Game over: It is hard to discuss the disappointment I feel after reading your article about Evil Ed and his representation of gamers ("Evil Empire," James Hibberd, March 22). It made all gamers look bad, not just the 40-year-old drunken loser who was featured. If you wanted to write an article that had anything to do with the gaming community or gamers in general, why not interview someone who truly represents the AZ gaming community, and who has been gaming for many, many years?
Some gamers may seem boring, grotesque or "creepy" sweaty teenagers, but then again, you may just be pleasantly surprised by who some of these people really are, without all of the childish antics and having to get the cold shoulder at Babe's Cabaret. I know that people like Evil Ed seem to make the better stories, if only for their attempted shock-shticks and childish poses such as the one featured on the cover, but the gamers out there have it tough enough as it is without throwing "Retard-Ed" on the cover of your 'zine and giving parents out there the message that "this is what happens to your kid when they play video games!"
Name withheld by request
Lame chops: I'm incredibly impressed by your article about "Evil Ed" Green. You've managed to find a middle-aged, obnoxious social invalid whose sole claim to fame is that he's managed to con his way into getting free video games to review for a Web site that, after inspection, seems to be maintained by his fired Webmaster. I couldn't even find any original content submitted by Ed. What exactly does he do on this site again?
I, too, have been involved with a Web site for almost eight years, the last four of which have been spent here in the Valley. The difference between our site and Ed's is that we do all the upkeep of our site and provide original content on a regular basis. We've been featured in national magazines like Yahoo! Internet Life, and have received paying jobs with other sites on the Internet based on the strength of our material. On top of that, we did this solely by word of mouth, not through corporate handouts like your cover boy.
I'm not saying that this qualifies us to be featured in the New Times, let alone get a cover story; but I'm sure that our story is not unique to the Valley and that there must be more interesting people to feature than Edward Green.
Bubbie Fatt
via Internet
Black Slapping
Race card: As an African-American male who has seen a good part of the world while a member of the military, my experience with racism is that it did not exist in my global travels, but my domestic ones ("Race Abater," Jeremy Voas, March 22). The reason I believe race still plays a significant part in our culture is because many in the majority cannot and will not stand for a large diversified society.
What troubles me more than ever is that other ethnic groups can hide behind their race and pretend to be someone they are not. I know of people who are of Mexican heritage that can literally pass for white because of their skin color and features. Some even changed their name just to ensure that it does not hold them back when it comes to employment, housing and receiving equality socially. For those of us with the darker skin pigmentation, we do not have that sort of luxury. Many of us are considered social outcasts by our appearance alone.
Trust me, I know the feeling. I am the only African-American who works in my office building. In my first week, you should have seen the faces of those who worked in the office. Although the climate has gotten a little better, I don't ever remember being asked out to lunch except by the guy I share my office with who seems to be a very decent guy who happens to be white. So you see, there is hope!
Every day that I leave my home I put on the battle face that racism has shown me. It is accepted that when I pay for something at the store, the white clerk puts my money on the counter. It is accepted that when I walk in front of a white woman, she clutches her pocketbook. It is accepted that when I get my truck cleaned and sit down on the bench when they are drying it, no white person sits next to me.
What I have realized is that it is not me who has the problem, but those ignorant, shallow, self-serving oxygen thieves who do. I believe that when all is said and done and we are at the end of our world, the biggest crime against man would be racism because it is a crime that those who are being singled out cannot change. If I had the option to change my skin color I still would want to be black.
Name withheld by request
