First there was the silly article complaining about a PETA billboard [“Edgy Mama: Feeding Kids Meat Doesn't Equal Child Abuse,”May 25 Xpress]. Subsequently, Stewart David gently corrected her uneducated views on meat, protein and health. I'd like to add that Anne Fitten Glenn intentionally took the alleged billboard's message "feeding kids meat is child abuse," totally out of context. Of course, a little meat now and then won't hurt a child; neither will an occasional cigarette, cup of coffee or glass of beer. Clearly, PETA's point is that feeding children meat on a daily basis is a form of abuse, for reasons touched upon by Mr. David and far too numerous to delve into here. PETA appeals to the compassionate and ethical parts of us, asking us to stop eating animal products in order to spare animals the horrific suffering they endure in confined feedlot operations. However, when shown that a certain segment of the population just doesn't care, PETA has brought to light the disastrous human-health effects of large doses of animal consumption. …
Second, the “Dye for the Hair Down There” article in the July 6 Xpress. WTF? This puerile article belongs in a Cosmopolitan or Seventeen. I'm willing to bet that none of your readers has any desire or need to know what Glenn does with her pubic hairs. The article gave way too much information, was not remotely clever or funny, had no relevance to parenting and was totally juvenile and inappropriate.
At least Arnold Crapacan, from the Asheville Disclaimer’s satirical “Kid Care with Arnold,” is thought provoking and humorous. Glenn is neither — it’s time to ditch this column.
— Robbie Coleman
Asheville
Yes indeed! This article on female pubic hair coloration was quite lacking to say the least! Next time, I demand that comparison photos be included!
Oh my heavens…AFG mentioned her pubes…let’s just pretend women do not have pubes, for those who are uncomfortable with such facts of life.
Meantime perhaps PETA might consider cleaning up their own backyard…instead of passing judgment on perfectly normal omnivores. http://tinyurl.com/Peta-Euthanesia
Yes, let’s just let Stewart David write the column, “Edgy Veggie” maybe. I never tire of the satirical wit inherent in all of the vegetarians op-ed pieces. Please, explain in great detail, how animals are tortured to make my local grass-fed beef. One more article on vegetarianism, and I think you’ll really change hearts and minds.
I couldn’t care less about the Edgy Mama stuff, I just wish she’d write real, honest articles on the local beer scene, if she’s going to write about it at all, rather than regurgitate whichever press release ‘X’ Brewery faxes over. Definitely not a very knowledgeable writer on this subject, by any means.
Between her articles and the tripe that Tony Kiss writes over at the C-T, Asheville sure could use a serious beer columnist in our local media.
[i]Clearly, PETA’s point is that feeding children meat on a daily basis is a form of abuse, for reasons touched upon by Mr. David and far too numerous to delve into here.[/i]
Is the letter writer actually familiar with PETA??
They are very much not interested in anything even beginning to resemble moderation, and absolutely consider animal products of any kind ‘abuse’.
Edgy Mama is at her best when she skewers the fascists at PETA.
This letter is comical on so many levels. Thanks for sharing.
Stewart David gently corrected her uneducated views on meat, protein and health Actually,David has beat us over the head with his uneducated views on meat, protein and health for, like, well, seemingly forever.
…took the alleged billboard’s message Does this really mean alleged billboard, or alleged message, or billboard’s alleged message? Actually, nothing was alleged. The meaning was exceedingly straightforward, as PETA’s billboards always are, usually with X-rated graphics.
…for reasons touched upon by Mr. David Actually, David has always touched his reasoning upon the public with a mighty crowbar.
PETA appeals to the compassionate and ethical parts of us, asking us… Actually, PETA never asks anybody anything. They tell us, and show us, usually with a splash of red paint.
confined feedlot operations Actually, this should not be confused with small farm grass-fed meat or with hunting wild meat, as David invariably does, conflating unlike paradigms.
…what (Edgy Mama) Glenn does with her pubic hairs Actually, this should not be confused with what Stewart David does with his.
““Dye for the Hair Down There””
Ben Franklin said it best: All cats are gray in the dark.
[i]conflating unlike paradigms.[/i]
LOL. make piffy proud!
I like her column and think it’s occasionally funny.
If it offends you so much- don’t read it.
“Edgy Mama is at her best when she skewers the fascists at PETA.”
So you believe PETA is a fascist organization?
“fas·cism/?faSHiz?m/Noun1. An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.2. (in general use) Extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice.” (Merriam-Webster)
Funny, but most of its critics take the opposite view…that it is a ‘radical leftist organization’. But then again, the word ‘fascists’ has a much more evil ring to it than ‘liberal tree-hugging dirt-worshippers’.
PETA wants to tell everyone what they can and cannot eat, what products they can and cannot buy and use, and believe that they (like Al “the debate is over” Gore) have the last word to say on the subject of the human/animal relationship. Their attitude is universal (far more ambitious than mere nationalism), authoritative, and intolerant of any dissagreement or dissension. By my interpretation of the definition, they are cleary fascists, albeit leftward leaning ones. The whole left-right political spectrum is a bipartisan fabrication used to promote political solidarity through class division and warfare, so I respectfully invoke my democratically protected right to disagree with the dictionary (isn’t a dictionary a subtle form of fascist speech-control?)
“The whole left-right political spectrum is a bipartisan fabrication used to promote political solidarity through class division and warfare,”
It’s hard to deny that the left/right divide has and continues to be used to “promote political solidarity”, but to the end of advancing class warfare seems to be a somewhat more recent development. In previous times, both parties, by and large, seemed to actually care for the country at large over their personal political interests. There seems to be precious little of that concern evidenced today.
“so I respectfully invoke my democratically protected right to disagree with the dictionary (isn’t a dictionary a subtle form of fascist speech-control?)”
No doubt we’re all free to accept or reject what we will. It seems a bit much to view dictionary definitions as a “subtle form of fascist speech control.” If anyone could use any definition they chose for a word, it would make for one confusing world. I doubt if there are a bunch of pointy-headed subversives feverishly working to weave political orthodoxy into Webster’s dictionary.
Actually the way the #2 general use reads would leave me to believe that the word can be used with no “right/left” connotations at all.
“fas·cism/?faSHiz?m/Noun1. An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.2. (in general use) Extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice.” (Merriam-Webster)
The key word there is “or” right after authoritarian. I would definitely think PETA falls into an organization that has intolerant views or practice.
“The key word there is “or” right after authoritarian. I would definitely think PETA falls into an organization that has intolerant views or practice.”
That’s a reasonable and logical interpretation, regardless of whether one concurs or not.
“I’m willing to bet that none of your readers has any desire or need to know what Glenn does with her pubic hairs. ”
Hmmm…..actually I AM sort of curious, now that you mention it.
Al, PETA is lame, but a simple check of a dictionary will tell you they are nothing resembling ‘Fascism’.
Calling anything you dislike ‘Fascist” is as silly as Glenn Beck calling black men and jews ‘Nazs’.
I knew one vegetarian that started eating meat again partially in spite of Stewart David.
In spite or to spite?
Thank you. After coffee I realized it’s to spite. I’ve misplaced my Harbrace.
I’ve misplaced my Harbrace.
Better that than your truss.
So, what have we learned recently?
1. PETA supports domestic terrorism via the Animal Liberation Front (this from links found in entopicon’s comments in an earlier Mtn. Xpress from June: http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2008/060811the-edgy-vegan-vs.-the-protein-myth ). Stewart David’s writings have appeared on the ALF website, and he has yet –at least here in this publication that I’m aware– to denounce their activities.
2. PETA euthanizes thousands of animals per year — which is not a banner headline on their website for some reason.
3. Stewart David is now apparently converting vegetarians to meat eaters. What’s not to love about that one?
Once the dust settles, there will be a new Stewart David letter soon, as the Mtn. Xpress continues to publish his opinion-rich and fact-starved missives by near calendar precision. I expect we’re just about due for another one soon. Washed, rinsed, repeated.
————–
Mtn. Xpress staff: could you prepare for us a bar graph of Stewart David letters over the years? One year per bar, with the months of publication written in fine print in each bar perhaps, and a comparison to the next top three or four letter writers over the past decade or so? Thanks.
“Mtn. Xpress staff: could you prepare for us a bar graph of Stewart David letters over the years?….”
I am far from being a fan (or defender) of Mr. David, but do we really want to get into measuring how often anyone has been allowed to engage in discussion on this thread? Isn’t that the first banana peel on the slippery slope of censorship?
“Mtn. Xpress staff: could you prepare for us a bar graph of Stewart David letters over the years?….”
We’d have to bar-graph ALL our regular commenters… to be fair.
In any case, while interesting, the thread here seems to be diverging from the ideas presented in the letter.
So what exactly are the ideas presented in the letter for which MX approves and/or expects and/or wants reader response?
Is this a joke about Fitten or David? Or it is some attempt at seriousness?
Where did we all go wrong?
[b]We’d have to bar-graph ALL our regular commenters… to be fair.[/b]
I think the request was in regard to LETTERS to the editor, not online comments. I’m pretty sure old Stewart has had more published than anyone else, ever.
While I think looking at such a bar graph would be interesting and amusing, my request wasn’t being made seriously. Just a joke,,,,,a friendly jab is all.
Still Stuart David gets a lot of space here. Wonder if skreeds on veganazis would get as much???
Is Stuart David one of the owners of The Xpress? That would explain the permanent soapbox.
Re: Margaret’s answer to “why don’t we bar graph every poster’s posts?”
Good question- why don’t we? Oh yeah, because Stewart would look like- well, Stewart.
If this post isn’t posted, well, I smell Monsanto- soy cronyism.
Margaret, we all are talking about print. You have to admit that no one besides the Xpress staff gets more space.
Johnny, Big Al, Bill Smith, Orbit DVD, et al: Thanks for your comments. According to our policy, “writers are generally limited to one published letter every 30 days.” This policy applies to Stewart David as well.
From what my research turned up, David had one letter in the Jan. 12, 2011 issue (http://avl.mx/46) and another in the June 8, 2011 issue (http://avl.mx/47). Incidentally, he has another letter in the upcoming Aug. 3 Xpress.
Otherwise, he has been mentioned in other letters, and in a number of Xpress stories, particularly those concerning animal rights and the vegetarian diet, as David is a prolific spokesman for such concerns. His appearance in Xpress is due to the relevance of those concerns to a story (or, in some cases, his direct involvement with a story http://avl.mx/49).
Regarding letters to the editor, David is invited, along with all of our readers, to submit a letter every 30 days. If the letter adheres to our general policies (http://avl.mx/48), it will be published. Please get in touch with us at letters@mountainx.com with any questions, or, even better, to submit a letter.
— Jaye Bartell, editorial assistant
To get back to the important topic. I don’t think you should let a vegan write any more letters until he first addresses whether his carpet is as silver as his drapes and if not, how a vegetarian diet can help avoid such pubic follicle pigmentation loss.
(Nevermind, according to http://www.healthsupplementsnutritionalguide.com/what-causes-grey-hair.html , PABA-rich foods that may help reverse grey hair or stop grey hair causes include “organ meats like animal liver and kidney” yikes!)
This reminds me of the complaints about the ACT’s Edgy version of Susan Rhinehardt. I “feel” the pain of Anne and Susan. Its hard to be edgy and entertaining every week for multiple years
i thought the pubes article was really bold, honest, and entertaining. props.