From our Mailbag 05/10/03 - 06/06/03




by YOU

THE WORLD - From Ed C., Bloomfield, MI, USA:

SUBJECT: Apartheid 2003

Though I have often "crossed swords" with Raheem on race issue/article, I have no substantial issue to take with this article. 'Blame is above the human experience for the "common folk"'; I appreciate the missing finger.

Tis very true, seperation,segregation and discrimination are very much alive and well in the "melting pot". Even in the hottest pot, things seem to want to seperate.

The offer to the barbeque is meet with hope, and thanks... someday brother, maybe, someday - I wish I was personally close enough to take you up on the offer. But small baby steps are all we get here, small baby steps.

Peace Be with You, and Tanya, Raheem,

Peace, Ed C., somewhere in Michigan, USA


RADIO RAHEEM RESPONDS: Mr. Ed, thanks for your great e-mail. I have to admit I was a little surprised to hear that there are instances where you might actually agree with something I say!

Just shows to go you, progress can be mad. If you're ever up Oaktown way, feel free to come look me up.

a cathedral
of words

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From Tim van T. (No City Or Country Provided):

SUBJECT: Boz Scaggs song

Hey this may sound a bit off but can you tell me the name of the Boz Scaggs song that you are showing some lyrics from? I would really appreciate a reply. thanks


ROD RESPONDS: Tim, not a problem at all. The title of the song is "High Sierra". It came out on his comeback album back in the 1990s when your World's Magazine was just building up steam. Seems like ages ago, especially since I was in serious courtship mode in those days.

Cheers, Rod


From "Anonymous" (No City Provided), USA:

SUBJECT: Response to Ana/Mia Article

I would just like to provide some insight on the issue of the pro anorexia and pro bulimia websites as discussed by Stuart Altman in his recent article.

I am a 30 year old, college educated professional with a tremendously successful career and the most wonderful husband in the world. I am 5'2" tall and weigh 120 pounds...thin, if you will. Most women would be thrilled to fit into my size 4 jeans. However, I am not. Although I do not appear anorexic, and am in no danger of starving to death, my life revolves around what I consume.

I am constantly planning what I will eat, weighing food, etc. When I deviate from this "plan" either through weakness or because I am forced to eat (i.e. business lunch or special dinner), I purge.

I have looked at these websites for support. Mr. Altman admitted that he did not know what it was like to be a woman in a skinny world. Well, let me tell you. He said that his friends never mentioned "razor ribs" as an attractive feature. Have he and his friends ever made a "fat girl" joke? Have they ever visited a strip club? Have they ever looked at Playboy? These are the things that are my trigger, NOT the pro-ana / pro-mia websites.

Does Mr. Altman pay to see "average" women dance or pose naked in magazines? Probably not. And here's a little "secret"...those breasts he said are so attractive are fake. It's a rare woman who can be that thin and have breasts that large. So, although having foreign objects placed in my body to make me look better is perfectly OK, what these women and girls are doing is outragous. Does that really make sense to him? The women most men find so attractive that they actually pay to see them are no more natural looking than a woman with anorexia. In fact, many of those women ARE anorexic or bulimic. I know because they post on those sites he thinks are so bad. Not all people with eating disorders are skin and bones.

Perhaps he is right to say that he will never understand. He clearly thinks the women who maintain and visit these sites are absurd. On the other hand, if he is like most men, he perpetuates their fear of gaining weight by subscibing to and supporting a standard of beauty that 98% of women can only obtain through extreme measures. And, as absurd as this may sound, I would rather be dead than fat.

*Please feel free to print this, but please do not use my name. Thank you.


From Bob Powers, Marietta, OH, USA:

SUBJECT: Depressing

Dear Rod,

Just finished reading your account of the arrest and can't recall when I have encountered a story of such bizarre circumstances. I am astonished and depressed.

Good luck with raising funds to fight the "justice system" in New Orleans. Your tale is one of sheer horror...

Keep your chin up.

Bob


ROD RESPONDS: Bob, thanks for the kind wishes. I'm hangin' in. Cheers.


From Lou H-S., Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND:

SUBJECT: Money buys all

Hi Rod,

Sorry to hear about your incarceration, the general opinion of the USA around the world is it has the best police force money can buy, the best legal system money can buy, and the best President money can buy. (with a reported IQ of 92 you'd have to wonder) In other words the golden rule applies. He who has the gold rules!!!!!!!!!

Morality, honesty, ethics are all foreign to the people in power but even so they still dont sew pockets in shrouds.

When it comes to telling lies and keeping a straight face George Bumbya makes Clinton look like a choir boy.

Kind Regards,
Lou H-S.


From Logan B-L, Rome, ITALY:

SUBJECT: oh, jeeeeez

Rod,

I was about to try to go to sleep because I have to get up early tomorrow morning to go on a trip for a job when your mail came in. I thought "Oh, Rod has a new love in his life" and clicked to see how things are going with you.... I was just so sick after reading what happened. I can't tell you. And to think that my grandmother's family was part of that establishment that treated you so badly. I know thatone of our relatives was a well-known judge (Bruns)...

And I know that things really haven't changed all that much. I was going to say what absolutely rotten luck, but of course it's not that. Luck has nothing to do with it. It's just being black. You know, I read Richard Wright's book when I was a little girl, I'm not sure what it was called but I think it was about growing up in Detroit. It was horrifying to me. I was living in Washington then, we had a black housekeeper whom I adored. Also at my aunt's farm in Virginia. It was not until we moved to an Air Force Base in Alabama and I was sent to public school (on the wrong side of the tracks) where I heard the word "nigger" for the first time in my life. I remember going home and crying in my mother's arms, I could not understand how children could say such awful things about people whom I loved, who were family to me.

I must go to sleep now or I'll never make it to the station in the morning. I wish I could send you a check like right now but I just have enough in my $ account to pay on my credit cards. As soon as I can scrape up something I'll send it along, give me an address.

Rod, please keep the faith and don't be bitter. I know it's difficult, of course I have not lived with black skin all my life, so you'll say I don't know and you're probably right. I send you a big hug, I won't be online for about a week but I'll check my mail as soon as I get back.

with love,
logan


ROD RESPONDS: Logan, thanks for sharing with me and for your concern. I'm not bitter, more just plain angry. I think the Richard Wright book you're referring to is Native Son. Regards.


From Mike M., San Francisco, CA, USA:

SUBJECT: legal

Rod,

I happen to be tired sweaty and sitting around thinking about my life and the "where in the hell did everyone go off too" mood came over me.

That is usually when I reconnect with g21. I was driving in the City the other day and I saw the third founder of Myles besides you and I, the school teacher. I tripped out on seeing him; gray hair, white hair and wearing running shoes & shorts.

I've already phone my sister Mary, she has been a Public Defender in San Francisco for the last two years. She was also a DA for a year with Terrance,(still the DA).

If you have already retained an attorney she can talk to he/she and give any advise needed. She can talk to you and tell you how to structure what you need to do.

I will start working political connections here. I know everyone thinks SF is left crazy, but I have contacts on the right that would get to any lock-them-up zealot.

What is your contact info? Phone during the day. etc.

Who are you dealing with politically? Besides arresting for quota, what is the motivation behind going after you? What is your room mate being charged with?

Mike


From Harrison C., San Francisco, CA, USA:

SUBJECT: FOR JUSTICE

Damn Rod. Your encounter with NOPD sound like an experience I had with the LAPD when I was in college. I was with a white guy from the college paper; we were taking a break from putting together the paper and since I had the car, was asked to make the food run. On the way the white says he needs to make a stop to buy some weed. He comes back with a giant baggie of some serious north coast stuff. We go to get the food but the doors to the office are locked and we're banging on the door to get back in when two officers roll up in an LAPD cruiser. They do a check on me and find out I have a bunch of outstanding parking tickets so they cuff me and take me to the infamous LAPD Glass House. At the same time the other officer is searching the white guy, goes into his pocket, pulls out the bag of weed, looks at it, puts it back in and tells him to have a good evening. They didn't do a warrant check on him either.

I don't have much cash but I might be able to contribute something around the middle of June. Your article is a good start; I would crank up the media machine, with a target of holding a press conference outside the Morial convention center right before or after the Mayor's Press conference at the Essence Festival. Not only will all the New Orleans media be there, but out of town press like myself will be in town. New Orleans is very PR conscious and a story of a Black man getting framed by the NOPD would be an interesting diversion to the softball stories coming out the Essence press conference. I'll make a mention on my show tonight urge other folks at the station to do the same. Send a copy of your story to Tim Redmond at the Bay Guardian, and I'll see if I can get it into the SF Bayview, the cutting edge Black newspaper that has made the Sun Reporter irrevelent.

Also let me know of any folks in town who remember you from back in the day who may not know of your situation, I can contact them as well. Your situation sadly reinforces the notion that what happened to you could happen to any Black man in America. I'm being called to SF jury duty tomorrow and I'm anxious to serve because its important to have Black people like me on juries to make juries consist of "peers."


From D. C.S., Tampa, FLA, USA:

SUBJECT: for justice (at last)

Rod,

All I can really think of to say is "Ah, shit!"

Last week I thought about you and wondered why you were late. Didn't get around to sending an email....

Send me your How to Contribute info


From Wolf DeVoon, (No City Provided), COSTA RICA:

SUBJECT: memo to your attorney

Congratulations are in order. You are defending someone who is not only innocent, but also holds the power of the pen more firmly than Oscar Wilde did, for example. Rod Amis has tens of thousands of loyal readers around the world.

Certainly, we are willing to contribute to his legal defense. Tell us where to send money.

Wolf DeVoon


ROD RESPONDS: Wolf, thanks for your support! I'm cc'ing my attorney, Evelyn Adams, on this message and she should get in touch with you soon with her contact information.

Anything you can do to help get the word out would appreciated, of course. I learned today that my arraignment date is the 23rd, so I continue to have a sense of urgency.

Best to you and yours.

Cheers

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