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Agree
to Disagree
To
the Editor:
You
can’t see me now, but I’m standing up and cheering!! Just
opened up Metroland, and was blown away [Letters, Nov.
27]. Any paper that can generate such a broad range of reactions
is doing something right!
First there were the letters about saving historic buildings.
For some of us, including Peter Ellis, our visitors are not
really interested in old buildings. Some of us—me at least—think
there are more important ways to spend money than on presenting
“a certain flair to visitors,” although I’ll take an old building
over a new one any day, and I have other reasons for wanting
to preserve them. For others, like Eric Daillie, having a
tourist information center/restaurant at the hub of biking
and hiking trails is of great importance. All of our views
have legitimacy, but they are informed by different circumstances.
It’s important to recognize that, and these letters helped
me do so.
Then came the honest opinions of Dave Gallagher, whose experiences
of “The Evil Right” have been positive. It’s great to hear.
I just hope his job is as secure as he thinks, and his kids
can continue to have access to balanced meals. Really. And
I agree with him that Metroland’s job is to keep our
politicians honest, and I think you are making a good effort
in that direction.
My favorite letter was from Myron Getman. There was such passion
in it, and he obviously thinks about the same things Metroland
writes about. He just reaches different conclusions. From
the little I know about newspapers, I believe they originated
as political propaganda tracts. I know when I was a kid in
Buffalo, there were two local papers: The Courier Express
(in the morning) and The Buffalo Evening News. I don’t
remember which was which, but one was definitely Republican
and the other was Democrat. No one expected them to present
both views. I don’t think that’s possible. Name me a paper
that presents both (or multiple) points of view. I don’t think
you can. I enjoy Metroland because it is the only paper
in this region that intelligently covers issues from a point
of view not found in the Times Union, or the other
local papers. Of course it’s biased. That’s why I read it!
As far as I’m concerned the other papers say what their corporate
sponsors want them to say, and I am sick and tired of hearing
what corporations want me to hear.
And one last thing—why I was cheering in the first place—I
really, really loved hearing the diversity of responses. I
need to know what Peter Ellis , Eric Daillie, Dave Gallagher,
and Myron Getman are thinking (where are the women’s voices?).
Otherwise I forget there are independent thinkers with opinions
different from mine. What’s important is to ask questions,
evaluate the information received by holding it up to your
own experience, and then sharing what you have learned. By
doing that we can hopefully build a tolerant, intelligent
society.
With hope for a peaceful, just, and sustainable future,
Judith
Brink
Albany
To the Editor:
Kudos
to Metroland’s Stephen Leon’s response to Mr. Gallagher’s
and Mr. Getman’s complaints regarding Metroland. It
about time that we dispensed with the dangerous notion of
“journalistic neutrality,” which is an anachronism given the
fact that all major media outlets are owned by large corporate
conglomerates. One wonders whether Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Getman
have also voiced their concerns regarding media bias to Rupert
Murdoch’s Fox News, with its false claims of neutrality,
despite its obvious right-wing agenda. At least Metroland
admits that it is providing a progressive alternative to the
corporate dominated media. The views expressed in the Nov.
14 edition [“Charge of the Right Brigade”] are either ignored
in the major media outlets or grossly underrepresented. The
corporate media has limited the spectrum of debate by silencing
progressive voices but provides the illusion of a free press
by promoting a very lively debate within that acceptable spectrum.
Thank you, Metroland, for providing an alterative to
the corporate media, and thank you for your honesty and candor.
P.S. After watching a Jeep Cherokee commercial last night,
wherein the monstrous SUV rampaged from a suburban cul-de-sac
into a pristine forest and onto a city beltway, I can only
say that I prefer Metroland’s “grotesque” advertisements
to the destructive pathologies promoted on commercial television.
Martin
Engstrom-Heg
Albany
Metroland
welcomes typed, double-spaced letters (computer printouts
OK), addressed to the editor. Or you may e-mail them to: metroland@metroland.net.
Metroland reserves the right to edit letters for length; 300
words is the preferred maximum. You must include your name,
address and day and evening telephone numbers. We will not
publish letters that cannot be verified, nor those that are
illegible, irresponsible or factually inaccurate.
Send
to:
Letters, Metroland, 4 Central Ave.,
4th Floor, Albany, NY 12210
or e-mail us at metroland@metroland.net.
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Columns
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