LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Red, Blue and Ignorant

To the Editor: While the extent of Mr. Hildreth's travelings in Philadelphia have probably only been to the Burger King in Houston Hall, I can assure you that not only is there a Haitian section of town here and in several other cities but also that there is quite an extensive Haitian and Carribean cuisine in the U.S. and worldwide. Just because you haven't seen it, Jeremy, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. On the subject of why U. S. troops are in Haiti, let's not be foolish and attribute it to President Clinton's dedication to democracy in foreign lands. Florida is a very big state with a hell of a lot of voters. Clinton wanted to appease them -- enough said. So although saving Haitian lives is a good thing, saving votes is what turned out to rule this decision. What about Somalia, you ask? Not only does the country border the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route, but it is also very close to the oil center of the universe. Hmmm, international forces in Somalia: how funny is that? On the subject of Voodoo, had Mr. Hildreth actually done any research, he would have found that Voodoo has very strong roots in Christianity, more specifically Catholicism. He would have also found that Voodoo is most practiced to do good, not evil -- like Christianity. Please feel free to call Voodoo silly but do not forget to include the many other faiths of the world that come under the same collective term: religion. Mr. Hildreth was correct, however, on his account of doll mutilation. Isn't it a shame that Hollywood would conjure up such a myth and try to associate with an actual religion practiced in many countries. Basically what I am saying is that Mr. Hildreth is beyond help. He is doomed in his ignorance. Although if he would like to try save himself, perhaps a good start would be to not make The World Book Encyclopedia (the last true bastion of unbiased and infallible writing) his major source of research. Thanks for the laughs, Jeremy, but writing educated opinion columns is not your forte. In conclusion, I must say that I am looking forward to the sale of the Jeremy doll in the bookstore. If movie magic can give dolls the power to hurt people, perhaps I can put his likeness in the stacks at Van Pelt. You never know, maybe he'll learn something. MAX COVIL College '96 Member, Dessalines -- Haitian Student's Association