Letters

1.)Thanks for the free press about the Free Press in last week's issue (Ear Infection, April 8).

2.)The name of your music column, Ear Infection, reminds me of the time that XS magazine (City Link's predecessor) named its restaurant section "Burp!" Both probably seemed like good ideas at the time.

3.)The Free Press concert column may indeed be "absolute drivel" and "vapid first-grade commentary." But at least our "nauseatingly campy duo" can spell Bryan Adams. Tell your obviously superior music writer, Brendan Kelley, that it's not "Brian."

I look forward to the smug yet amusing headline you'll put on top of this letter.

Michael Koretzky, editor
Free Press
West Palm Beach

The Name Is Morrison. Joan Morrison. And Don't You Forget It.
I read your article about ranches and wildlife and commend you on highlighting the positive aspects of cattle ranching in Florida for wildlife and habitats ("A Natural Alliance," Margery Gordon, March 25.)

However, after spending over an hour during two separate occasions with Margery Gordon talking about the caracara and explaining these very issues to her, I am quite miffed and consider it extremely poor professionalism on her and the editor's part that I did not receive even a minor reference in her article.

You even showed three photos of me and my assistants conducting our work on the caracaras, and although all other pictures of people contained their names, you never once acknowledged me or my assistants in those three photos (page 17).

After all, my research on the caracara, conducted while I was at the University of Florida, is entirely responsible for much of the philosophy behind this article as well as for the statement attributed to Mr. [Jeff] Palmer on page 11, "...[I]t is one of the first animals that researchers have openly told the public is thriving almost entirely on private lands."

I think that after providing all that information to Ms. Gordon and for being responsible for ALL the caracara research in the first place, you could have at least mentioned me as the source of most of your data on the species and their relationship to cattle ranching in Florida.

Joan L. Morrison
via the Internet

Responsible Not to Gothard but to God
I found the article about Bill Gothard interesting and some of the comments throughout equally interesting ("Little Soldiers in the Culture War," Bob Norman, February 18). One point of interest is the one by the NEA representative. I wonder if a background check is done on every author of textbooks, workbooks, and curricula that are used in schools today. Might be a good idea, but not much schooling would get done. Also, as is true in any movement involving people, some become prideful in their "knowledge" and therefore act without wisdom. I have met people who are cultlike in their following of Mr. Gothard, and it is a shame that it happens. I know that Mr. Gothard does not approve of their behavior, and I have been to numerous conferences where he emphatically lets them know that they are wrong and damaging more than helping.

As far as the curriculum is concerned, it is helpful and exciting to the kids and has results, usually great results. I have used many of the materials with my own kids. It works, not because of Bill or his rules, but because of the Bible. Yes, Gothard teaches that wives should be submissive to their husbands, but he also teaches that men should not make decisions their wives don't agree with. The wife is an important influence in decision-making and is the operations manager of the home. He warns against those in authority hurting or abusing others. He does not teach that you just take abuse and let bygones be bygones. You should attend one of Gothard's seminars -- the whole seminar -- before you judge it. Same with Character First! Look at the fruit of the tree to judge whether the tree is good or bad.

Lastly, theologians regularly disagree. That is why we have Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, and so on. We are not responsible to men for our behavior but ultimately only to God. Our founding fathers believed this, many great scientists throughout the centuries have believed this, and they lived their lives accordingly. Some failed as we all do sometimes, but we don't stop trying. We keep going toward the light at the end of the tunnel, striving to do that which is good.

James McGovern
via the Internet