CAN'T PLEASE ’EM ALL

I wish to respond to the letter that appeared in Flagpole two weeks ago from Scott "W4PA." I am mentioned by name in his letter about Flagpole's past coverage of Widespread Panic, despite the fact that I have not worked at Flagpole since 1992. Since the folks who work for the Flagpole now were not responsible for the coverage of Widespread Panic back in the late ’80s, I thought I would give Scott a response from someone who was.

Both quotes Scott pulled from past Flagpole's about "retro/hippie/jam" bands refer to the same scheduled concert in 1989. I had written an editorial about the event having a "lame and unimaginative" lineup. That comment was to point out that, in my opinion, the scheduled lineup was too similar and that I thought the concert was going to suffer for it. The concert in question was indeed, a big financial failure.

I do not remember ever mentioning Widespread Panic directly in the original editorial or the later response to a letter criticizing my comment. I cannot even remember if they played that particular show, although they did play numerous outdoor shows like it in and around Athens over the years.

I have no personal problem with Widespread Panic. They seem like nice guys and accomplished musicians. I even worked for them as the Event Coordinator for their big free concert in downtown Athens is 1998. I do not remember ever directly attacking Widespread Panic in the Pole, but that was years ago, and it is hard to remember all the details.

Over the years there were bands that all of us at Flagpole championed and bands that we panned. That is all a part of critical music journalism. You can't like everybody and you can't please everybody. You have to call things the way you see them. I would say that yes, at one time there was a definite slant against "bands that play retro/dead/hippie music" in the Flagpole.

Widespread Panic has definitely made a positive impact on Athens of the past several years. As Scott mentioned in his letter, they sold out many shows here in Athens in the past. Now they sell out some of the biggest venues in the country. Kudos to the guys and their ability to stay together despite some obstacles. Obviously, a little criticism of the hippie jam rock genre in Flagpole did not hurt Widespread Panic in the long run.

In the early days of Flagpole, the staff, including myself, chose to promote those "lame art student bands" Scott mentioned in his letter. I am glad that we did. They needed our support and many of them were incredibly talented. Being commercially successful and popular with the masses does not always mean that an artist is any good. It is the job of a music journalist to print what they see as the truth about a band, or a musical genre, for that matter. I am glad that there is an independent arts magazine in Athens that used to call them the way they see them - and still does.

Jared Bailey
Athens

THANKS A LOT

I would like to deliver a message to all the people who failed to vote in the recent election. As you may know, due in part to a pathetically low voter turn-out, the Republicans now have a majority in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. They have given us a Republican Governor, Senator and State Senator. Now, if you're one of those people who think that George Bush and his Corporate Gang are basically good guys who have your best interests at heart, you're probably okay with this. However, if you're one of those people who want to protect our environment and a woman's right to choose, if you think that rich people get too many tax breaks and that war in Iraq is a bad idea, then I have a message specifically for you: thanks a lot.

Thanks to you, Governor Roy Barnes has been replaced by a bald-headed bulldog who wraps himself in the Confederate flag. Thanks to you, Senator Max Cleland has been replaced by a member of the Moral Majority. Thanks a lot.

Thanks to you, our environmentally-friendly State Senator, Doug Haines, has been replaced by a development-hungry businessman who wants Athens to sprawl. Haines lost by only 486 votes. That's about as many people as you can pack into the 40 Watt. For making a conscious decision not be one of those 486 people, you are personally responsible for the loss. Thanks again.

Republicans are now claiming a mandate. An overwhelming majority of the American people, they say, has endorsed their plans to drill for oil in Alaska, to undermine Roe v. Wade with a more conservative Supreme Court, to give rich people even bigger, permanent tax breaks, and to wage an irresponsible, unnecessary war in Iraq. The fact is, however, that because people like you were too cynical, too apathetic, or just too plain stupid to get out and vote, nobody really knows what the American people want. And don't bother to complain about anything, because in a country like this you get exactly the kind of government that you deserve.

I understand your apathy and cynicism. You think that the politicians and media talking heads don't care what you think, and you're right: they don't, unless you vote. You can't outspend the special interests, so voting is all you've got. Athenians recently replaced a development-friendly mayor with a more environmentally-friendly one for the simple reason that enough people decided it was worth a fraction of an hour out of their day, every two years or so, to vote.

If another 600 or so people had voted in Florida in 2000 (and all the votes had been counted), Al Gore would be president right now, and the economy wouldn't be in the mess it's in today. Remember the prosperity of the 1990s?

No matter what kind of government we're going to have, let's make sure that it's the kind of government the majority of us really did ask for. The Republicans are going to do a lot of damage over the next two years, and you asked for it, but it's never too late to change the course of history.

Please. Vote. Thank you.

Jason Mosser
Athens