Another view on Tommy Liuzzo
My name is Janet Liuzzo-Lee and I am writing regarding Lisa M. Collins’ review of Home of the Brave (Metro Times, Sept. 29), the film about the 1965 murder of Detroiter Viola Liuzzo. I am the ex-wife of Thomas Gregg Liuzzo and mother of his daughter and son. I was married to Tommy for over 12 years and with him during the time the lawsuit with the government was in progress.
The scene in the movie that depicts Tommy as a disturbed person is not correct. Those people in the film are not “friends” and did not tell the truth about Tommy. My daughter and her husband visit him on occasion and he is doing fine. He is employed and has been employed at the same place for a number of years. Basically, he is happy living in the present and just wants to be left alone. To my knowledge he has not seen the film and does not care to, but my children and I were mortified when we viewed that scene. We would certainly appreciate it if someone would set the record straight. —Janet Lee, Knoxville, Tenn.
Civil unions will undermine marriage
Re: “Against gay marriage?” (Metro Times, Sept. 29), in an effort to prevent the M-word from being used with gays, the conservatives will force fair-minded people to seek alternatives so gays can visit partners in the hospital and so on. They will create a hodgepodge of laws, some of which will confer rights to people in lesser relationships than marriage. These civil unions will be an in-between position between shacking up and marriage, and it isn’t going to be just the gay couples who take advantage, but straight kids as well. Those fighting hardest against gay marriage will usher in an era where marriage will be weakened and alternatives will flourish.
As the mother of a gay son, I believe he should have to jump through all the legal hoops of his straight siblings, and it should be just as difficult for him to walk away from his responsibilities as well. Only marriage will afford him the benefits and responsibilities. —Wendy Wartes, Woodinville, Wash.
Outside critic gets inside track
A Canadian perspective on America is usually refreshing, especially one as well-composed as Andrew Bateman’s (Letters to the editor, Metro Times, Sept. 29). Professor Lessenberry has occasionally gone stylistically too far. Nothin about Lessenberry’s reaction to President Bush, however, is “vague” or “inarticulate.”
As for “why people vote for him,” two reasons for Mr. Bateman:
1.) The Religious Right: Bush does not give a really credible imitation of devout Christianity, but for the hardcore religious right, it does not take much. Even Clinton tried it. An occasional mime of prayer and mention of “God” suffices. They eagerly look for such cues and “W” has the charm of a reformed drunk.
2.) No-Account White Males, on which I am an expert. I am one. They approve of hard-eyed masculine swagger, and “slap on the upside of the head” enforcement. NAWMs admire puissance because in the final analysis they have little of their own and their fortunes continue to decline. They approve of extraneous militarism so long as there is no rationing, conscription, or, heaven forbid, a tax increase. —G.M. Ross, Lowell, [email protected]
A reader runs at Owens
Re: “White guy can sprint,” (Metro Times, Sept. 8), the article about a white guy winning the 400-meter race — what was the point? As you failed to mention that a Chinese man won the 110-meter hurdles (equaling the world record), how about the white woman who won the 100-meter sprint? And what about the Africans who won the long-distance races? And the white guy from Sweden who won the high jump? You were floored?
Your column was full of incredible stereotypes you held up to lampoon but you gently slipped back into them like a comfortable old habit. Typical poignant urban black liberal double standard. —Jody Cleveland, Detroit Public School Mile Champ, 1979, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Erratum: An award for WDET-FM (101.9) was inadvertently left off the list of winners in the Metro Times readers poll (Sept. 29). The station should have been cited for Best local radio news as well as for the best local radio music show for the Martin Bandyke Program.
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