Leadership and Credibility
As Charlie Brown steps up for the umpteenth time to kick the old political football, why does he say, "If only we had better leaders?" Latest example was Mike Shryock's letter in your issue of June 3-9 ("We Need Real Leaders"). Mike closed with, "We need leaders with solutions and courage, not scapegoats and power trips."
Leaders will no longer be on power trips as soon as Lucy allows Charlie Brown to kick the ball. A far less frustrating exercise for the Charlie Browns of the world is to ask themselves exactly why they need to be led in the first place. That is the myth which supplies the power for those power trips.
In the same issue, the Press Clips column about the Enquirer/Chiquita cover-up was on the money and perfectly headlined: "Just Answer One Simple Question." The Enquirer will continue to have zero credibility until it has new owners.
More to the Story?
Your story about the aborted plans for a Corryville festival was lacking of conclusive facts ("Back to Square One," issue of June 3-9). There were allegations by the business community and the city that were directly opposed. Why weren't these allegations investigated further? What were the specifics of poor city support? And what are the reasons for your bias against Nathaniel Livingston? Why can't someone carry a protest picket?
Editor Responds: Bias against Nathaniel Livingston? CityBeat was the only media to provide significant coverage of his lawsuit against the city over the Corryville festival plan. As for further investigation of this complex issue, we will stay on it.
May the Force Be with You
As a member of the Grass Roots Leadership Academy, I enjoyed reporter Katie Taft's contributions to the May 15 panel discussion on media relations. I had not read CityBeat until I picked up the May 20-26 issue. Taft's Burning Questions article with Nancy Firor ("Jimmy Flynt: Videos 'Hard to Defend' ") brought out some things I didn't read in The Enquirer article about this case. Thanks for continuing to be an informative force for the community.
-- Phyllis Turner,
Cincinnati
Take It Back, Cincinnati (A Poem)
It's called bad ... Some say it's good
I just know it's my neighborhood
It's mine, I like it ... That's right, I care
No matter your color or the length of your hair
We make up every color of the rainbow, that's true
So let's take it all back, me and you and you
Take it back ... Come on, take it back
This is our street ... I say let's take it back
Leave our streets alone, so our kids can find their way
Keep your trash to yourself ... We don't want to see it every day
It's true we like our parks, and we can all do our part
We don't need anybody with their drugs in the dark
We can keep the playground free of all the drugs
And the trash ... And the booze ... And the hate ... And the thugs
Take it back ... Come on, take it back
These are our homes, Holmes ... Take it back
Take it back brother, father, sister, mother
If we don't do it, they'll take it, those others
It's a war .... It's a crime ... It's the truth ... Not just a rhyme
Take it back, take it back, Cincinnati
Love it, then let's clean it up.
-- Sandra M. Mann,
Madisonville
