April 29-May 5, 2004

mailbag

Letters to the Editor

by the Readers

Bravo, Schimmel

It's about time that someone in the Philadelphia media had the balls to call for the return of the draft ["Restart the Draft," Loose Canon, Bruce Schimmel, April 15, 2004]. Since the country's founding, the rural and urban poor have borne the brunt of fighting and dying for this alleged "egalitarian" country. The corporate and political elites who make our policies have made sure that they, or their progeny, are exempt from battle. They leave that "duty" to the poorest sections of our society. I have some suggestions for a universal draft:

• No exemptions, and make sure that Ivy Leaguers, Main Liners and those from Rittenhouse Square bear the brunt of the fighting burden.

• Draft men and women equally along with sports and entertainment figures .

• Make sure Wharton MBAs are sent to the front lines to clear mines and do recon.

Once the children of the affluent are put in harm's way, see how fast our foreign policy will change. We won't be so eager to invade other nations or meddle in their affairs. Maybe we can instill a sense of duty in our "leisure class," who seem more concerned with showing off their new Rolex at Rouge.

Dr. Ralph Goldman
Via E-Mail

Barking Up Wrong Tree

The true terrorists are those who would burn, slash, poison and otherwise torture a creature less than 10 percent of their size ["Terrorists Behind Puppy Plot?" Howard Altman, April 22, 2004]. What a waste of effort and a travesty of justice it is to go after those who would rescue living creatures from a hell on earth instead of the abusers. There isn't any reason for live animal labs in this day of computer simulation, and the author Matthew Scully so well expresses that "The divine mandate is used up what once was a necessary evil becomes just evil.

"It was once thought subversive to fight for human rights; and indeed in some parts of the world it still is; but we have no right to be smug while we treat animals with barbaric disregard. Cruelty is simply cruelty, regardless of how many legs the abused has."

Lynn Walker
Via E-mail

Accessory After the Fact

Regarding the photo spread in your recent accessories issue ["Take a Look Any Look," April 15, 2004]: Quel dissapointment [sic]. I was reminded of what a student might slap together two hours before a crit. While it was refreshing to see a healthy, beautiful model instead of the hungry looking types [sic] usually prowling the pages of anything fashion, at the same time she also looked like a frightened intern someone yanked by the arm and threw in front of the camera. And as for the content, yes, the focus IS on accessories but that does that mean you must use the same pair of black pants and tank top for EVERY picture? I'm hard pressed [sic] to believe a hair and makeup artist even showed up, because nothing seemed to be going on in that department either (which is a shame considering all the vivid colors in make-up for spring/summer, not to mention combs, clips and bands for hair.) You would've been better off assembling a collage of ads from vendors on Walnut street [sic] and snapshots of college kids. Did anyone really think that was acceptable?

Beth Beverly
Bella Vista

Correction

Last week, in "Rebirth of a Notion" (A.D. Amorosi), inquiries about South Street Art gallery should have been directe d to Eyes Gallery at 215-925-0193 or juliazagar@msn.com.