Choice Critic
I am writing both for myself and many other Knoxville artists in defense of the art reviews Heather Joyner writes for Metro Pulse. Her articles are illuminating, amusing, and well-informed. It is rare to find a critic that has a studio art degree and can write as an insider, and her insightful work reflects this heavily. Having any headlining exhibit (local artist or not) at the KMA for an overly extended length of time is not good, because it will decrease museum visitation, which spikes whenever the main exhibit is changed. The over-reaction to her article on Richard Jolley seems personal and not rational. Her criticism was valid, and her reviews are an asset to Knoxville's art community. A critic's job is to analyze and review, not cheerlead.
Denise Stewart-Sanabria
Knoxville
Come Up Loco!
After reading Ms. Granju's columns until the point when I had to quit reading them due to the anger that welled up in me, I'm writing today to say Ha! Her diatribes of how her life is perfect, her children are perfect although rowdy in restaurants, how everything she did with her family reflects a superiority to the rest of Knoxville's families, etc., at last she's had her "comeuppance" as my grandmother might have said.
What a pity—she's divorced now—husband moved out—she doesn't know how to mow a lawn—and God forbid she might have to hire somebody to clean the gutters.
Welcome to the real world, honey. I hate to be so caustic—but Ha!
Susan Watson
Knoxville
Library Research
When state Sen. Ben Atchley sponsored and submitted Senate Bill 859 (the Library Bill), which would place control of the Knox County Library System under the county executive, he failed to do his research. Historically the library system has been one of the few crown jewels in the county's budget system, consistently managing its resources frugally and fiscally through their longtime bookkeeper, La Vada Grissom. When the library system planned to automate in 1992, it is my understanding that the proposal that was submitted to the county was the most well-researched and fiscally sound proposal the county administration had ever seen...and they said so!
Another case in point is the library's current purchase of a new software system to manage their public internet computers. By the time the bids were made and accepted, the library system had negotiated a better deal through its proposed vendor only to learn that the county administrators had already cut the check and paid this vendor the originally submitted bid! What does this mean? The county is paying more for this system than they had to! Hmmm? So who would better manage the system? A library board with term limits and the stipulation that they be active library users supported by another sound, experienced, qualified director like the retired Patricia Watson, who guided the system so eloquently in the past. Perhaps it's best to remember that librarians do their research. It is their job!
Debra Hutcheson
Knoxville
Learning from Refugees
Thank you, Joe Tarr, for your cover story, "Life in a War Zone" (March 27). The people who agreed to be profiled gave depth and meaning to the words "refugee," "asylee," and "immigrant." They and thousands of others in Knoxville have so much to teach about suffering, survival and transcendence.
And if you don't mind, I'd like to acknowledge all the churches and individual volunteers who have been welcoming refugees and asylees to the Knoxville area for the last 21 years. This community has a lot to be proud of in that regard.
Mary Lieberman
Knoxville
A Soldier's View
Reading "Life in a War Zone" forces me to wonder if Metro Pulse is willfully ignorant or simply guilty of slipshod work. As a resident of Knoxville, I can't decide which is worse. Doesn't Metro Pulse want to at least appear to take a balanced, objective approach to the issues it covers?
This feature article [March 27] had six segments. Five of those segments provided readers with context. The "Israel and Palestine" segment did not. I'm left wondering why. Since Metro Pulse chose to interview two Palestinians and didn't interview a single Israeli, I wonder if someone's personal bias got in the way of their acting like a professional journalist. Worse still, Metro Pulse published allegations without verifying their validity.
Nofal's story begs for sympathy, but the truth of the matter is he left the West Bank two years before any large Palestinian protests in the streets or confrontations with Israeli troops existed. That's why the first Intifadah was such a shock to Israelis and so significant to Palestinians. The reporter who interviewed Nofal should have known this. Instead, Metro Pulse was duped into publishing the worst kind of propaganda.
I don't have room in this forum to expose all the misinformation found in the article. The utter nonsense that irked me most is the lie about Israeli soldiers firing indiscriminately. We don't; ever.
The fact is that civilian casualties rarely occur. What does occur on a daily basis? Palestinian terrorist organizations send at least one suicide bomber to Israel every day. The only reason there aren't daily bombings in Israel is because Israeli soldiers work hard to stop terrorists before they reach Israel. While accomplishing this, we often endanger ourselves to ensure the safety of Palestinian civilians.
Adam Harmon
Knoxville
Homeland Stupidity?
I am in complete agreement with Dr. Trout's column ("Let Freedom Ring") in your current issue. I served in Hitler's war, and I find much of "Homeland Security" to be either ridiculous or stupid—often both. We must put scissors, etc., in our checked baggage, which is then secured after inspection (and pilfering?) with cable ties which can only be cut with those same in-the-bag scissors! And we have a government that would sooner shoot down a hijacked plane than arm the flight crew to prevent it being hijacked. (Yay, Norman Minetta!) If I ever travel again I shall go by bus or send my luggage ahead by UPS.
Arthur Chesser
Knoxville
Haslam's Regular Folks
Not meaning to steal any populist thunder from Bill Haslam's worthy opponent, I nonetheless find it curious that you would use the words "patrician" and "populist" to characterize the difference between him and Madeline Rogero.
If your denotation of "patrician" simply means "has money," then Haslam certainly qualifies. However, this label usually conjures up all sorts of less-than-positive connotations—elitism and arrogance being two of the most common—and no one I know could be less elitist and arrogant than Bill. The first thing one notices about Bill is that he treats everyone, great or small, with equal doses of his trademark (and genuine) friendliness and respect—as does his wife, Crissy. What's more, I've had many occasions to observe that his children behave the same way: very unassuming and down-to-earth. In fact, about the only way I've seen to get on the kids' "bad side" is to talk about their wealth, directly or indirectly, which is as it should be, in my view.
In short, Bill Haslam and his family may be well-connected (since when was that a crime?), but they are "regular folks." Anybody with Bill's means who would still chaperone a bus full of energetic teenagers back and forth to Chicago and never complain about it (only one of many such things Bill and Crissy have done) is no "patrician" in my book: He's a gem.
Linda Lyle
Knoxville
Be Color Conscious
I am writing in defense of Attica Scott's controversial March 20 column. Its topic was racist practices that have hindered the ability of whites and people of color to work together effectively in this [peace] movement. I have something relevant to say about this, since I participated in the planning sessions for the large Feb. 15 peace rally in Knoxville, as well as helped publicize it and attended the rally. I also organized some peace activities in Oak Ridge, my hometown.
The Feb. 15 peace rally in Knoxville was organized in a few short weeks. It was done in a big hurry and in some respects, probably did reflect some cliqueishness of the organizers, if not some unintended racism. It seemed to me that there was not much effort made to contact known community leaders of color, who have been working for peace and justice in Knoxville, to ask for their advice and help in including the communities of color.
I noticed a similar problem among my fellow Oak Ridge peace activists, who are primarily faith-based. On Jan. 26, there was an ecumenical prayer service, which I attended. There were no African-American ministers, Muslim leaders, or Jewish leaders participating in that service. I later asked one of the ministers involved about that. I asked if those people were invited but declined to participate in the prayer service, or if they were just not invited. The answer was that no one thought to invite them.
I believe that this is one example of what Attica Scott was talking about in her article. Some of these practices are truly unintended and unconscious. But this is all the more reason why someone such as Ms. Scott should call attention to them.
Virginia Williams
Oak Ridge
| 
