Letters to the Editor

What You Say

Yes, we did

Personally, this is the first time in my life I genuinely feel our country has truly lived up to its creed as the "United" States of America [News, Nov. 6, 2008]. It's a surreal sense of pride I've never felt before; not as much as in who I am, yet rather in where I come from and what I'm now a part of. President-elect Barack Obama embodies a nation of dynamic cultures — one that endows channels to liberty and self-fulfillment found nowhere else in the world. Hope knows but one direction: forward.

Michael Rombola Jr.
South Philadelphia

The fleeting joy experienced by the drunken revelers who shoved, heaved and, finally, flipped Ted Passon's car upside down pales in comparison to the deep remorse they must have felt while reading about "the poor kid who got his car flipped" in last week's City Paper [Cover Story, "Significant Others," Monica Weymouth, Nov. 6, 2008] ... or on Action News ... or Philebrity ... or the mass e-mails ... or MySpace ... or Facebook ... or two pages later in the City Paper's coverage of the First Person Arts Festival where a less creative writer might have used the space assigned to describe the Philadelphia Storytelling GrandSlam and actually describe what the event will consist of. From what I gather in your blurb, the whole night is all about him. And rightfully so: Any guy who parks his car in the middle of Broad Street on the last night of the World Series sounds like a man with something to say! Maybe he'll use his five minutes of stage time to solicit us for money for another gas-guzzler. Good thing you didn't mention what other performers will be at the show or any other people who got their cars flipped, that's what they get for not being a little PR-savvy.

Anyway, thanks, I love reading the City Paper so I can stay abreast with who your writers are friends with!

Love,

Juliet Wayne
West Philadelphia

Monica Weymouth responds: Dear Juliet, Apologies to the other performers, but there was only room for 50 words or so. And here's your reward for being "PR-savvy": Ladies and gentlemen, Juliet Wayne won last year's GrandSlam. Amen and hallelujah. Love and kisses, Monica.

I just read your article "The Fishtown Effect" [Cover Story, Isaiah Thompson, Oct. 30, 2008]. Could you please forward this article to Mrs. Cindy McCain, who insists, in an interview from Family Circle, that race isn't an issue in this campaign?

I know very well of the people you write of in your article, I was born and raised in Kensington, a step over from Fishtown (and some might say a step above). I moved to South Jersey over 20 years ago, where I raised my two kids to be open-minded and to treat people how you want to be treated.

I recently went to an old Kensington friend's daughter's wedding two weeks ago in Bridesburg. During the reception, the conversation turned to politics. I was so appalled at all the racist remarks and negative stereotypical images that came out of these people's mouths, that, after about five minutes of this, I very loudly stated, "As a teacher of all races I can no longer think or believe this way, and this conversation is making me very uncomfortable." Everyone got quiet, and slowly the conversation shifted to another topic.

Although I never will justify anyone's racism, I have empathy toward their fears, because I grew up in that very racist, all-white Kensington neighborhood, but that doesn't mean that is who I am.

Because in my heart of hearts, I always knew treating another human being with disgrace and disrespect is very, very wrong.

Thank you for a very honest and poignant article.

Michele Bernice Roth
Via e-mail