Pubdate: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 Source: Weekly Standard, The (US) Copyright: 2000 The Weekly Standard Contact: 1150 17th Street, N.W., Suite 505, Washington, DC 20036-4617 Website: http://www.weeklystandard.com/ Authors: Jaime Yassif, Dave Michon, Ray Aldridge, Robert Lewis SERIOUS, NOT STUPID When I read Matt Labash's article, "The Other, Stupider Convention" (Aug.14), I was so overwhelmed by his misrepresentation of the facts, his obvious bias against anything not apple-pie mainstream, and his childish characterization of participants in the Shadow Convention that I began to think I could find a more accurate depiction of the event from a South Park episode than from his article. It seems that before Labash entered the doors of the Annenberg Center, his mind was so laden with prejudice against the event that, no matter what he saw, he was bound to report on it with a cynical, snide slant. I resent that Labash refers to people who advocate change because they are dissatisfied with the current political climate as "flared-nostril revolutionar[ies] and bleeding-ulcer moderate[s]." This is exactly the kind of black-or-white extremism in the American media and politics that makes reasoned, carefully thought out dialogue impossible. In its place we have public officials who do not dare question the status quo for fear they will be branded bleeding-heart liberals or soft on crime. The result is two national conventions, Republican and Democrat, which Labash himself admits "aren't addressing any issues." The Shadow Conventions are exactly what we need to help get people involved in political issues that affect their lives and to overcome public apathy toward American Politics. The public is becoming increasingly disenchanted with the political process as they see the major parties failing to address issues such as campaign finance reform, the failing war on drugs, and the increasing disparity in the distribution of wealth. Arianna Huffington and the participants in the Shadow Convention should be applauded for putting together an event that addresses issues that matter. JAIME YASSIF Swarthmore, PA - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------- Isn't Matt Labash an entertaining fellow? His piece on the Shadow Convention was a puerile and lazy attempt at humor mocking those who decided to get involved. I am one of those "bleeding-ulcer moderate[s]" and proud of it. Labash's reputation does not precede him so I can't rejoin with witticisms about his physical traits, style of dress, intestinal status, age, hearing, race or any of the other attributes he uses to describe the committed citizens who took the time to attend. But I will let Labash's own unabashed name-dropping suffice as my lone jab at the man. Quite pitiful. Not all of us have left our ideals behind and many others have begun to reflect on what was gained in the intervening decades without the rudder provided by those ideals. DAVE MICHON Spooner, WI - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ------------------------- I read with moderate amusement Matt Labash's snarky sendup of the Shadow Convention. Alas, it would appear that Labash is a poster child for the self-involved boomer movement. He ends his piece with the lines: "A seed was planted, a dialogue started. Never mind if it's a dialogue many of us gave up on long ago - when we left our dorm rooms, bad weed, and jug wine behind." Maybe that wasn't such a good thing, considering the way things have turned out since Labash "grew up." We have more of our citizens in jail than most other countries in the world. Our crime rate is multiples of the rates in other industrialized countries. We spend vast amounts of taxpayer money on incarcerating users of politically incorrect drugs. Worst of all, the Constitution is in an advanced state of decay, eaten away by the necessities of the drug war. If I had to guess, I'd say the reason Labash didn't see more significance in the Shadow Convention was that he was too busy agonizing over the terrible injustice of Al Franken's fame and Matt Labash's obscurity. RAY ALDRIDGE Ft. Walton Beach, FL - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ------------------ Matt Labash's incisive piece on the Shadow Convention was just about what one would expect from a jerk who left "bad weed and jug wine" behind in his college dorm. All those angry people upset because Vanilla Gore and Vanilla-Lite Bush don't seem to want to discuss anything but "Why Johnny Can Read in Dallas" and the most compassionate way of putting retarded folk down in the Lone Star State. Guess I see the point: Why should anyone as supercilious as Labash want the two major political parties to discuss anything of substance? He might have to familiarize himself with actual issues instead of strolling around making derisive yet delightfully wry comments. ROBERT LEWIS Kansas City, MO - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart