Don’t use sex as a weapon
The last time I wrote to C-VILLE to object to advertising that used the female body and sex to advertise a product, I was essentially told not to read C-VILLE if I didn’t want to be offended. I believe the respondent was a male. Well, I like C-VILLE, (although I like it’s [sic] competitor better), so here I am again complaining about a Judy b. Clothing Salon ad in the September 5-11 issue. As I reminded Judy when I called her store, clever and creative advertising doesn’t have to exploit the female body—doing so is a cheap and offensive backslide to disrespect and unenlightenment.
Rebecca Keese
Charlottesville
Welcome to America
The two letter-writers attempting to defend Senator George Allen’s latest blunder [Mailbag, September 12] both try to obscure the issue of Allen’s lack of judgment with variations of the old “bait and switch.” Jamie Slawski tries to shift our focus away from Senator Allen’s rudeness by comparing it to comments made by other politicians. This is like excusing a purse-snatcher by saying: “So what? Stealing’s only human. After all, look at Ken Lay.”
Pamela Sellers offers the bait-and-switch of blaming the victim, insinuating that Senator Allen’s vulgar name-calling might have been justified by some provocation on the part of Mr. Sidarth, the recipient of Allen’s attack. This is also known as the “He hit me first” defense, which is dubious in kindergarten and totally out of place when it comes to a U.S. senator addressing one of his constituents.
What really offended me about the whole incident was not so much the name-calling, but the senator’s follow-up. After calling him “Macaca,” Allen said to the American-born Sidarth: “Welcome to America.” Through his nasty comments, Allen revealed that his notion of America is “whites only,” and that someone whose skin is darker must be a foreigner who ought to keep his mouth shut and his face hidden. Welcome to America, indeed.
Daniel Stern
Quinque
News, or editorial?
My roommate and I just finished reading the article about Bud Davis [“UVA wide receiver gets jail time for bookstore incident,” Courts & Crime News, September 5] and his situation. My only concern with the article is this: “…and is barred from UVA football, sparing us all the trouble of having to say his name (which is pronounced THAIR-en) this season.”
First of all, I think this statement borders on sounding racist. Also, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that, yes, he made a stupid decision, and yes, he should be—and is—being held accountable. I think that with everything that resulted from it (i.e., withdrawal from school, three months in jail, removal from the team, a fine of over $1,000, and both an article and picture in your paper), it was a little unnecessary to, in so many words, joke on his name—a name that has an African-American sound.
I do not think we all feel happy to be spared “the trouble of having to say his name”—I think maybe it’s just you and yours. Also, to be considered a credible news source within the Charlottesville community, it is foolish as a journalist to include one’s own haphazardly “funny” opinion when supposedly objectively reporting. This article was a mockery of not only [Theirrien’s] name, but what you all consider his mediocre performance on the football field. Is this an actual courts and crime story, or a cheap attempt at a sports editorial?
Jessica Turner
Charlottesville
CORRECTIONS
The relative enormity of the audience for the Dave Matthews Band’s 2003 concert in Central Park was misstated last week [“The once and future fan”]. At 100,000 it was and remains the band’s largest domestic audience. According to the band’s management, DMB has played larger concerts in South America and Europe.
Our coverage of the flyer controversy in Albemarle County Schools [“School flyers still up in the air,” Courts & Crime News, September 19] mischaracterized Liberty Counsel’s involvement. The civil liberties group did not file a lawsuit against the Albemarle School Board—they wrote a letter asking the board to review the schools’ flyer policies, which were subsequently deemed unlawful by School Board attorney Mark Trank. The policies are in the process of being revised. We apologize for the error.