Letters for November 11, 2004

He’s still the one

Re “Praise the Lord and pass the guitar picks” by Christian Kiefer (SN&R Cover, October 28):

A heartfelt thanks to Christian Kiefer for one of the most well-written articles I have read in some time.

As one who “grew up with” the Warehouse concerts, the 77’s, Charlie Peacock and Exit Records, I appreciated Kiefer’s honesty and straightforward style. The article answered many of the unknowns surrounding the Sacramento Christian-music scene of the ’80s and put away many of the rumors.

It is important to note that to those of us who grew up on those albums, Mike Roe and company were and are the biggest pop stars in our life experience. I still remember the thrill of Mike’s flailing guitar solos that ended with him on his back, on the ground, often with a broken guitar. I still sing the songs—now at a lower volume—on my commute. I still hear the message.

Success? Having your music and message live on forever in another’s life—yeah, I’d qualify that as success.

Although I don’t necessarily agree with the conclusion of Kiefer’s article, I applaud his genuine research and solid writing. Thanks, Christian.

Royce Gough
El Dorado Hills

Name-dropping and typing

Re “Where the beat stops” by Jackson Griffith (SN&R Arts&culture, October 28):

If there is any social device more sad than manipulation by name-dropping, it would have to be name-dropping that’s too poorly crafted to be considered manipulative.

I’m sure we’re all thrilled and happy for Barry Kennedy (poster child for whoop-ass by the six-pack) for the experience that seems to be the apex of the article: that the man has actually had the fortune to meet and party with Art Luna!

But come now, is this really news?

I suspect that, in reality, it is only typing.

Flombaye Ellison
Sacramento

Give us pans and raves

Re “Wretched excess” by Kate Washington (SN&R Dish, October 28):

I just wanted to say how much I appreciate Kate Washington’s restaurant reviewing. The blast of The Cheesecake Factory and the more subdued critique of Zócalo [“North of the border,” SN&R Dish, October 21] were right on the mark.

And her raves for Masque [“Big night,” SN&R Dish, May 20], Bamiyan Restaurant [“Location, location, location,” SN&R Dish, June 3] and Oz Korean BBQ [“Where there’s smoke,” SN&R Dish, October 14] were also just right.

Some suggestions: New Hong Kong Wok, Pooja Indian Grill in West Sacramento, and the Tofu House on Folsom Boulevard.

Keep up the good work.

Jerry Dworkin
Sacramento

Conservative flaming liberal

Re “We’ll have to observe ourselves” (SN&R Guest comment, October 28):

Paul Manansala’s Guest comment is right along the lines of the familiar flaming-liberal sob stories of how they are being mistreated by “the government” that I have come to love about reading SN&R. Such pieces seem to put into perspective what a kept society is all about: many demands and freedoms but few responsibilities.

Then, a few pages down the line, I come across Jill Stewart’s column, “Voting for dummies.” Now, how did this conservative piece of literature get into SN&R?

What next? Are you going to become the Sacramento daily newspaper with a conservative slant to give the region an opposing view on the Bee’s news?

Whatever the reason, it’s nice to see both sides of the coin in a newspaper once in a while.

Lou Meyer
Sacramento

Adam and Eve were naked!

Re “God is into leather” (SN&R Letters, November 4):

What would those poor souls who live by the Bible do without it? Could they think for themselves? Could they tell the difference between right and wrong? Would they be compassionate?

There was a time when we used animals to survive. Today, we have a choice. We don’t need to eat them, wear them or cover our Bibles with them. Ninety-five percent of all animals we consume for food and products have lived horrible and tortured lives. They live in crates or pens where they can’t turn around, they stand in their own feces, and they never see the light of day. Don’t believe me? Read Dominion by conservative Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully.

In biblical times, many animals lived humane lives prior to slaughter. I can’t imagine Jesus going to a factory farm, grabbing a calf by the leg, dragging him against his will, captive-bolt gun in hand, shooting him between the eyes, stunning him and then skinning him alive—all to get your kid leather.

Ms. Church, we don’t live in biblical times. Try living in this century.

Ms. Lesniak was pointing out the hypocrisy of covering a book that teaches compassion with the skin of a slaughtered cow that lived a tortured life void of any compassion.

As for your Bible quote that “everything that lives and moves will be food for you,” then that includes your cat and dog. They’ve lived a life of comfort, so it would be more Christian to slaughter them, as they have suffered far less than most animals.

Ms. Church, if you’re going to insist on using the Bible, Adam and Eve were vegan and naked—and then there was sin (Genesis 1:29-30).

Gale Hart
Sacramento

Students have no opinion

Re “This war hurts the world” (SN&R Guest comment, October 14):

You folks must be kidding or desperate. Since when do the whining rantings of some pouty-faced post-juvenile who is still in school, “majoring” in “creative writing,” get center stage on military issues?

Young [Kaelan] Smith would do well to join our military (to increase our presence) or, minimally, join the Peace Corps (to assist or make a difference) in the Darfur region of the Sudan before spouting his anti-U.S. rhetoric.

Many veterans, myself included, find the self-righteous B.S. of university children at times comical and at other times, such as in the case of young Smith, sadly tragic. Please, for the sake of your readership, ensure that those offering their opinions know something—anything!—about their subject.

Selso Vargas
via e-mail

Scott may be hot, but O.J.'s not guilty

Re “Scott is hot!” by Harmon Leon (SN&R Cover, October 7):

Harmon Leon didn’t know what he was talking about when he slurred O.J. Simpson as being guilty. SN&R consistently has called O.J. guilty without checking the facts to back it up.

The least you could do would be to contact the Brown family and the telephone company to ask them why they won’t release Nicole Brown Simpson’s phone records, which would prove that she was on the phone talking to her parents at 11 o’clock on the night of June 12, 1994, while O.J. was loading a limousine in the presence of Allan Park and Kato Kaelin. If you’re not willing to at least do that, then shut the hell up about O.J.

Ralph Rivers
Sacramento

War-cons love SN&R

Re “Call it East Texas” and “Go channel surfing!” (SN&R Letters, October 28):

Has SN&R become the weekly that war-cons must read? Kurt Mathews and Stacia George, in their October 28 letters, lead us through a maze of slipshod right-wing swill.

Mathews lumps fundamentalist Hamas and Hezbollah and fundamentalist Iraqi insurgents under the sophomoric and nonspecific heading of “Islamic radicals.” He seems to be champing at the bit for a third world war.

George fails to see beyond a myopic worldview of anti-Democrat and anti-liberal.

These two are blinded by pseudo-right-wingism, Bush “compassionate conservatism” and maybe a little bit of 9/11 angst.

Ron Lowe
Nevada City