Celebrity Shakedown
Isn't it ironic?: Uncle Luke's column about announcer Marv Albert being forgiven for his scandals more easily than black celebrities ("Luke's Gospel," Luther Campbell, November 3) is ironic. He complains about hit pieces on celebs when he himself does the same thing. It's an amazing coincidence that the only cable news personalities he mentions are conservatives, who are serving the same meal as John Stewart, Bill Maher, and the epitome of unbiased journalism, Keith Olbermann. If you think African-Americans never get second chances, please explain how Al Sharpton, a convicted liar, gets his own show, Marion Barry gets re-elected in D.C., and Barack Obama attends a church that is the equivalent of a Klan rally for 20 years without repercussions. All of your columns are entertaining for their incredible lack of thought.
Mainline FL 2
Race-carded out: I'm a white Miami jewboy, and I typically defend Luke, but the race card he continually throws out is getting annoying. I feel Luke on the Marv Albert example in general, but that has little correlation to his own situation. The reason Luke can't escape "cases [he] beat 25 years ago" is because he's a controversial figure, not because he's black. The same rules apply to the likes of Marilyn Manson, Axl Rose, and Eminem, just as they do to Luke, Snoop Dogg, and Lil Wayne. We get it, Luke — racism exists and it sucks. But continually playing the race card feels like the boy who cried wolf, not a constant reason for everything that goes wrong. Use this forum and your fame to keep doing positive things for Miami and focus on stuff that actually matters, and people will take you seriously. Feel free to use the race card when it actually applies. Not here.
Adam Sos
Researching Pimps
Listen to kids: Your story about new research showing that pimps play very little role in pulling children into the sex trade ("Lost Boys," Kristen Hinman, November 3) is right on the mark. I worked in the field of child abuse and neglect for 23 years, and most people don't have the slightest idea about what drives these kids to the streets. Kids know how to separate the BS from those who really want to help. They can determine who is just trying to con them. Most have been abused or neglected by those they love and trust. The system is failing our youth. We wait until they commit a crime and are imprisoned and then spend millions to separate them from society and try to rehabilitate them. Let's open our eyes and ears and listen to the research that says it's not just the pimps who destroy these children, but most often their parents. Oops, or else let's not blame the parents, because they may be us.
Ray
Hanging Bankers
Rope hoarders: I read your piece about graffiti artist Above hanging the effigy of a banker ("Yes, That's a Banker Hanging From a Pole," Gus Garcia-Roberts, November 3) over his painted message, "Give a Wall Street banker enough rope and he will hang himself," and I thought of a better slogan for the piece: "Give Wall Street bankers enough rope, and Occupy Wall Street will protest that Wall Street bankers have all the rope."
Duane Savage
Gitmo-bound: This is why I love Miami. If they did something like this in D.C., the artist would have been arrested on 23 counts of treason, attempted murder, and trafficking anthrax and then shipped to Guantánamo. Any spectators would have been gassed, beaten, and arrested. Gus Garcia-Roberts would have been investigated for writing about it, and the Miami New Times website would have gone down for the day; then its advertisers would all mysteriously start canceling their ads. Then some government worker crew of five guys and three bulldozers would take 18 months to paint over the 100-yard-long graffiti at a cost of $1.8 million to the taxpayer.
Mistrwrong
Go medieval: You want to see some real social justice and government and financial reform to happen immediately? Drag these unprosecuted criminal bankers and politicians into the streets and subject them to absolutely gruesome, hideous medieval executions.
Whttop01
We Won!
Miami New Times dominated last weekend's Florida Press Club Awards in St. Augustine. The newspaper placed in ten categories, more than any other in the state. Among the winners: Francisco Alvarado and Robert Dunlap, first in general news writing; Tim Elfrink, first in government news and business reporting; Michael E. Miller, first in serious features, religion writing, and environmental writing; Chuck Strouse, first in commentary; Gus Garcia-Roberts, first in sports features; and Pam Shavalier, first in feature page design and second in front-page design.