Letters: May 31, 2001

Destroyed classics?

This letter is in regard to a CD review of the Detroit Cobras' Life, Love and Leaving by Johnson Cummins in your last issue. I find it shitty that he gave an album of cover songs a 9.5 and "Disc of the Week" honours when there are so many original bands recording original music in this city and getting nary a mention. He then goes on to call it "Total genius!" I suggest that he write band reviews for Bar Fuzzy.

The Cobras don't "rescue" songs, they cover them. They might not be known to you, Mr. Cummins, but for some people, these songs are as standard as "Unskinny Bop" is to you, and for you to encourage white people to destroy the classic songs of my heritage is unforgivable. Please do your homework.

-- Todd

Census suspicions

Regarding Fo Niemi's letter ["Hooray for the census," [e]-Mail, May 24], I would like to point out a fact concerning the reference to the issue of employment equity. The current Liberal government has stubbornly chosen to ignore the issue of employment equity within its own ranks. It was through a bitter, 12-year-long court battle that the union (PSAC) forced the Liberal government to fess up and settle with its employees. And there are still outstanding cases!

Perhaps the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations is subsidized by this same government, otherwise how could one explain such a letter? The national census is about bucks, not government benevolence. By judging the current government on its own track record on employment equity, Kristian Gravenor has damn good reason to question the motives of both Statistics Canada and the federal government.

--Robert Aubé, Census employee

Closing critical comments

This is an answer to the "Criticizing Critic Criticizers" letter [May 10]. One thing that saddens me more than anything in this world is a person who gets comfortable in the armchair of defeat. Someone who, in a final attempt to change the dismal state of their life, reaches out and grabs a hold of the sociological, personal flotation device of being "alternative." Matt MacLennan, you are just such a person. When I read your letter, I can tell you are searching for something tangible in your life. You state that "someone will always hate what you do," and that "you shouldn't care what people think."

First off, no one ever hates what I do because I surround myself with like-minded people who act like me and have the same life pursuits as me. We call it "mainstream" culture.

You, on the other hand, have immersed yourself within a group of individuals who want desperately to impress each other with their own brilliant discoveries and creative thoughts in a vain attempt for self-gratification: the alternative culture.

What are we, Mr. MacLennan, but other people's opinions? They mould and shape who we are. For you to say that we shouldn't care what people think tells me that the few people who know you must think that you are a loser, and so do I. That about sums it up, eh? Hey? You want something tangible in your life? Get a credit card, buy a cell phone, mow your lawn. Maybe even a freak like you can still find salvation.

--Chuff McKinnley

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