Re: Hard news and hope
I am sitting outside on a nice night, eating good, healthy food and was looking forward to some time just to relax. I typically read the INDY when I get these moments. However, instead of relaxing, I find myself reading horrible details of a rape that I DID NOT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT! [The avenger,” Aug. 21.] And if that girl were me, my friend or my daughter, I’d be raising hell with you guys.
C’mon, step it up. This paper is becoming as trashy as WRAL news. I’ve been reading it since my college Cup A Joe days and I don’t want to stop. But will you all start writing more positive, hopeful stories? We get it: Our state is screwed; our people are screwed; we are all screwed. How about helping us having some hope? More stories about local humanitarians, musicians, artists and pimiento cheese, please.
Courtney Pernell, Raleigh
Re: Local activism
I was thrilled to see Taylor Sisk’s article “Activism on the Hill: Here, dissidents and anarchists have a home” [Orange County Finder, Aug. 14]. The radical activity in Carrboro and Chapel Hill is part of what attracted me to move here in the first place, and it is important to know our history. However, I was disappointed that there wasn’t more coverage of what is going on currently.
There is a lot of great stuff happening in our little town. Prison Books in Carrboro sends thousands of books to prisoners every year; Croatan Earth First! is at the forefront of the struggle against fracking; and Internationalist Books on Franklin Street is still a hub of radical ideas and events. The week of Sept. 2–9 is Radical Rush Week at UNC, which has a couple of events every night on topics such as police surveillance in North Carolina, global resistance to capitalism, the history of Internationalist Books and more. The Radical Rush Week website includes a booklet that profiles even more ongoing struggles and groups in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
The radical history of Chapel Hill, UNC and Carrboro is still being written.
James Hoopes, Chapel Hill
