Conflicted
Backstage pass: I enjoyed the semigonzo rundown of Luke's campaign ("Uncle Luke Wants You!" Francisco Alvarado, May 19). It's good to know what's actually been going on in Luke's corner, since most of the publicity outside of New Times has been focused on the other people running. He'll definitely get a large chunk of the black vote, along with whatever young voters decide to turn out.
Ryan McGrath
No joke: At first I thought you were advocating Luther Campbell's candidacy as a joke or perhaps you are really a secret supporter of Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina. But frankly I was shocked to read here that your editor ordered you to run Campbell's campaign. Don't you and your editors have any journalistic ethics? What a shame! The old New Times had much more integrity.
Ernie
Splitting hairs: Luke is a lot like Donald Trump — pretty intelligent as a businessman but acts like a fool for most of his adult life. He has no respect for women and now wants to be taken seriously. Luke has every right to be "as nasty as he wants to be," but we have the right not to vote for this morally corrupt wannabe rapper. He is no different from the typical music label heads who live off the backs of other talented rappers.
Anonymous
Money watch: Luther Campbell has declared both personal and business bankruptcies. If he can't manage his own finances, why on Earth would you want him managing the county's $7.5 billion budget?
Anonymous
Not now: I am not advocating for Uncle Luke. I believe the severity of the financial challenge ahead for Miami-Dade requires the steady hand of someone who already has a track record. But Luke is no fool. Sure, he clowns it up to make a living, but he has educated himself and married a brilliant woman. What was Ronald Reagan before he became involved in union politics? A B-movie actor. And Tom DeLay was a bug-spray man. We can't have all lawyers running the government. Don't write off Luke — but not this time, not this office.
Robert Lee
LOL: No way this clown has a chance of being elected. He will be back to writing amateur editorials in New Times within weeks of losing the election. Safe bet one of the first excuses will be that he lost the election because he is black, not because he is immature, ignorant, unqualified, and his notoriety is mostly gained from profane rap music.
Paul
Cheap Shot
Gun scare: While I wasn't surprised at the bias of the article showing how you can buy assault weapons on the Internet, I was caught off-guard at the sheer amount of misinformation ("AKs Online," Tim Elfrink, May 19). Fortunately, the Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed my right per the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms, even if it's a dinky .22LR dressed up as a big, scary "black assault rifle." I'll leave it at that.
Will Phillips
Happiness is a warm gun: I am a female, and I love my guns, never without one. Although I do have to admit, the AA-12 is more weapon than I need; a plain old 12-gauge pump riot with slugs will do more damage at close range than any of the higher-velocity weapons. I call this article and the gun-banning freaks "male-enhanced bovine manure."
Anonymous
Armed and dangerous: This is just great. Assault rifles being sold without a paper trail from the back of cars. Look at the type of dangers our law enforcement officers have to face. Look at the idiots who own these guns. The same guns that idiots are buying off trucks are the same guns being used against our troops, law enforcements officers, and at the border.
FB
Shooting blanks: Hysterical fear-mongering. People who own guns occasionally buy and sell them. Shock! Awe! This is "news" only to people who are inherently opposed to gun rights, have no real experience with firearms, and want to see them banned.
Anonymous
Dog-gun it: This is a teacup Yorkie dressed as a pit bull. Anything to sell stories, right?
Anonymous
Gunning for attention: The people interviewed were all legal, so what is the article about? Maybe you're trying to strike fear in people, or maybe the editor has no clue about firearms! It always pisses me off that the people who know nothing or little about firearms always want to make the rules for everyone else. The editor and people like him should go after criminals instead of hyping up stories about people doing legal things.
Bob
