As the I Ching says, the only constant is change. With this week's Riverfront Times, we inaugurate an expanded Night & Day section, brought to you by an expanded Night & Day crew. From now on, instead of supplying abbreviated listings, we'll be highlighting each week's top offerings with dozens of more-detailed blurbs. P>For those who remain attached to the old, the comprehensive short listings will continue to be available online.
Unkind Cut
Comeuppance: I couldn't help but chuckle -- not to mention feel slightly vindicated -- when I read Deanna Jent's marvelous hatchet job (I mean, review) of Jerry Rabushka's latest piece of shit (I mean, play), Seeking Asylum ["Seeking Revision," April 16]. You see, Jerry reprimanded me for writing a bad review of one of his plays for the Lesbian and Gay News-Telegraph years ago and went on to do the childish thing of banning me from the theater. Punishment? I think not. Hell, to save me from sitting through any more of his steaming turds and lose chunks of my life two hours at a time, I consider myself fortunate. Thank you, Jerry.
As Deanna says in her review of his latest play, it was "a waste of time for the actors, director and, perhaps most important, the audience." I couldn't have said it as well myself, but actually, a few years back, I think I did. I knew there was a reason I liked you, Ms. Jent.
Christopher Jackson, theater columnist
EXP Magazine
The Trouble With Girls
A spanking for Judge Frawley: I appreciated Geri L. Dreiling's "When Girls Go Wild" [April 9]. It allows society to see the frustration that parents, teachers and "the system" are currently enduring. However, the story really hit home when Judge Thomas Frawley voiced his biased opinion against corporal punishment. Judge Frawley stated, "No belts, no switches."
The judge's opinion is totally inconsistent with the laws in the state of Missouri. Corporal punishment is the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correction or control of the child's behavior. In the state of Missouri, it is not illegal to spank a child. What is illegal is to leave marks or bruises on a child. Granted, spanking "Haley" was not working, but in some cases spanking is necessary and effective.
Judges should remain impartial and not allow their opinions to transgress the laws of the state. It's personal: My daughter was left in an abusive home because I choose to spank my children (as does her father). Now she is no longer being "physically abused," just mentally, medically, spiritually and sexually. Is she aggressive, violent and "dealt a hand of crap," Judge Frawley? Any pro bono attorneys out there?
I ask that my name not be published; my appeal is pending.
Name withheld by request
St. Louis
Tax Prayer
Nineteen years off: We have a nut running the country, idiots working at the baggage gates at our airports, mall cops discriminating against age at Northwest Plaza, famous people being punished for speaking their minds -- and now we have religious zealots trying to lure people who work for the Internal Revenue Service into their cult [Geri L. Dreiling, "Answering the Call," April 9]. Why do I feel like I am living in some Cold War world, where Joseph McCarthy reigns? George Orwell was about nineteen years off with his book.
Jackie Mullinix
St. Louis
Punching Rag
Kevin stuffs the ballot box: And the 2003 Readers' Poll Award for the Longest Fucking Article That Nobody Gave a Shit About goes to: "The Boxers' Rebellion" [Randall Roberts, April 2]. The article about the South City rec center could have easily been expanded to take the place of rounds one through eight. Hell, "Hoosiers, Part 2" would have been more interesting. With everything that's going on in the world, that's all you could come up with? We could all just read Savage Love online and save the trees.
Kevin Rothermel
St. Louis
The Greater Good
Give us your big noses: Great article by D.J. Wilson on Bosnian growth in our area ["Keeping Up With the Jasarevics," March 5]. How can people not recognize the "greater good" of immigrant-population increases? Perhaps small-minded people have forgotten their roots or are fearful of change. As an Armenian-American, I know of prejudices suffered by my ancestors. Thankfully they were able to maintain their customs and religion while assimilating into the popular culture. When you consider their many contributions these "non-English-speaking foreigners with big noses" have made to our country, you wonder why some believe we are better off with the WASP status quo.
John Erysian
St. Louis
