Love-Hate Mail
Sunday school in public schools
I appreciated P.J. Tobia’s story “Reading, Writing and Jesus” (Oct. 19). He accurately portrayed the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools for what it is: a political advocacy group that wants to increase the role of conservative Christians in civic life and sees Bible courses as one step toward that larger goal. Tobia accurately sums up the critiques of two reports I wrote for Texas Freedom Network on this subject. I’d like to offer a couple of additional observations: the NCBCPS has tried to dodge the studies’ critiques by misrepresenting Texas Freedom Network as radical—ignoring the fact that over 185 scholars across the county endorsed the report and denounced the NCBCPS curriculum. NCBCPS attorney Mike Johnson argues that no scholar had ever criticized the curriculum before the TFN study. This claim, like so many of NCBCPS’, is flatly inaccurate—a negative evaluation appeared several years ago in an education journal. The main reason that more ink hasn’t been spilled in the scholarly community about the curriculum is that NCBCPS keeps it under lock and key—it’s very, very difficult to obtain. I hate to see a group like this put the Good Book to bad use. Let’s hope Wilson County makes a wise decision.
Mark Chancey
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Southern Methodist University
mchancey@smu.edu (Dallas, Texas)
Thunder road
Thanks be to God for a little backbone from Bishop Choby, standing up for the teachings of the Catholic faith (Garrigan, Oct. 19). Maybe these priests will do their homework in the future and check with their BOSS before scheduling such events.
Paul Poole
pfpoole@yahoo.com (Franklin)
Material girl
Okay, Lindsay Ferrier, confess! You went to MOMS Club meetings in Green Hills and East Nashville just to get material for a column (Suburban Turmoil, Oct. 5 and Oct. 19), didn’t you? Well, you lucked out. To date, it’s supplied two columns for you. C’mon now, admit it: when you’re producing a weekly column, you sometimes have to dig a bit to find some good stuff, and you went digging (in more ways than one) pretty far afield from quintessentially suburban Bellevue. It’s been fun reading about your adventures, but I’m so very glad I am not the mom who raised an eyebrow at your baby food selections.
Holly Westcott
hmwestcott@comcast.net (Nashville)
Poor, huddled masses need not apply
In his article “Small Crime, Big Time” (Oct. 12), P.J. Tobia says that Claudia Nunez is spending time in jail, separated from her two children and husband, because she was driving without a license. Wrong. She is spending time in jail for breaking our immigration laws. She came here legally on a six-month visa five years ago. Did she not understand that she was supposed to go home after six months?
I think she did understand. I think she (like the past four presidents of the United States) decided to ignore the law. Such people are “illegal aliens,” not “undocumented workers.” Undocumented implies these Third World invaders really aren’t breaking laws, but are the victims of some sort of paperwork snafu that will be corrected in short order. Send her back to Guatemala. Hopefully her husband and children will follow.
Sound harsh? It is. But the United States must send a message to the Third World. I would hang a “no vacancy” sign on the Statue of Liberty if I could. If we keep letting everyone crash the gates, we’ll soon have a population of 400 million—not a pretty picture.
Kit Brewer
Kitbrwr@comcast.net (Smyrna)
Slandering puppies
After reading the latest rant from editor Liz Garrigan (“Hug a Teacher, Hate the Union,” Oct. 12), I think I have a better insight into how she sees herself and views the world around her. She fancies herself as not merely a god, but rather God, with a capital “G.” She is all knowing and those that don’t share her gift of intellect must be “obstructionists and useless.” They must be the opposite of all that we know to be good and true. They must be that despicable teachers’ union, that evil Metropolitan Nashville Education Association.
Not satisfied with her constant attacks on Metro’s teachers and the association that represents them, Ms. Garrigan narrows her attack. As God, and with creative spelling, she deems it appropriate to call MNEA president and Metro teacher Jamye Merritt a bitch—mighty lofty and respectful speech from a presumed “journalist” and deity. But God Garrigan would not fare too well as a student in Metro Schools, for it has very specific language against profanity, name-calling and bullying in its Code of Student Conduct.
Keep up the good work, Liz. Maybe next time God can call that awful Nashville Humane Association and bitch-slap them for their “obstructionist” work in protecting puppies. Just for giggles and to show your superiority, why don’t you go ahead and kick a puppy too. I’m sure you’ll enjoy hearing it yelp.
Stephen Henry
stephen37216@aol.com (Nashville)
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Playing favorites
No one can say Martin Brady doesn’t have his favorites. When I read that Tennessee Rep’s Dearly Departed had won “Best Ensemble” (“Best of Nashville,” Oct. 12), I felt proud to have been a part of the effort—until I noticed that Rachel Agee, Misty Lewis and myself had been excluded from an otherwise comprehensive list of the players in that ensemble. Apparently our performances did not merit a place alongside worthier “veteran locals.” Even Michael Abbott Jr., who devoted exactly one show’s worth of his time to Nashville before heading home to New York, received notice. I wonder what it would take to earn the title of “veteran local” in Mr. Brady’s mind.
Misty, Rachel and I have dedicated over 30 years collectively to this theater community. We don’t need a lollipop for that. Perhaps including our names alongside those of our fellow “Best Ensemble” honorees would show some respect for the work we do, if professional respect is something that concerns Mr. Brady.
Brandon Boyd
cpfergus@hotmail.com (Nashville)