Love/Hate Mail
Editor's Note
We write to develop consciousness, not to entertain; there’s enough entertainment going on.
—Tess Onwueme, playwright, 1988
The issue you see here, the ”Best of Nashville,“ would be a major headache were it not for the fact that all of us here at the Scene take great pride in it. Owing to its size—this 176-page issue is the largest we’ve ever published—we begin planning it months in advance, alerting writers, artists, photographers, advertisers, sponsors...the whole ball of wax. Then it’s simply a matter of getting it done—long nights, emptied coffeepots, and the occasional thrown object.
Known for their cynicism, our writers transform themselves (briefly) into nice people when it comes to ”Best of Nashville,“ as they write about the good, the better, and the best that surround us. On a personal note, I do not tire of this issue after 11 years of watching them come together. It is still the finest introduction to the city that I know.
—B.D.
Road Warrior
How stupid of me. For three years I have been leading the fight against the southern loop of Interstate 840 and have engaged the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration in lengthy lawsuits at both the state and federal levels. Then I read last week [that] all it takes is a $20,000 donation to Gov. Sundquist’s campaign fund to get the northern loop moved 7 miles.
There it was, right before me all the time. So simple, I completely overlooked it. OK, Gov. Sundquist, please tell me how much we need to contribute to stop the southern loop. Give me a number and an address, and the check will be in the mail tomorrow.
Ain’t politics wonderful? I love this system! God bless America and God bless Don Sundquist!
:Gene Cotton, president
SouthWest Williamson County Community Assn.
3411 Sweeney Hollow Rd., Franklin
Lingua Politica
Characterizing Shannon Wood as ”another offbeat Democrat“ (”Political Notes,“ Mar. 30) does a disservice to her campaign, Democrats in general, and to your readers of any political persuasion. The characterization implies, not so subtly, that aspects of her agenda, including ”universal health care, gay advocacy, and abortion rights,“ should be viewed as radical, fringe concerns. In fact, however, these are fairly mainstream liberal ideals, which should be given the seriousness they deserve.
More disturbingly, your portrayal of Wood as ”another offbeat Democrat“ who is challenging Frist gives the incumbent senator an unequal position as the only viable candidate. This is troublesome for someone who thinks Frist’s views on issues such as abortion rights and taxes are the truly fringe, offbeat, and odious positions.
The [cover blurb for] the article and the article itself provide prime examples of how the Fourth Estate assumes destructive power in the United States, especially around election time.
Guy Nelson
guy.nelson@vanderbilt.edu. (Nashville)
Corrections
Last week’s cover story, ”Radio Interference,“ failed to identify one of the writers of the current country single ”Murder on Music Row.“ Writer/producer Larry Shell cowrote the song with Larry Cordle, who recorded the original version of the song.
Also, in last week’s paper, the name of the University of Calgary professor quoted in Willy Stern’s article about the Metro Police Department (”In Denial“) should have been spelled ”Knoll“ throughout the story. We regret the errors.
