Thank you for writing the article about young shooting victims in Boston. The lack of competence in the BPD seems to be growing every year. This is something that should be addressed all the time in all of Boston’s newspapers. I think you should rip the shit out of the BPD every week in your paper. I don’t know who else will do it.
I personally know someone who was assaulted (beat in the head) with a lead pipe due to road rage. They accidentally cut someone off while driving. The other driver pulled in front of them, stopped to block them in, and then came at them with a pipe. My friend got out of the car and tried to quell the situation by apologizing, saying he didn’t mean to do it, but the guy proceeded to beat his skull. His girlfriend tried to stop the guy, but he smacked her with the lead pipe too. Luckily, she blocked it, but broke her finger. Then the guy drove off.
The police were able to track the guy down to one of two vehicles: one in western Massachusetts and one in Roxbury. Hmm . . . that’s a tough one. The police then told the two victims that there was nothing else they could do for them. My friends debated hiring a private investigator; they even wrote the chief of police, but to no avail. The whole department needs to be shaken up. I feel that the best way to do this is to expose the situation through media. So, again, thank you for the article. Keep ’em coming!
Ben Case
Boston
Hip and hopping
The statement that hip-hop is dead is a fairly weighty one; it’s something that has to reach a pretty serious group consensus worldwide to have any validity whatsoever . The fact that it is being spouted from the mouth of Nas, a multi-millionaire rap superstar (who, it must be mentioned, has not put out a decent album since his 1994 debut . . . and even that record is grossly overrated) and being taken seriously by anyone seems pretty incredible.
Hip-hop is alive and well where its true home will always be: on the streets, and on the underground/independent scene. Whether or not these commercialized clowns on MTV and BET choose to acknowledge that fact is irrelevant.
Jeremy Brittan
Cambridge
Badge Of Courage
Regarding “A Rape Victim Speaks Out”, Emily Parkhurst has enormous courage for writing this article, for letting her voice be heard. This story will help so many other people come forward with their own stories. It’s outrageously sad, however, that our laws are such that rapists, in a case like this, can’t be prosecuted, that perpetrators have more rights than victims. Nevertheless, Emily is now a survivor. And I hope she’ll find even more strength now, as she feels so much support from other women. This is an incredibly courageous article. Emily, you are not alone!
Sue William Silverman
Grand Haven, Michigan
Untraceable Art
I have been enjoying your “Whatever” comic in the Phoenix for a while now and have recently purchased Guilty. I am a student at MassArt and one of my teachers informed me that your illustrations result from traced photos. While the hatching itself is an accomplishment, I was wondering if you do indeed trace, or just use photos for reference. Thanks, and your style is excellent.
R.M.
Boston
Karl Stevens responds: Ha. MassArt teachers don’t understand my technique. Not bad for a drop out.
Correction
In our list of things we hate about Boston, we incorrectly stated that the Huntington Avenue entrance to the MFA is in the South End. In fact, it is in Roxbury.
