Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008
Is Paglia wrong about Waco? Plus: R.E.M. on "Automatic" pilot; Luddite gamers should quit moaning and start playing.
Sep 15, 1999 | What I thought about for my summer vacation
BY CAMILLE PAGLIA
(09/08/99)
I know Camille Paglia's thoughts on Waco are popular with a great many Americans, but I've always wondered why. We have an individual who believes he is some kind of deity on earth, who has in his possession automatic weapons for which he has no legal authority. When ATF agents, bumblers or not, show up to serve a warrant, Koresh and his followers shoot four of them -- and the uproar is over how the cult members were denied due process. If you know the Feds are coming en masse and you shoot them, then it seems as though due process has gone out the window. I cannot say that the FBI, ATF and whatever other agencies had their finest moment but are we going to blame the "liberal" press again? Government authority was bungled at Waco, not misused.
-- Rich McIntosh
Are we surprised by Janet Reno playing the child sexual abuse card at Waco? She built her career on prosecuting notorious Florida preschool abuse charges, all of which proved bogus. (These were documented in a series of PBS "Frontline" programs.)
-- George Beinhorn
Who gives a rat's ass what Camille Paglia thinks of Gwyneth's smile? Or of Al Gore's weight loss? Who's interested in hearing what her favorite song is, or how many times other notable big-mouths quoted her previous comments and thoughts on this, that or the other? I read Paglia's column because I think she's amazingly smart, but what I got can be had in any beauty shop when the gals come in for a weekly backcomb. Camille, go back and tell us something that really makes us think about June, July and August.
-- Kathy Dimond
Portland, Ore.
Millennial Brigadoon
BY MICHELLE GOLDBERG
(09/08/99)
So the "Burning Man" party wouldn't be nearly as much fun without drugs, eh? It's just one big "republic of pleasure," according to Michelle Goldberg. How pathetic -- 22,000 people feeling the necessity to take drugs to feel pleasure. They should be pitied, not envied.
-- Paul McCudden
Los Angeles
Get Salon in your mailbox!