Letters
‘Fergit, Hell!’
Mr. Holbert:
It looks like the majority of your readers do not share your opion on the I-10 Confederate Flag! According to your own pole 51.7% consider it to be a heritage issue. A large portion of the tourism coming into Mobile is history related.
Mobile is rich in Southern culture, and full of descendents of Confederate soldiers and sailors. If you have any Confederate ancestors, I am sure that your ignorance of what they were truly about is making them very proud.
Perhaps it is time for you to shut your mouth about things you so obviously know nothing about.
Jim Shackelford
To the editor:
Your ignorance of history and the truth are tragic considering that your profession is to enlighten people. I speak eight languages including Latin. I am a university professor and have lived abroad and am a much acclaimed speaker in academic circles on the subject of pedagogy. I am not considered a red-neck by anyone’s standards (but perhaps yours).
The Confederate Battle Flag is beautiful, first of all, because of its dynamic design and color. It represents heritage, which apparently, you know very little about. I suggest you find another employment where your ignorance may not have such far-reaching effects as to affect the opinions of those who might not have the background to recognize the falsehoods that you speak. Either you are ignorant or a sell-out to the powers behind PC. Which is it?
Kay R. Reyes
Sir.
Some people might just be saying HOORAY FOR DIXIE like me. I will travel to Mobile just to see that beautiful old banner that my ancestors fought for and I will eat in Mobile, but rest assured it won’t be at an Applebeee’s.
Al Snow
A proud decendant of Matthew Whitehead Co. L 28th Alabama Infantry
To the editor:
Sir, I think that your article about the big flag on I-10 is insulting and completely unjustified. Many members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans are college graduates – some of us have graduate degrees. Yet you label us ignorant rednecks.
Richard Sheridan
Sheffield, AL
To the editor:
We the people that love our heritage can’t embarrass people like you for you have no shame!
And you probably have no real heritage but come from a line of yankee mongrels with no real family tree. And never make the mistake that we care a flying fafala what you think or how you feel in your little pc world. And always know I don’t want you parking beside me anymore then you want to and I sure don’t enjoy having to look at your hillery sticker on the back of your Volvo. In fact I usually pass you to force you to look at my proud and brave Confederate flag on the back of my pick-up. It’s people like you that could never have built this Country that are giving it away. Of course in your little pc mind you think you can’t be touched. God save the South,
Joel Prim
Dear Mr. Holbert:
Liberal minded editors like you will always be a dime a dozen, but there will never, ever again be anything even remotely like the brave soldiers who fought under the Confederate Battle Flag.
My Confederate ancestors marched off to defend their families, homes and their rights against an enemy who was invading their homeland, not one of them owned a slave. They were almost always outnumbered in battle, but very seldom outfought, and they fought on until the sheer mass of the Union forces wore them down. Four of them lie buried in unknown soldier’s graves and one lies buried in the National Cemetery for Confederate POW’s at Elmira, New York. The ones who lived to return home found everything in shambles, and had to live through the Reconstruction Era.
I am proud of my Confederate heritage, always will be and your liberal ranting and raving will never make me ashamed of it.
Frank Delbridge Jr.
Ralph, AL
Mr. Holbert:
I had the opportunity to read your article entitled “Symbolism Run Amok”, and quite frankly I am absolutely appalled by the display of personal bigotry, negative stereotyping, and total disregard for the opinions of others that is reflected in your article.
In spite of your statement in your article that 99.99% of persons would agree with your bigoted assessment of those of us who are proud of this well-known symbol of the South – the Confederate battleflag – I see that the poll conducted on your very own website does not bear out your claim. As a matter of fact, apparently the number of favorable impressions of the flag exceeds 55%, which is actually quite low compared to the vast majority of polls I have seen from numerous other, more scientific sources. Possibly this means that your website is generally frequented by intolerant bigots such as yourself.
Although I would love to provide you with factual, historical information regarding the history of the Confederate battleflag and the cause for which our Confederate ancestors fought, it is quite impossible to do so since you provided no historical facts in support of your own opinion, and it is quite impossible for me to refute hysterical, mindless hyperbole; therefore, I will not even attempt to do so.
As you noted in your comments, the monument you are decrying was erected by the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization, the oldest hereditary organization for male descendents of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to ensuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved. The SCV is open to all male descendants regardless of race, color, creed, or national origin of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces.
In 1954 Congress passed legislation including Confederate veterans among the listings of other American veterans, entitling them to all the honors of any other American veteran. The V.A. still issues government headstones for the graves of Confederate veterans. Great post-war Americans such as Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Ulysses S. Grant, to name a few, have paid homage to the Confederate soldier. In fact, President Eisenhower proudly kept a portrait of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the Oval Office during his tenure. Is it your belief that the opinions of these august Americans are all wrong while yours, and those who share your opinions, are correct?
It is unfair that the heritage of Southerners is maligned while that of others is celebrated. To those who say, “You lost the war – get over it!” we say that it is not the war nor its outcome that we are rebutting, but rather the dishonoring of our Confederate ancestors who are no longer capable of defending their own honor. Southerners who are unwilling to defend the honor of their own ancestors are themselves unworthy of benefiting from their sacrifices.
LTC D. A. Anthony
U.S. Army Retired
Brooksville, Florida
Runway concerns
To the editor:
I was born and raised in Mobile. In fact, I was born at Brookley AFB Hospital. Ever since my attendance at the Mertz Elementary school, which is on the approach path of Runway 14 Brookey (BFM), I have been fascinated by aircraft of all types, and could not wait to learn to fly. Heads up, a flyover, I loved it – and still do. I can pretty much can tell you what type of aircraft it is, sometimes just by sound.
My concern with this project is the wholesale giveaway of the designated property for this envisioned (Northrop Grumman/EADS) plant.
Brookley has two major Runways (RWY). RWY 14/32 (SE/NW), and RWY 36/18 (N/S). The U.S. AIR FORCE also had a NE/SW RWY that is currently used as a taxiway and miscellaneous operations at BFM.
In order to get this contract, the Airport Authority in their wisdom deemed the North/South RWY 36/18 as the area over which this planned plant will be built, even though BFM has vast acreage this plant could be located. I suppose it’s so the EADS/Airbus employees working in the newly constructed engineering building can look at the plant from across Broad Street.
I would like to question what will happen when RWY 14/32 is shut down for any reason (such as it was for many months for resurfacing/repairs) or if the wind component is too strong for aircraft to utilize? What if there is an emergency where one of the large (or even small) aircraft could not make it to RWY 14/32, but could have to RWY 18/36). Example: Accident occurred at BFM Thursday, April 24, 2003, of a SOCATA TBM 700B, registration: N705QD, unfortunately fatal.
What if the pilot had to extend to attempt the emergency landing on the only other runway; likely involving others on the ground? Take off also has its own inherent dangers, that obviously do not need discussion. It is best just to say the take off and landing phase of flight is the most critical.
Just this past week, an airliner in Britain lost power, and landed short of the runway. If there had been less runway overrun in this case, it would have been disastrous.
Anyone who flies knows that a runway is your best friend, and if the need arose to reach one in an emergency, well, you cannot have too many. Or is this just a case where we will let the chips (sic) fall where they may; that the monetary benefit overshadows reasonable forethought of safety first . . . Bottom Line Management?
High paying jobs may be good for the “goose,” but most of us will never see any real benefit from them, in reality (I never hear a politician discuss this) they will INCREASE cost of living for the area. Fortunately my home is paid for, but I could ill afford what most new homes cost these days. My property tax continues to rise.
I would be more comfortable to support the plant if they would logically not destroy RWY 18/32. If the present planned course of action does continue it will not bother me if Boeing does win the contract. I would see it as a victory.
Bo Ayer
Mobile
Editor’s note: This letter was written before it was announced Northrop Grumman/EADS had been selected to build the Air Force tanker in Mobile.
Lodmell not local choice
To the editor:
Mr. Poor, you are evidently not politically knowledgeable. I base this opinion on your comments in your article about Benjamin Lodmell running against Jo Bonner. You state, “Here’s is what I find curious – how can someone move from Arizona can decide to run for Congress in that district a little over a year and a half later and how on earth could the local Democratic power structure allow someone to do that?”
Well, if you are speaking of the local MCDEC, of which I am a long time member, you would know that this official, elected body of the Democratic Party had nothing to do with Mr. Lodmell announcing his intentions. Anyone can announce intentions. BUT, to become the official elected candidate of a party, you must file paperwork WHEN IT IS TIME TO DO SO and pay a filing fee and in the case of this race, the STATE party would review the application and check the information supplied.
Then if all is in order, there would be a primary to select the candidate should there be more than one running. The time has not come for this therefore all Benjamin Lodmell has done is sweep into town, apparently convince A FEW folk (not me nor the local party) that he should perhaps run and he announced it, but as I stated ANYONE could do that and the MCDEC has little power to prevent it. Most of us involved in the MCDEC do not know him and many have never even met him.
Your catty and undeserved remarks at the end were not necessary for you to get your point across. Have you ever been involved in either the Republican or Democratic Party? Have you ever tried to recruit a candidate against a well-financed incumbent whose entire life has been in training for being a politician and in a county where people “think” they are Republicans? If not, then you speak without knowledge of the process and the parties involved.
An apology for your unwarranted and ill informed remarks about “the Local Democratic Party” is in order. I am part of the local party and resent them.
Dianne Jones
MCDEC
P.S. I have copied the Chairman of the MCDED with whom it would have behooved you to confer before writing this article.
Free the hops
To the editor:
Love your paper and try and pick it up every time a new issue hits the street. I don’t remember every seeing anything in the Lagniappe about the Free the Hops movement so thought I would drop you two an update on what is going down in case you want to cover it.
The short version is that the Gourmet Beer Bill (House Bill HB196) has passed the State House this week and now will be heading towards the State Senate. This bill would change the law regarding beer to raise the Alcohol By Volume (ABV) limit from 6 percent to 13.9 percent (1 percent less than what exists for wine) and allow lots of wonderful craft and gourmet beers to be sold in our great state.
The full skinny is available at the Free the Hops Web site: http://freethehops.org/
and blog: http://www.freethehops.org/blog/
There is quite a bit of resistance to this bill with the opponents claiming that the kiddies will all go run out and pick up this high-octane, much more expensive beer if the law changes. Of course lots of those against it really don’t like any kind of alcohol consumption going on in our state.
There is quite a bit more support for the bill up in the northern end of the state than down here. About 1/3 of our House Reps voted for, 1/3 against and 1/3 abstained at the vote on Tuesday.
If you would like to get in touch with the Free the Hops group, you can e-mail their president Stuart Carter at stuart@freethehops.org
I of course am a supporter of this bill and would love to see it pass, but I have a feeling our local senators may not be on board with it. We are one of only three states that still have this limit (Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia). Maybe the Nappie crowd can help make a difference.
Keep up the great work,
D. Porter
Mobile, AL
Disappointing meal
Kinnon:
This correspondent eats out often, but what is served for food product too often drives me to distraction and encourages eating at home. The chalkboard in a certain fashionable local restaurant recently offered Beef Stroganoff. The dish disappointed. It should have been called Cheesy Penne Pasta with hints of Beef.
It was certainly not a classic stroganoff. The menu writer took liberties calling the dish a beef stroganoff. It will take me a while to forget how overpriced and disappointing it was. Restaurateurs should fairly and accurately name their food products. Say what it is. To do otherwise is to set up an expectation soon dashed. TwoCentsMine. The mileage of others will surely vary.
Ernest A. Laird
Mobile
PS: I did not complain to staff or management. Like a schmuck, I paid my tab and left without a word about the corrupted name of the dish and my disappointment with it. Shame on me. I shall try to be a better man.
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