Chef Tallent clearly talented
I am writing in regard to Adam Steer's article on Restaurant Tallent ("An acquired taste," Sept. 29). Although Mr. Steer is entitled to his opinion, it seems obvious to this writer that Mr. Steer has a total lack of knowledge in the culinary arts. If you are interested in the opinion of anyone in the know, Restaurant Tallent continues to get great reviews by food critics and business writers and was voted Bloomington's No. 1 new restaurant by the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Center. Dave Tallent is a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef with an impressive resume. Who you will find dining at Restaurant Tallent is the most discriminating, well-traveled, cultured, informed consumer savoring everything Restaurant Tallent offers up.\nSteve Smith\nBloomington resident
Daniels caused losses\nAs the editorial board notes, Mr. Daniels was right to sell his stock in lieu of the fact that he was on his way to the Office of Management and Budget for President Bush ("Daniels right to sell stock," Oct. 4). However, the editorial board misses the point as to why this is an issue. It's not that Mr. Daniels sold his stock in order to move on to OMB. The real issue is that he -- as member of IPALCO's board -- voted to sell the stock to an out-of-state company although, as the editorial board notes, "he knew the stock would fall." Thus, thousands of IPALCO retirees lost their savings. \nThis is the issue. Mr. Daniels walked away with half a million dollars, while, as a result of his vote, many wound up broke.\nNathan Ringham\nSenior
Bush lacks leadership\nMr. Jonathan Blanks made an interesting comment in his Oct. 4 editorial regarding the concept of sovereignty ("Kerry: No flip, just flop"). The idea was that the "President and government of the U.S. are answerable first, last, and only to the people of the U.S." While this is certainly true regarding domestic policy, when we act internationally it seems reasonable to consider the views of the other sovereign nations whom our actions might impact. Besides the benefits of simply following the "do unto others" golden rule, there is also much our nation might learn by respecting the perspectives of the rest of the world.\nGiven the proven limitations of the U.S. intelligence operations, when fully developed and sophisticated allies such as France and Germany caution against an action that we intend to take on foreign soil, it makes sense to me to give those cautions due respect. It is possible that other countries might just know something we don't. \nBush's definition of leadership seems to include ignoring the advice of most of the free world and fabricating evidence to convince the American public that Iraq was linked to al Qaeda and had weapons of mass destruction. Thanks to Bush, we invaded a country that had no links to al Qaeda and no WMDs. Hussein was a despot, to be sure, but the world is full of them and there are more important battles for us. Want to save lives? Stop genocide in Sudan. Want to improve security? Strengthen the U.S. borders and secure nuclear materials in Russia. Want to improve our standard of living in the United States? Invest in education and health care. Bush's crass actions aren't leadership and are much closer to my definition of stupidity.\nMarc Kase\nIU alumnus
Great food, terrible paintings at Tallent\nIt's a shame Adam Steer didn't like his meal at Restaurant Tallent ("An acquired taste," Sept. 29). It's my favorite restaurant in Bloomington by far -- in a class by itself and well worth the price. Several of my friends agree. Even though this is a great restaurant town, I've been disappointed at least once by every other Bloomington restaurant but never by Tallent with it's excellent service and elegant food. My only complaint: the truly ugly paintings upstairs.\nLee Chapman\nBloomington resident
Separation of church and state?\nAs the last days of the presidential race near, both candidates try to appeal to their respective bases and the undecided moderates. Kerry to the liberal sides; Bush to the conservative. Every aspect of every issue has some controversy: abortions, gay marriage, the Iraq war, foreign policy, education, tax/fiscal policy and the list goes on.\nHowever, one topic fought over behind the scenes is the issue of religion. This issue has been blurred as the Republican right has become nearly synonymous with the religious right. Most Christian groups have aligned themselves with the Republicans because of their stances on social issues, but voters are attracted through direct contradictions to the beliefs our forefathers laid out in the Constitution. \nIt is one thing for a person to have religious views and then vote on issues such as abortion or gay rights. I have no problem with that. But when the GOP has created Web sites such as www.kerrywrongforcatholics.com (also similar ones for evangelical Christians and Mormons), what is the message? It is preaching the polarization of the major religion (Christianity) against the other minority religions. Why didn't they come out with Web sites like www.kerrywrongforjews/muslims/buddhists.com just to be equal? \nEarlier than these recent acts by the Republican Party, the GOP has been notorious through the last half-century for its policies affecting minorities negatively through support of segregation, disapproval of affirmative action and budget cuts for low-income housing. Maybe that's why the GOP does not seek minority votes as aggressively -- it has already lost many of them. And that makes it no surprise that it has taken this stance on religious groups. \nThe problem is that John Kerry knows he can't say anything about it. To say that religion shouldn't be a factor in politics would be jumped on the by the GOP as evidence that he is a heathen. That's why when he made the mistake of saying it in January, he learned not to say it again. But he has a valid point: ORGANIZED religion should not be telling followers to support one party or another; INDIVIDUALS, on the other hand, should make the decisions for themselves. What this country does not need is partisan divisions pitting the minor religions against the major ones.\nAlan Rosenbaum\nJunior
Whatever happened to good candidates?\nI refuse to vote in this year's presidential election. That being said, I implore you, humble reader, not to turn away from this letter without first seeing my explanation. So many times within the last month, people (including friends, peers, advisors and MTV) have uttered this basic sentiment to me: "I don't care who you vote for, just as long as you vote." To which I reply: "I would vote if it would honestly change anything."\nHow sadly ironic it is that the year with the two worst presidential candidates in the history of our great nation is the year that the youth of America decide to make voting hip and trendy. To all of you whose passion at the moment is to persuade your fellows to vote, I ask, what are you voting for? Voting in itself is a fine concept and a fabulous practice in which I firmly believe. What I do not believe in is voting for voting's sake.\nI do not believe in casting my vote, which I deem precious, for liars, thieves, bigots and people who do not have my or my country's best interests at heart. Candidates who twist the public's interests and concerns and who make impossible promises without any means to bring them to pass do not deserve my vote. For heaven's sake, I am not apathetic, answering one accusation that has been shot my way. I am merely sad, saddened by how far our forefathers' visions have been twisted to the point that our present candidates are the "best" this country has to offer.\nI ask you all, how did this happen?! Where are the likes of John F. Kennedy or the Roosevelts? What has happened to this nation? I agree that a change needs to happen and that the youth of America need to stand up and say something, but what good are all the voices in the world without conviction? Voting is important, but what good is having a choice when the only choices available will further damage this beautiful country. There was a time when voting caused great changes in this country, but that time is gone. I fear that no matter which candidate wins in November, nothing will truly change because neither man cares more about this country than himself. A revolution is needed and needed now, but sadly, revolutions can no longer happen at the ballot box.\nGrace Low\nSophomore
Blind trust was an option\nIn the Oct. 4 edition of the Indiana Daily Student, the editorial board made the claim that the gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels did no wrong in selling his stock because he had no option. Actually, there are two options when you go into public service where your stock ownership may represent a conflict of interest: You can sell your stock, but you can also place it in a blind trust to be accessed once you're out of the position. The fact of the matter is that Daniels was on the board to make the decision to sell IPALCO to a company he didn't have enough faith in to place his personal wealth in its hands when he had that option. Unfortunately many citizens across Indiana did not have the heads-up on that one.\nZach Cockrum\nFreshman
Mothers against Bush\nAs mothers of boys aged 14 to 23, we are deeply concerned about the future of our nation. Our nation was misled into this war by Bush and his administration. They used fear and misinformation to gain our nation's approval. Read our lips: There are NO weapons of mass destruction! We will not be voting for Bush because he is a warmonger. We have many hopes and dreams for our children, and they never included their dying on a busy Baghdad street from a suicide bomber or a landmine along a desert road or worse, being maimed physically and emotionally from a brutality of this war.\nWe will vote for John Kerry. We fear that if Bush is re-elected, the draft will be reinstated and our children could be forced to fight in a war that we are vehemently against. Our children should be exempt from any draft. In fact, let Bush supporters sacrifice their children if they vote to re-elect him and his gang. They and their children should be called to fight this deadly, hopeless war.\nEvery voter should stand behind their vote. If you vote for a warmonger, you should be prepared to offer yourself and your child to his war.\nAlice Eads\nFaculty\nTammie Wise\nBloomington resident\nMary Ann Miller\nBedford resident
Campus Crusaders\nAs a freshman, I have had the ability to assess certain old concepts and ideas in Bloomington with a new lens. What returning students take as names and ideas that seem to fit and are obvious, I have found ones that I question. One such concept is that of the Campus Crusade for Christ. Honestly, I am the first to admit that I do not know very much about this organization. However, it is the name alone that has alarmed me.\nUnless I am utterly confused (as some freshmen are) I have always held the belief that the crusades of roughly 1,000 years ago were a gloomy time for civilization. In fact, I believe the Crusades have displayed the ugliest side of religion in the whole history of mankind. The events of the Crusades are not very debatable. A group of Christians set out to either convert or destroy. Back then, there was no free pizza and candy but, rather, hell to pay for anyone that didn't decide to accept the beliefs of this group of Christians. The crusaders were quite serious about their mission: killing hundreds of thousands of Muslims, Jews and others of diverging faith.\nThis sounds eerily similar to white supremacist groups that have shown their ugly face these past two centuries. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi party in Germany have enjoyed much influence in their respective countries. The Nazi party of Germany gave two choices to their enemies: Either join us or be destroyed. They, too, did not believe that their request was unreasonable. The Nazi party did not emphasize hate (contrary to popular belief). Instead, the Nazi party wanted a perfect society. A white, secular, Aryan race. Almost sounds dreamy, except, of course, to those like me, who do not fit the criteria.\nI do not wish to be interpreted as one who says that the idea of Christianity is comparable to the Nazi ideology. This statement would be not only wrong but also be offensive to myself. All I want to compare is the effects of the Crusades to those of Hitler's rise to power. The only difference is in the number of people who suffered at the hands of these bigots. Millions or thousands -- who in their right mind will try to weigh the effects of each sickening pandemic? Only someone who doesn't understand the effects of death can believe that a mass murder's grotesqueness can be ameliorated by counting numbers. I personally believe that every life is very valuable and every murder is truly a tragedy.\nThis is why I am alarmed by the use of a name that is notoriously known for its close-mindedness and murder of innocent people. Imagine if a group on campus would be called the Descendents of the Ku Klux Klan. Now imagine if they came up to blacks, Jews and whoever else the original KKK hated and asked if they would be interested in joining. Comic or sick, I am not quite sure. However, one thing I am sure of is that until the name of this group is changed, I will be offended by the glorification of this medieval cult. As my high school English teacher once said, "Words matter." And as I have learned, they certainly do make a difference.
David Weisburd\nFreshman
U.S. should be held accountable\nHow closely did Jonathan Blanks pay attention to the first presidential debate ("Kerry: No flip, just flop, " Oct. 4)? Kerry and Bush DO differ on their "strategies to get out of Iraq." Kerry said he wants to implement measures that will secure the beginning of a U.S. withdrawal in six months or so. Bush has made no such claims or suggested that we will be out of Iraq any time soon. Kerry does have plans -- plans that he deserves a chance to implement. You said they are just plans to make plans, like he's full of "hot air." Yet you make no mention that Bush offered no new information, no hope that this war will end. In fact he just gave more empty sound-bites: "We're making progress, but it's hard work."\nProgress? How? The number of soldier deaths has increased every month from May through August. Soldiers returning home are painting a very different picture of the war they've fought. Let's hear real news; let's hear about soldiers buying their own armor on eBay because the U.S. military wasn't prepared for this war. And there are more stories like this. "The President and government of the U.S. are answerable first, last and only to the people of the U.S., period. There is no test or superseding global interest that comes before own people, ever."\nI'll bet you're proud of that statement. But a global attitude like that ends up in world war. Your statement is so imperialistic, apathetic and without conscience, I wonder how you actually believe it. We have a humanitarian responsibility, as does every nation, and if we act inhumanly we should be held accountable. Period. \nWhy shouldn't the U.S. be held accountable to a world court, like any other country? Whether it's in the form of the ICC or another. We want to punish Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Ladin, so what makes the U.S. exempt? Could it be that we'd rather not be held accountable for illegal war in Iraq? If the U.S. were a law-abiding, respectable country, our leaders would not object to an organization like the ICC. But since we are becoming a vigilante, bully nation, we're afraid to face the music.\nIan Whitmore\nGraduate student
Development will damage Griffy Lake\nLand developers develop land. It's what they do, their reason for being. They are a necessary part of a growing community. The problem is that when all of the good sites have been built upon, they don't leave. They move on to the less-than-ideal or totally undesirable parcels. Land which, through health, geographic, safety or environmental concerns, should be left alone, or, at the least, approached with extreme caution. Our local zoning ordinances were created and exist to protect this type of property.\nThe case in point is a 70-acre farm on Hinkle Road on the north side of Griffy Lake. Bound by two land trusts and the Griffy Nature Preserve, it is the target of a rezone request by Ron Arnold and Diane Smith of Iron Gate Development.\nThe request for 29 home sites, many as small as one acre, and all on septic, would more than double the number of homes currently on Hinkle Road. Ninety percent of the rugged, steep-sloped terrain drains directly into Griffy Lake through the nature preserve. Any disturbance of the sinkhole-dotted soil, which was the victim of loggers a year ago, will lead to severe erosion toward the lake. There cannot be enough safeguards to prevent this. \nHinkle Road is more than just a quick route to town for those to the north of it. It is also a main recreational pathway for cyclists, joggers, track and cross-country teams, and lake patrons. If this is not the area the zoning ordinance was created to protect, then that area does not exist. The farm can be developed under current zoning, but given the lay of the land and karst topography, the number of new homes would more likely be closer to 12 than 29. Still a negative impact on the area, but greatly reduced.\nThis request is set to be heard at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19 by the County Plan Commission. If you value what we have, now and for the future, please get involved. Call County Planning. Write to the County Commissioners at the Monroe County Courthouse about request No. 0409 PUO-09. Come to the Oct. 19 meeting and bring a friend. If a precedent is to be set for the Griffy Lake area, let it be one of denial for such dubious zoning change requests.\nGary Mechling\nBloomington resident
