Readers write-in about the MAH, the Tannery, the crime wave and Tom Tomorrow in this mixed bag of letters.
Best Around
Re: “Big Ideas.html” (Cover, March 20): The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History is one of the best museums I've ever been to. I don't know what it was like before Nina Simon, but I was there last weekend and it was great. We went to a trivia night that was a lot of fun, and the visitor experience was well, well, well worth the $5 admission.
Do yourself a favor and go there. Wish I lived closer.
Jim Cupples
Springfield, Or.
Art Equals Change
Re: “Slow Start” (Briefs, March 6): The Artspace Tannery is an amazing achievement for Santa Cruz. There is an incredible diversity of very high quality art available from the Artspace Tannery Artists. The problem lies with the fact that most Americans do not buy art. It isn't just that people buy very little art, it is that they refuse to spend any money on original art at all. If people would just take a chance and actually buy something from a living artist, maybe our society would be a kinder, gentler place. If we keep saying we want less violence in our community, but refuse to support the arts, we are lying to ourselves.
O. Wilder
Santa Cruz
Root of Violence
Re: “The Battle Over Santa Cruz.html” (Cover, March 6): Although I’m sure the huge outpouring of grief for the slain police officers in this community is real, and the fear of violence in this community is real, I wonder why the death of these two officers is more tragic than the murder of a private citizen by another private citizen, or the killing of a private citizen by a police officer. Isn’t all human life equally valuable, and each violent death equally tragic? Why isn’t there a vast sense of pain and loss whenever there is death by gun violence, no matter who is doing the shooting, and no matter who gets killed? Why isn’t there outrage for the other types of violence, including the violence that is inherent in a hierarchal society based on the exploitation of the economically disadvantaged for the benefit of the economically privileged? Why aren’t there massive demonstrations against all war, all the time? We will only be able to successfully deal with violence when we all recognize the violence that is in our own hearts, which is rooted in our own insecurity and fear and hatred of the demonized “other.” There is no enemy to hate and fear, there is only a collective and individual shadow that needs healing, understanding and integration.
Erich J. Holden
Santa Cruz
FROM THE WEB
Not Amused
I'm just wondering why you feature Tom Tomorrow. Most political cartoons extend false logic to a familiar scenario in order to illustrate how ridiculous the logic is. His cartoons distort the logic and apply it to equally ridiculous scenarios for who knows what end. I'm almost always left understanding his point, but being neither intellectually or comically amused. Which begs the question: why the illustration and punch line, if you’re just providing droll, trite commentary?
Jonathan Zwart
