LETTERS: Same-sex marriage condemnation misses context

To the Editor: The Book of Leviticus also commands us to shun menstruating women, to slaughter a lamb a month after the birth of male child and to stone anyone who turns to "a medium or a wizard." Unless one is willing to pick and choose those parts of God's Word which is morally appealing and disregard those of His commands that might be less convenient to put into practice, then to condemn homosexuality on Biblical grounds would also entail advocating the death penalty not only for gays, but for anyone who has ever consulted the Psychic Friends Network as well. Altman and Aneed would do well to examine the precise text of the Bible in its entirety. And while they're at it, they might take a look at some of their own fears and prejudices. Roger Colin Geissler CGS '98 Yellow journalism To the Editor: The front-page story "Mighty Mighty Bosstones may headline Fling" (DP, 2/19/98) regarding what "sources" said about what bands might play for the Spring Fling concert, was worthless and irresponsible tabloid journalism. Many people were led to believe that the Mighty Mighty Bosstones will play Fling, when in fact my "sources" say they won't. You led students to believe that they were going to get something that in fact they aren't. (Notice: I said fact. Do you ever check them?) Whether they should or not, people believe what you print. You have a responsibility as the only source of campus news that most students read. You have misled them and should apologize. But still, apologies generally don't make the front page. SPEC will probably take the heat for your misinformation, and no one will remember that the DP in an act of genius investigative reporting led the campus astray. I want to congratulate you for sinking to the level of checkout line tabloids that, as I noticed last night at Thriftway, are currently reporting the Gary Coleman is a drag queen and Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie are back together. Sean Marzolf Engineering '99 Appropriate allusion? To the Editor: Don't know much about history, etc., but I have a decent familiarity with the pop and rock music of my youth. Which compels me to point out that one of Daniel Fienberg's snippets from the old Herman's Hermits' song is wrong ("A very British Valentine's Day," DP, 2/19/98). It's not "I got married to the widow next store," which doesn't really make sense, but "I got married to the widow next door." It may be that Peter Noone's accent led Fienberg to mis-hear -- much as some listeners apparently thought Jimi Hendrix was singing "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy." There's also the Larger Question to consider: how appropriate is Fienberg's allusion to the old song anyway? The next -- and unquoted -- line is, "And every one was an 'Enery'." Unlike the often-married Henry VIII that Fienberg cites, the character in the song may have married only once. It's his wife who has sampled the delights of holy matrimony so many times. John Shea Editor, Penn Health Magazine