LETTER: Can we lighten up, yet?

EDITOR: Can we lighten up yet? Either that or we¹ll need to
erect a new sign on the outskirts of town: ³Irony Free Zone.²
In a recent letter to the editor, a reader wants staff writer
Frank Robertson to get out of town because he wrote a bit of satire
about patrons of various farm markets. I believe he was also
laughing at himself in the piece but the reader whined that Mr.
Robertson ³doesn¹t know what it takes to grow² vegetables.
Give us a break! Mark Twain wouldn¹t have lasted long in this
often humorless town. If we can¹t laugh at ourselves anymore
perhaps we would do better in a fundamentalist cult with controls
on food, clothing, hair, and especially speech and
entertainment.
Which brings me to the holier-than-Mary-Li-letter in the same
issue. Li has been criticized repeatedly for expressing her (albeit
outspoken) opinions. It¹s still a free country, sort of, and she
generated a great debate about architecture. But nerves are raw in
Sebastopol, and now she is taken to task for renting to Starbucks
and their politically incorrect coffee beans.
The critics didn¹t know, or cared not to mention, that with
Starbucks as an anchor, Li has created space for five
locally-owned, small businesses in the same building. Presumably
sales tax will be collected therein. Local business people who
exercise moral judgments about other local business people are
starting a trend that goes nowhere.
Are the critics complaining about the invisible mega-eminences
at Safeway, Long¹s and Albertson¹s? Or would they rather take pot
shots at a local business owner with the guts to put herself in the
line of fire?
I can¹t wait to see how we¹ll be branded by the outside experts
who may be following our adventures. I envision a frowny face logo,
or, how about a sour grape?
Anyway, it will be good when we can¹t afford toilet paper. Think
of all the happy trees.
– Phyllis Stine, Sebastopol