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CONTACT US AT P.0
BOX 1027, ATHENS, GA 30603, LETTERS@FLAGPOLE.COM
OR VIA THE “TALK BACK TO US” LINK AT FLAGPOLE.COM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US
Happy 21st Birthday, Flagpole'. You're
finally legal. I came to Athens as a freshman
in the fall of'87 and remember picking up
your first issue. I used to read it back then •
just to see what all those townie bands were
up to. You've kept up with the changing scene
here over the years and become a great weekly
magazine. And still free! Even though I turned
40 myself this week, I still read Flagpole just
to see what those crazy kids are up to. I may
not have read every single issue over the
years, but I've missed damn few. Keep it up.
Dave Register
Athens
CATS. PEOPLE. WILDLIFE
I would like to address Jared V. Harper's
letter, "More on Cats" [Nov. 5]. As a wildlife
student, I can agree
that people are often
the primary culprits
when it comes to the
demise of songbird
populations and
wildlife populations
in general. Cats,
feral and domestic,
may not be the main
cause of wildlife population declines, but does
this mean homicide should be legal because it
isn't the number-one killer of people?
Cats do fall under the category of anthro
pogenic.damage to wildlife. Cats didn't swim
over from Europe on their own, and it's people
who create feral cat populations and choose
to let their pets roam freely outdoors, neu
tered or not. Cats cannot go to birdfeeders or
other wildlife feeding stations "for easy hunt
ing" if their owners keep them indoors or off
of others' property.
My main concern with your letter, though,
is that you seem to make the argument that
only birds matter. The mammals and reptiles
that your cat so graciously offers you have
important roles in the ecosystem, too. Do
they not count as wildlife? Snakes and lizards
regulate small mammal and insect popula
tions, and are living reservoirs for greenhouse
gases such as nitrogen and carbon. Shrews,
mice and moles (I cannot speak for ground
squirrels, since there are no ground squirrels
in Georgia—did you mean chipmunks?) are
important seed dispersers. Also, think of the
native predators (foxes, snakes, hawks, owls)
which depend on this prey to survive, instead
of using them to pass the time between cans
of Fancy Feast.
There is not going to be a program to "get
rid of people"—on the contrary, there are
more of us every day. So, if we're to blame,
and we're not going anywhere, then what
can we do? Maybe^we can start by educating
ourselves and taking action, instead of just
standing by and waiting to see what the cat
drags in.
DeeAnne Meliopoulos
Athens
SOME PRAISE
How refreshing to find a small local paper
with such genuinely gifted writing on music.
Ryan Monahan's Fleet Foxes piece [Sept. 24] is
indeed above and beyond the call for a typi
cal "college town" paper. Not that Flagpole is
typical, but this is
some lofty prose, and
funrty to boot. How
lucky to find a music
loveft who is such a
poignant writer and
with a clever angle.
Methinks he is young
and will leave the
area for brighter
lights and bigger pages... enjoy it while we
can.
Michele Niesen
Email
POST-HURRICANE THANKS
Greetings from the Galveston Island beach
front on the Gulf Coast of Texas. That some
mighty special people inhabit the great state
of Georgia became clear to us 14 years ago
when my niece Kelly married a Georgia boy,
Patrick Jones of Athens.
Until Hurricane Ike, however, we had no
idea that-Georgia was home to SO MANY
remarkable people. It was Georgia Power
that showed up almost before the wind had
stopped blowing, and with breathtaking
speed, thanks to 16-hour days, turned the
lights back on all across our island. Personal
thanks go to Charlie McQueen and his 24-man
work gang, especially Greg Hudgins. We will
never forget what the men of Georgia Power
did for us Texans.
♦, # . * • * -* ■ • . . ' v--'
BUMPERSTICKER OF THE WEEK:
Insatiable is Not Sustainable-
Send sticker sightings to ben@flagpole.com
or call 706-549-9523. Thanks. •
It doesn't end there, however. In rebuilding
our restaurant I ordered some fire sprinkler
parts from Swift Fire Protection in Elberton.
Unbelievably, when it came time to take my
credit card information and billing address,
Merrill Franklin learned we were residents of
Galveston Island and said, "I will send the
parts to you with tomorrow's mail, but I can't
accept your money." Even as I write these
lines this totally unexpected act of compas
sion and unbridled generosity clouds my eyes
and puts a lump in my throat.
When you are down as we are you just
don't expect such kindness from a total
stranger. What is with you Georgians? All my
life I have proudly considered myself a son
of the South, but no more so than in the
last several weeks. On behalf of alt of us who
inhabit our island I send to each of you our
heartfelt thanks and profound admiration. We
will never forget what you did for us!
Paulie Gaido
Gaido's Restaurant and Seaside Inn
Galveston Island, TX
TOM. the by
DANCING Ruben
BUG * Bolling
NOV 5,2006
THE MOCNJlMCb
AMERICANS
WOKE UP AND
POUND OUT WHO
THEY REALLY ARE
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SARA JANE
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