Letters to the Editor - Response November 27 2003

In a Nov. 20 article on a dispute between Cox Newspapers and Creative Loafing Inc., a response by Cox Newspaper President Jay Smith arrived too late for inclusion in the article (News & Views, “Cox execs censured,” Nov. 20). The following is his response:

I have little faith that anything you may write will be any fairer to us than the utterly absurd report and the so-called censure. Nonetheless, I want to give you the courtesy of a reply.

When I asked what it meant to be “censured” no one could tell me.

I asked the five board members, besides [CL Inc. President] Ben [Eason], if they had read and understood the report for which they voted. Although no one would look me in the eye, they said they did. In fairness, one couldn’t look me in the eye because he was on a teleconference. I told each person he should be ashamed of himself. If that’s seen as a view of their business skills, so be it. Ben then told me he was ashamed of me. I recalled all of the cruel things Ben had told me and others about his mother and I said simply, “You are everything you’ve ever said about your mother.”

When Ben’s father, Chick, jumped to his son’s defense and said to me, “If there’s a hell, I hope you burn in it,” I believe I referred to him as a “little man.”

Seeing no further need to hang around a meeting that was clearly over, I departed.

Hope you will see fit to use this fairly.

-- Jay Smith, president?
?Cox Newspapers Inc.


br>?Eddie’s misses you
Great article on John Mayer (“Mayer of Atlanta,” Nov. 20)! John promised I could be his road manager when he got famous, so I’m pissed that I missed out on that.

It’s nice to know he’s still the John I knew when we hung out in Atlanta though. I sure do miss his shows at Eddie’s. Maybe he’ll return one day.

-- Katharine Sanford, Smyrna


br>?Little piece of positive
I thought this article was one of the best I’ve read about John Mayer (“Mayer of Atlanta,” Nov. 20), not that I’ve read many of them.

However, I’ve most recently read the Rolling Stone magazine article, and as informative as it was, I felt yours more accurately portrays John in the “light” he’d prefer. The article is witty and funny, something I love and something I believe John would completely understand.

Thanks for giving the public a story on a more scaled-down, less glamorized version of John’s life and music. There is never enough positive things said in the world anymore, but here is your little piece of it.

-- Kari Russell, Dallas, Texas


br>?Fan mail
I really enjoyed your article on John Mayer (“Mayer of Atlanta,” Nov. 20). You definitely have a unique perspective, and that’s honestly one of the best articles (and funny ones) I’ve read in a while. Also, I enjoyed the picture cut-outs of you ready to rock out with your guitar and you hanging with your pal John — and your throngs of fans.

-- Melissa Calger, Orlando, Fla.

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Loop-de-loop
Great article on the Beltline (News & Views, “This is no loopy loop,” Nov. 20). This is a great, and unique, opportunity for Atlanta. I hope you readers will get involved in making the Beltline a reality. Good public transportation will make living in town a much nicer experience. If we want a way to get out of our cars, this is the best chance to do it.

-- Jay Woodall, Atlanta


br>?An alternative
I am writing to express my support for the Beltline project (News & Views, “This is no loopy loop,” Nov. 20). Intown Atlanta direly needs to grow its public transit infrastructure. After a decade of rapid suburban growth around Atlanta, rapid development is finally happening inside the Perimeter. The Beltline would offer an alternative to intown residents besides cars, and would encourage dense, lower consumption living. Metro Atlanta cannot geographically expand any further.

-- Brian Harper, Atlanta


br>?Life issues
As an ardent pro-lifer in all respects, I cannot say why I decided to read your seemingly provocative story (Fishwrapper, “Saving Terri Schiavo, killing America,” Nov. 13). “You’ll just be annoyed,” I warned myself after reading the title.

Imagine my surprise when the article revealed itself to be a thoughtfully written piece addressing many “life” issues. Thank you for a thought-provoking, rather than ire-provoking, story. I will pass it on to my friends on both sides of the fence, in hopes of fostering some communication and deeper consideration in all.

-- Meghan Sheehan, Atlanta


br>?Something in my eye
(In reference to Fishwrapper, “Saving Terri Schiavo, killing America,” Nov. 13): Amazingly, you admit that you are “pro-choice” (read “pro-abortion”) or “pro-planned parenthood,” which is “pro-Margaret Sanger,” which is “pro-eugenics,” yet you seem to be unaware of this connection. Maybe that is because you are unaware of the unique and unrepeatable human life that begins at conception. The person that you are now, you once were,. and the person that you will be one day is the same person. The dignity of personhood that you have now, you have always had and always will have — just as each of your five adopted children had and thank goodness their mothers were not “pro-choice.”

All of the accusations that you level against those who would differentiate between the chosen and the unwanted among us you do yourself, by reason of not recognizing what science, history, religion and human charity points out — human life is sacred, from conception until natural death.

You are the one who has double standards and you have put the cart before the horse — except the horse in this case is human life, which no one has the right to eliminate.

Your post reminded me of the biblical principle of complaining about the “speck” in your brother’s eye while ignoring the “PLANK” in your own eye.

-- T.J. Danforth, Jacksonville, Fla.

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Old “news”
Big media may have overwhelmingly favored Al Gore, but they do have journalistic standards.

Unlike your paper, they are able to recognize that the misdeeds of the President’s grandfather and great(!)grandfather do not constitute news (Fishwrapper,”The boys from Kennebunkport,” Oct. 30).

-- Michael Stone, Decatur