Love/Hate Mail

Not seduced
I was shocked at last week's cover story (read: lube job), regarding the downtown condo scene ("The Seduction," Aug. 21). A lengthy story, filled with photos of smiling young people and many inches of sales brochure material posing as journalism? Where were the questions about the financing issues that young people face now? Where was there mention of the market drying up downtown? Even The Tennessean recently featured a similar story that was much more balanced and thorough—The Tennessean beats the Scene, and badly? That must be embarrassing.

Or was it because of the interior insert featuring apartment living and all the dollars that were spent by advertisers?

I kept reading and reading, looking for something that would give an accurate picture of buying a downtown condo, but never found it—all I found was a glorified brochure, minus the glossy paper.

Caddy back
I am writing in response to the article about Belle Meade Country Club ("Black Out," Aug. 7). I work as a caddy part-time. I can honestly say that the membership is as great as any I have ever been around. They are genuine and take care of the caddies well. The best caddies we have are African Americans who have been working there for 30 years.

Now, I understand that the Nashville Scene's article involved membership, but shouldn't they have the right to allow who they want to join? I'm sure if a white man wanted to be a part of the Black Panthers in the '60s, it may not have been such news.

I'm proud to be a small part of a great club. As for the comment of the golf course being no more inviting than McCabe, you obviously know nothing about golf or golf courses.

Right about Wright
As a Christian, I am told by Jesus not to judge. Stephen Mansfield does a great job of describing the pluses and minuses about Rev. Wright ("What Obama Believes About God," Aug. 21). In my opinion, Rev. Wright's pluses far outweigh his minuses. People will not understand Rev. Wright until they open their hearts and minds to objectively reading sufficient information to make an informed judgment.

Mansfield describes Rev. Wright as "brilliant, angry, successful and unapologetic."

I highly recommend Mansfield's educational and easy-to-read book. The book is especially good for people unfamiliar with black churches. I learned about Black Liberation Theology, which is much different from what I heard on TV. The author is objective. He helps answer why Obama stayed in Rev. Wright's church for 20 years.

Drill bit
Having moved here from Alaska and having actually been to the coastal plain of ANWR—which I doubt anyone else in this forum has—there is plenty of wildlife on the plain ("Marsha's Big Adventure," Pith in the Wind, Aug. 22, reprinted in this week's Confederacy of Dunces). There is a remarkable amount of beautiful tundra plant life. It is unspoiled and clean.

Many folks in Alaska would sell their school yard for drilling. The entire state economy stays afloat on oil.

I don't want to drill because it's not going to solve our problem. But the folks who make the coastal plain sound like a wasteland are wrong. It is beautiful—not mountains and trees beautiful—but beautiful tundra that is supposed to look exactly like it does as nature intended, not as a flower box or zoo or whatever Blackburn's personal description of beauty is.