue her CD/solo thing. We picked up a vocalist in the meantime and went about our business hitting the clubs and festivals in town. I bought a copy of her CD after she finished it and was floored. It’s one of my favorite records.

I subsequently have purchased four or five more copies of the Long Way for friends and the guys in our band. We love it (and keep in mind we’re a bunch or R&B/blues playing guys)!

For us, the ultimate testimony to her talent and friendship was when we asked her on two days notice to help us cover a gig at Marilyn’s at 12th and K on a Friday night in late January. (Our singer had fallen ill.) It had been a year and a half since she had sang with us and I was a nervous wreck, but she was telling me to “ … take it easy, we’ll be just fine.” We gave her a book of lyrics for four sets of material and she went on stage and proceeded to knock the bottom out. … The manager, owner and the crowd loved her.

Well, needless to say that we are thrilled that she’s getting a little exposure right here in Sacramento. Hopefully people are paying attention. She’s a good person, a great talent with a wonderful CD and we are big, big fans.

Mike Golden
via e-mail

Soldiers in the literary battlefield

Re “Where’s Walter” (SN&R Capital Bites, March 1):

What an astounding exhibit of profound arrogance on behalf of the SN&R! Throughout the entire article Capital Bites falsely portrays Walter Mueller and his publication—Community News—as being imbued with tenets of bigotry, hatefulness and condescending rudeness; however, in the SN&R’s two lead paragraphs you admit that the only reason you have gone after Mr. Mueller is because you feel that the ramifications to the SN&R will be insignificant. What ever happened to the journalistic pursuit of truth even if it meant taking shots from all sides of the political and social spectrums; by your own admission the SN&R enters the literary battlefield against so called “racists”—as Mr. Mueller is portrayed by SN&R—only because their inventory or ink is larger and not because of conviction of duty!

As far as Community News being an “extremist screed” … get a life! Community News discusses controversial issues with a distinct sense of intellectual aptitude and honesty which, as your publication makes abundantly clear, is something that is certainly lacking within the community of Sacramento!

Robert Lawley
vice chairman of the Northern California Council of Conservative Citizens and contributing writer to Community News

Bun-hugging and boring

Re “Bored? Bye-bye” (SN&R Editorial, Feb. 22):

Let me get this issue straight. This fellow who runs up and down a court in his underwear chasing a round ball thinks Sacramento is boring? Frankly, I could not imagine a more boring way to make a living than playing a kid’s game. Unless, of course, if you are a newspaper person writing about the kid’s game or a TV “personality” talking about it.

Good riddance to Mr. Boring.

James G. Updegraff
Sacramento

Bored? Hello!

Re “Bored? Bye-bye” (SN&R Editorial, Feb. 22):

One of the better things about Sacramento is that it is boring. When I came here 25 years ago my decision to stay was based partly on the fact that Sacramento is boring. I raised my child here and have no regrets about it.

I regret that Sacramento has tried so hard not to be boring. My theory is that boring places allow personalities to develop freely, and without fear of taking a chance. I think this creates interesting human beings, who are more likely to do something interesting in the world than if they were exposed to novelty 24/7.

Hence Brooklyn, so close to Manhattan and yet so far, produced more winners than Manhattan ever has. And Sacramento, so close to San Francisco and yet so far, may well do the same.

Arlyne Jones
Sacramento

100 reasons to love Sacramento

Re “Sacramento’s 100” (SN&R Cover, Feb. 22):

I really enjoyed the top 100, the region’s most interesting people.

It reminded me why I have loved living and working in Sacramento for 20 years. Some of the people mentioned I know personally, some I call good friends, but most of the citizens were just names that I have heard of over the years. The accomplishments of these people are impressive. It’s wonderful to read about people who make such a difference in this community, not by how important they are, but by how they advance the human spirit.

Thanks for introducing me to so many good people who make Sacramento a great place to live.

Bob Keller
Sacramento

Luna’s rocks!

Re “Sacramento’s 100” (SN&R Cover, Feb. 22):

While I am not a big fan of “lists” etc., I really enjoyed the “100 most interesting … ” very much.

I cannot claim to know all of them, but the few that I do know were thrilled to be part of the feature. I frequent Luna’s Café a lot, (especially for Thursday Night Poetry Unplugged) and when I announced the news the house rocked! Thanks for giving Art Luna what he deserves!

Frank Andrick
Sacramento

Don’t forget these ladies

Here are a couple you overlooked in “Sacramento’s 100” (SN&R Cover, Feb. 22):

Suzette Riddle, executive director of the Sacramento Ballet—fast becoming one of the most prominent directors in the management and promotion of the arts in Sacramento.

Barbara Davis-Lyman, human sexuality instructor at Sacramento City College — charismatic and dynamic, she has been instructing Sacramento’s young adults for close to 30 years. Starting her career back in a day when “Sex-Ed” was quite often frowned upon, and virtually unheard of being taught by a woman.

T. Davis
Sacramento

Regulating the rink

Re “Love on Wheels” by Becca Costello (SN&R Arts, March 1):

Becca’s essay, “Love on Wheels,” struck a deep chord. If it weren’t for skating, I would have been stuck in the outsider’s realm at school simply based on my “new kid” status coming in from L.A. Skating leveled the playing field since we all came from different schools. I soon discovered that I wasn’t such a dork, after all an “older” woman (she was in 7th grade, I was in 6th!) asked me to skate in exactly the way things are still done—via her best friend. My first crush. 20 years later, we’re still friends even though we haven’t seen each other in years. Just this past summer, one of my girlfriend’s kids said some big girl was going to kick her ass. I simply walked the kid in the rink and let everybody know with direct eye contact that if anybody hurt this kid, I’d be back. They realized she had friends way up on the food chain. Kids aren’t stupid.

Che Perez
via e-mail