VOTE VAUGHAN

Flagpole, I'm a fan of your "City Dope" column. Mr. Aaron's muckraking and attention to local official doublespeak are invaluable services to the Athens community. The Oct. 9 column distresses me, however. Rightly recognizing the need for a progressive Commission that won't stonewall our Mayor-Elect, Aaron asserts that Heidi "needs... Kathy Hoard." Heidi needs a fence-sitting, issue evasive, non-progressive in the 7th? See Ms. Hoard's "Yes/No" non-answers to Athens Grow Green Coalition's Candidate Scorecard for evidence of her amoebic platform. Meanwhile, the obvious alternative to Hoard, Green Party candidate Ed Vaughan, gets breezy indifference. "But a Green can't get elected! That's just not realistic!" you may opine. Well, that's a circular argument if there ever was one. If every organization and media outlet undermines your viability, whether aggressively or by neglect, then OF COURSE you're not viable. The local Sierra Club is largely run by staunch Democrats, many of whom inform Grow Green's endorsements, so their position towards Ed, though irrational, ignoble, and counter-productive, is understandable. Flagpole's lack of courage and consistency is not so easy to justify. You vilify the "country club Republicans." Wake up! Hoard is one! For God's sake, she's married to a director of Athens Country Club!!! She waffles on issues of greenspace, tree canopy and smart growth. Vaughan, as a proud Green, is committed to preserving the greenbelt, fostering transportation choice and ensuring government responsiveness and accountability. You, as the media mavens of progressive-dom in Athens, need to shake off your anxieties about third party viability. Ed is qualified, dedicated and serious-minded; and as a truly progressive insurgent he shouldn't have to fight for recognition from the progressive "color bearer." VOTE VAUGHAN NOVEMBER 5.

Brent Buice
Athens

NO TO WAR

As you know, our country has been moving closer towards waging a war with Iraq. A statement called "Not In Our Name" has been signed by many Americans. It was published as an ad in the New York Times and in the L.A. Times. This powerful statement should be widely published and read, as it reflects the widespread disapproval of violent U.S. action on Iraq. I am writing to ask that you publish the "Not In Our Name" statement in Flagpole. The message is urgent and well written, so please consider including it in your next issue. The full ad as it appeared in the L.A. Times can be found at www.nion.us. Its publishers encourage that it be published in as many places as possible. Thank you for your consideration.

Julia Papastavridis
Athens



While reading "Inside/Out: Move Over Hogs," I identified with the frustration of the writer. Sidewalk hogs are rude and no fun to follow. However, isn't it common sense to avoid all that endless dodge-and-run by simply saying "excuse me" and moving through or around the crowd? Seems pretty easy and socially acceptable to me.

Maggie
Athens

WHO IS TED RALL?

Your series of articles by Ted Rall have firmly solidified your paper's status as completely left of left wing and is an all-time low, even for the Flagpole. "George W. Bush's popularity has remained largely unaffected... even though his use of 911 as a transparent ploy to fight an oil war is potentially a scandal of gargantuan proportions. It certainly helps that this, the biggest unreported story of 2001, received virtually no airing on American network news or in daily newspapers." To imply that the mainstream press is helping George Bush is laughable. The real reason Ted Rall's accusation is not being reported is that such a claim is too preposterous even for the New York Times, whose anti-war stance is on par with CNN and almost ALL of the "mainstream press." I did a lexis-nexis search and three or four other search engines and could not find anything on this Ted Rall character, but my hunch is that he is probably Cynthia McKinny's speach writer and you guys are one of the few who actually print this detritus he puts out. Way to go Flagepole!!! And if Miss McKinny runs under the Green (socialist) platform you'll already be her staunchest supporters.

Daniel Lambright
Athens

Ted Rall replies: I did the following search on Google: "Searched the web for 'Ted Rall.' Results 1-10 of about 34,900. Search took 0.21 seconds."

Anyone who can't use a search engine probably can't be trusted to note that the New York Times is anything but anti-Bush.



Just as the Boston Globe and the Wall Street Journal break stories about GW Bush's shady dealings with the Harken Energy Corporation, and just as news breaks about the corrupt activities of SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt, the NY Times comes to the rescue once again, with a scandalous story about, guess who? BILL CLINTON! Which story, do you think, is bound to get more play in the next few weeks, hmm?

So now, apart from the WAR ON IRAQ, which is going to kill thousands of innocent Iraqis, including children, we have yet another distraction to keep our minds off the fact that our country is being run by criminals and traitors. Never let it be said that the national media isn't doing their part in helping them along. Well done indeed.

Joe Vecchio
Alpharetta



I am disappointed that The Athens Banner-Herald promoted the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus ("Animal Attraction," Marquee) without investigating and reporting this circus' long history of animal abuse and endangerment of spectators. The United States Dept. of Agriculture has repeatedly cited the Beatty-Cole Circus for abusively using bullhooks on elephants and failing to provide adequate veterinary care. A former Beatty-Cole trainer has testified that a elephant named Pete was beaten with bullhooks after she did not perform her act properly. A 56-year-old elephant named Bessie has been forced to perform despite the fact that she has painful arthritis. Two people have been killed and at least a dozen people injured by rampaging elephants belonging to the Beatty-Cole Circus. Last year, one of the Beatty-Cole clowns was convicted of sexual abuse of a teenage assistant. These and other details of the Beatty-Cole's history of abuse and endangerment to both humans and animals can be found at www.circuses.com. It doesn't sound like "a great way for a family to spend time together" to me.

Jennifer Feuerstein
Athens



I was reading the letters from your section last week and there was one letter signed name withheld. What kind of chicken shit fish rag are you running where nobody is held accountable for what they write? I think it's horse shit.

Name Withheld
Email

LEFT COAST POLES

Do you have any local reps in so. calif that I could contact for concord ind. flagpoles?

Mike Wong
Pasadena, CA