Letters

The Jewish vote, ScarJo's album, Transgender parties, safe-sex programs and Joe Biden's grammar.

Political Chutzpah

To Liz Spikol on her recent cover story:

I saw your article on the Jewish vote. I create yarmulkes for Obama and McCain, called the Obamica and the McCippah. You can find them at www.vanitykippah.com.

You claim that Alvin Rosenfeld of the American Jewish Committee “alleged that left-leaning Jews, in critiquing the Israeli government and Zionism, are anti-Semitic.” In fact, Rosenfeld argued the opposite: that criticism of Israel’s settlement policies and harsh treatment of Palestinians “is, in itself, not anti-Semitic.”

Rosenfeld’s larger point, which you misrepresents egregiously, is that much of what passes for “criticism” of Israel in the progressive world is in fact demonization of Israel.

Say It Ain’t So, Joe

To Jeffrey Barg on his recent Angry Grammarian column diagramming Sarah Palin’s sentences:

I take issue with Joe Biden’s statement as quoted in your last column. I too applaud Sen. Biden for sticking it to former Mayor Giuliani’s 9/11 martyrdom. Unfortunately, Joe fell prey to one of my top grammatical pet peeves.

“Rudy Giuliani: There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.”

Biden has a noun verb agreement issue here. This error is very common, more so in speech than in writing. “There’s” is a contraction meaning there is. Thus Biden’s statement asserts that “There is only three things … ” when we know that “There are only three things … ”

Perhaps we should give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was using poetic license to be a bit more folksy in an effort to appeal to Joe Six-Pack. With another candidate championing all things nuclear and tying grammatical tangles ugly enough to make David Foster Wallace spin in his grave, we can perhaps forgive Sen. Biden.

Scarlett Letter

To Brian McManus on his recent column comparing Scarlett Johansson to TV on the Radio:

First, I’m glad to see that someone else has addressed this topic because it’s been bothering me for a while now.

I know I’m supposed to hate the ScarJo record, and I do, but just not as much as I’m supposed to. And I know I’m supposed to be falling to the floor and writhing in ecstasy while listening to Dear Science, but while I like it just fine, that hasn’t happened yet.

I just haven’t been able to put my feelings into words, and you just did it for me. Second, and more important, that was the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time, so thanks!

Virgin Territory

To Kellie Murphy on a recent article about local DJ Kendra G and her abstinence program for young girls:

This is a very noble effort. It’s sad that we think that it’s not feasible for our youth to abstain from sex and that we just come to accept their sexual activity as a norm. Initiatives like Kendra’s prove that if given the choice, if shown the lifestyle and if supported in a positive light, our youth (both men and women) are capable of making the best decision for self-preservation through abstinence.

This is the hidden power in black urban radio that doesn’t get tapped into nearly enough. For all of the less than ideal messages expressed in our entertainment, we need projects like Kendra’s to help younger listeners (and some adults, sadly) to separate hype from reality. I hope there’s a male DJ willing to start something equally helpful.

Skirting the Issue

To Tara Murtha on her Laptop Anthropologist column about transgendered parties:

Thank you for coming to our little corner of the world, and for your kindness toward us. But as well-written as your article was, I want to make sure people understand that we’re not a private little club.

To the uninitiated it sounds like we’re hiding out in secret places, only to party privately, ashamed to be seen. On the contrary. We’re going to the Main Line establishment to be out with the general public, to show that we’re not people to avoid, but people to embrace for our uniqueness.

The restaurant is open during our party and we have many people who come week after week to hang with us because we are a fun, interesting and engaging group of people. Being Trans is no different from being blue-eyed, blond-haired, tall or short. We are who we are and ask nothing more of society than to let us not be judged unfairly, as we are a unique and special group that can offer much to our society.

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