Letters to the Editor

Sharps & Flats: "The Battle of Los Angeles"
BY GAVIN McNETT
(11/22/99)

Gavin McNett's argument against Rage Against the Machine swings on what -- a high school student who doesn't understand the band's message? It might be possible to dismiss the band as more style than substance if Rage was just the loud music and nifty guitar riffs. However, Rage Against the Machine has always included lyrics with their albums.

In the liner notes for "The Battle of Los Angeles," an "Action" page is included, with Web site links and contact information for organizations the band supports. On the Rage Web site you can find a link to the "RATM Reading List," which includes a complete inventory of books depicted in a photograph from the liner notes of "Evil Empire," Rage's second album.

For anybody who wants to know what Rage are all about, the information is there for the uptake. Rage do as much as any group I know to explain their music.

As for the teacher McNett describes: What kind of educator throws his hands up and walks away the first time a student misunderstands an idea? Why not take a lecture and explain why Zack really is so mad at America?

-- Russell Gordon

Gavin McNett has it all wrong regarding Rage's political effect, basing his entire case on one kid who doesn't even know the definition of imperialism. Of course there are some kids who just listen to Rage for the hard rock, who don't pay attention to the lyrics or the message. They're probably the majority. But I know for certain that Rage have created a few activists, and with their great new album, they are sure to create more.

-- Sam Brody

I told you once ...
BY CHRISTOPHER SANDLUND
(11/23/99)

Christopher Sandlund has to tell Steve Case again because the last time he told him (December '98), he agreed to a one-year contract. The agreement for e-mail and pop-up windows explicitly states that it's only good for one year and then the system reverts to the defaults. (The mail and phone agreements are good for 10 years.) Why is he complaining now about something he agreed to last year?

-- Andrew Hughey

Having been with AOL for many years, I am now at the point of joining the league of unhappy soon-to-be-non-subscribers. The level of XXX-rated e-mail soared and could not be shut off, even when attempting to use "tosspam"; after re-setting the pseudo-filters to the very lowest age, I continued to receive the solicitations, but my non-AOL friends could no longer send me e-mail. I have many friends who have also been migrating to other servers for their better filtration. Time to wake up.

-- Dan D. Carda

Christopher Sandlund surely must be sophisticated enough to understand that it is apathy like his that keeps AOL afloat to begin with. Why else would so many Internet users put up with such shoddy service? I know that it can be a daunting prospect for someone who's never used a local Internet service to give up that familiar AOL interface, but Sandlund has no valid excuse. He doesn't want to give up his AOL address? He doesn't even use it to have e-mail forwarded to him by Salon. Hear those giddy chuckles off in the distance? It's the sound of Steve Case counting Sandlund's money.

-- Robert Wade Bess

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