The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Make Way for 'The Infiltrator'

10.2.03 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 3)

What Mr. Bowman fails to notice in the film, is that it is Luther's being "captive to the Word" which drives him to confess at peril to his life. This is thoroughly un-modern and counter-cultural in this 21st century. Unfortunately the reviewer chose to distort the film by throwing it into an anti-Catholic movement in our culture. I would agree that there are such tendencies in our culture and they are of concern to me. This film does not strike me as a part of that tendency. The portrayal of early sixteenth century Western Christianity is as accurate as a film covering a span of 25 years can be expected to be.

I would suggest that the reviewer view the film again -- without the biases which blinded him to what the film actually portrays. He might even begin to understand why Luther remains such a towering figure in the history of Western thought. He will also understand the films portrayal of Luther's friend Ulrich and of the Electors at the Diet of Augsburg. Captivity to the Word and the compulsion to share the Good News with others who languish in self-absorbed hopelessness are motifs the reviewer would do well to note at his second viewing of the film. He will perhaps discover that he over-looked and failed to hear much of the film.
-- Michael Zamzow
Little Suamico, WI

CREATIVE SIGNS
Re: Richard McEnroe's letter ("Create Something First") in Reader Mail's Sticking It to Stuck Democrats :

In response to Mr. R. McEnroe:

1) I am coauthoring a book on Linux for the University at which I teach. I have also written several articles on Open Source deployments. Have been the programmer, designer or systems architect on two dozen projects over the years. So I know of the effort associated with IP related products. But no, I am not a musician.

2) If 10 million people download one of your songs that you have not positioned yourself to get paid via the medium, that is a marketing problem not a crime scene. The RIAA has consistently resisted any effort to develop or accept a pay per song schema for the Internet. The RIAA at this writing is making waves about the Apple pay for play download site.

3) The record industry is stealing from you today if you walk into a local Office Max and buy blank CD's. As a compromise plan, Congress passed back in the late 80's, a bill that the record industry would be reimbursed for "fair use" copying of CD's. The provisions of that bill were to apply to audio CD's only but it is applied to all CD's at point of manufacture. So when you or I buy a 50 pack a percentage of the cost goes to the record industry, even if I only intended to use them to back up my PC. That, Sir, is conversion.

4) I would agree that each player in the record chain is only taking a small percentage, adding to the costs. And there is the rub. Most of the players are not required anymore. Sorry. I have been part of or seen whole layers of middlemen eliminated in several industries due to information/automation of the supply chain. I usually follow Jazz as a genre. Most of the artists have small followings. I buy most of my CD's direct from the artist -- $10-12. He is getting the lion's share of the profit. If you wish to see the future of music, look at Amazon. Several artists sell through this venue, collapsing the supply chain.

5) Lastly I would suggest a review of Jefferson and Madison on the issue of patents and IP in general. Had it not been for these two gentlemen this country would not have a Patent Office at all. But if you read their assessments IP is to be used to promote the scientific and intellectual arts not to suppress them as is generally done today in the business arena.

I do not condone stealing property. But the RIAA's tactics and inability to address change is unacceptable. Give the American Public a means to buy a single song electronically and this issue will become moot.
-- John McGinnis
Arlington, Texas

Letter to the Editor

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