WAKE UP AND SEE

Hey Stranger: Thanks for your October 23 article on "Ending the Occupation" [Jonah Spangenthal-Lee]. I just want to say that I am pissed off at military recruiters. They are quite possibly the most corrupted human beings on this planet, with the exception of Dino Rossi and John McBush. They lie to children (like they lied to me when I was 17), and how the city of Seattle can allow them free-roaming access to teen events on public property is beyond me. If the city allowed carnival workers to set up recruiting tables and harass teens at their events, there would be a major shitstorm. (And carnival workers don't even make you do push-ups.)

Seattle needs to wake up and see military recruiters for what they are: vultures selling our children into servitude. Take this Iraq veteran's word for it: Once you let the army set up gimmicks and violent video games in city parks, you are only a step away from getting calls in the middle of the night from your children serving multiple tours in Iraq. Don't believe me? Ask my mom.

Peace,

Evan Knappenberger

OIF '05–'07 Veteran

VOTE MUNSTER

To the editor: In your endorsements ["Stranger Election Control Board Endorsements 2008," Oct 16], you compared John McCain to Grandpa Munster, adding the phrase "only a fucking idiot would vote for Grandpa Munster." Come on now, that's not fair. Grandpa Munster was a way better candidate. Hell, I voted for him and I am not a fucking idiot: I would never vote for John McCain.

During the 1998 New York gubernatorial election, the state's Green Party ran Grandpa Al Lewis (the actor who played Grandpa Munster) as their candidate. The plan was this: In New York State, whenever a party gets 50,000 votes in the election, they are guaranteed a ballot line for the next four years. In order to ensure a decent turnout, Al Lewis became the party's nominee. He got more than 52,000 votes, including mine, and the Greens had a ballot line for the next cycle (they lost it again in 2002, by the way).

So naturally, I took a bit of offense at the line about Grandpa Munster. While it may be that only an idiot would vote for McCain, please leave Grandpa Munster out of it next time. Besides, McCain is way more Captain Caveman than Grandpa Munster anyway.

Brian Beckley

LIKELY ORIENTATION

EDITOR: I can understand a rag like the Times endorsing Reuven Carlyle, but I thought better of The Stranger.

It's not that Reuven is a closet Republican—I'm sure he's not—but he represents a breed of Democrat that is all too cozy with corporate interests and often dismissive of the public interest. John Burbank, by contrast, has been a faithful servant of the public trust for many years.

Reuven accuses John of using insider privilege to gain the 74 percent endorsement of the 36th District Democrats, when the real story is that Reuven's own insider privilege nearly overturned the will of our general membership. Reuven's supporters on the executive board printed a bogus sample ballot effectively handing the endorsement to him. It was a plainly unethical maneuver. Reuven accuses John of dirty campaigning, feigning innocence while impugning his opponent's character. Following the money of campaign contributions isn't dirty campaigning. It's common sense, and anyone who doesn't do their due diligence in this area is just plain naive. Taking money from a conservative PAC who considers labor unions the opposition doesn't make Reuven a Republican; it just gives you some insight into his likely orientation regarding public versus private interests. (See Erica C. Barnett's Slog report from October 22 ["Reuven Carlyle's Big-Biz Donors"].)

David Summerlin

PCO Sea 36-1387

SICK IN THE HEAD

BRENDEN KILEY: THE ARTICAL, "INTERVIEW[S] WITH MY SOMEWHAT RACIST RELATIVES" BY BRENDAN KILEY [Oct 16] SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTITELD INTERVIEW WITH MY RACIST SICK RELATIVES! MR KILEY WHO YOU THINK YOU REA FOOLING WITH THAT LAME NICKEL AND DIME RATIONAL? I THINK YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IS SICK IN THE HEAD! IN MY MIND YOU ARE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW POEOPLE THINK IN THE NORTHWEST (SEATTLE) JUSTIFYING, RATIONALIZING AND MAKING EXCUSES FOR YOUR RACIST WAYS. THAT EXAMPLE YOU GAVE OF ONE OF YOUR RELATIVES VOTING FOR COLIN POWEL AS LONG AS HE DOSENT WANT TO MERRY INTO THE FAMILY IS NOT NEW. WHAT YOU DONT RELIZE IS THAT ITS THE SAME SICK SHIT PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND YOR RACIST FAMILY HAVE BEEN PRACTICING FOR YRS. CALL YOUR FAMILLY WHAT THEY ARE.......RACIST.

JONATHAN B.

TAKE HEART

BRENDAN KILEY: As an African-American woman, I take heart when reading your honest and plain-speaking "Interviews with My Somewhat Racist Relatives" [Oct 16]. Your remarkable insight touching the past and future provides a source of inspiration and reflection. There is sadness here that often makes me feel good.

Race has been an enduring fact in our society and in our politics. Times and ideas have changed and this gives confidence in our tomorrows.

This is the time to make great principles known. This is the time.

Constance F. Ramsey