Geek Fights
Good job, good effort: Considering that your article about the Society for Creative Anachronism was written by a newcomer ("Lord of the Dorks," Kyle Swenson, July 4) with no prior experience with our hobby, I think the author did a fairly decent job. Yes, there were some minor inaccuracies, some omissions, and a few misspellings, but all things considered, the story is not too shabby. We have our own slang and use words not common in modern vernacular, so he can't really be faulted for misunderstanding a few terms. It was actually somewhat refreshing to read the impressions of a first-timer. Of course, some things will make more of an impression than others, but I think the author picked up on the basic concept of what we do. And he did touch on the fact that we hold true to ideals not commonplace in society today, such as honor, chivalry, and courtesy. Could he have done better? Of course. Who doesn't improve after initial contact? I hope Kyle enjoyed his visit and comes back to join us. aesop_2000
Could have done better: While it's nice to see an article about the SCA, there are some inaccuracies that could have been avoided. You couldn't have picked better people to track, because Takamatsu Sadamitsu and Duke Mittion are some amazing guys, but you missed out on those of us who are more geared to services, performing arts, and practical arts and sciences, and you really did make us sound like freaks before getting into the good stuff. You also seemed to miss the fact that there are a lot of women involved. Lythandrel
Obama's Failure
Give kids a chance: Is it Barack Obama's fault, as Uncle Luke writes, that Trayvon Martin's friend Rachel Jeantel is an inner-city high school senior who doesn't speak English the way I do ("Obama's Trayvon Problem," Luther Campbell)? No, it is not. Could it be that her family life is failing her? Yes, it is true that many black children come from broken homes. Obama himself came from such a home, yet that did not stop his success. Could it be that Jeantel has not had good role models? Possibly, because Obama did have an educated mother and family to look up to. His grandparents seemed to have been very good role models. But the biggest difference I see between Jeantel and Obama is that she lives in a poor neighborhood and goes to a school many of us would never send our kids to if we had a choice. Obama lived in nice areas and went to private schools. But Uncle Luke makes a good point: What has President Obama done to specifically help his greatest supporters? Without the large number of African-American votes, this man would not have been elected. His pledge was to bring about change. I agree that there has been little done to help our students. It does not matter if Jeantel is a senior or a kindergartner; children like her need change. She deserves the type of education the president's daughters have received. Dmg5447
Black culture fails kids: Our school system has worked well for almost all ethnicities in America. Asians, Middle Easterners, and Latinos all have done well. There is just one group that seems to struggle much more than the others. Could it be that African-Americans look different and that's why they are singled out? Or maybe there's another explanation. Maybe it's the horrible family structure. Maybe it's the lack of role models. In black culture, people are ridiculed for achievements. If anyone calls out black leaders, they are cast out. (See Bill Cosby.) Now you have the balls to blame the president. This is a man who won the election by securing more than 90 percent of the black vote. It's not black or white. It's cultural. You, Al Sharpton, and the rest of your blame-the-white-man mentality can shove it. kirkslade1
Hotel Robbery
Take 'em to court: Even if you are not a tourist like the Brazilians who lost $20,000 in designer goods to a South Beach crook ("Hotel Nightmare," Laurie Charles, July 4), all you can do is stay put and hope they catch the guy and return the goods. Still, the hotel should be liable if it allowed the guy to enter the room or even gave him access by supplying him with a room key. But now the Brazilian tourists are talking about suing the hotel and taking it to court to recoup those losses. The hotel isn't just going to give them money over a theft like this. Jay Lee Mendez
Police ignore tourists: Is this another one of those incidents where a police report was not filed? Police departments know foreigners don't hang around long enough to testify, so there's no point in writing a report or entering it into the city's database. The tourists will never be back. The tourists have helped build this economy, and it is time for the next sucker to travel to Miami Beach. Miami Beach thrives on suckers. New Times should check all the police reports for this hotel. You might just find a trend. internetinternet
