Copyright 1995 The Seattle Times Company
The Seattle Times
May 14, 1995, Sunday, Final Edition
SECTION: ISSUES; TIMES LETTER AWARD; Pg. B9
LENGTH: 357 words
HEADLINE: COMFORT FOOD AND COMFORT MUSIC ARE WHAT'S NEEDED AFTER RECENT EVENTS IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND ELSEWHERE
BODY:
Brice McDaniel of Seattle is the winner of The Times' letters award for April. His letter, published April 30, reacts to the Oklahoma City bombing and other recent events. The Times editorial staff picks the winning letter. Editor, The Times:
Are you reeling too?
Oklahoma City. Waco. Patriots. Terrorists. Islamic. Home-grown. Michigan in camouflage. Jurors in black. (What, a mistrial?) Kansas, Arizona, Texas, California. John Doe No. 2. Unabomber. Material witness. Leg chains. Organic farm. Two million dollars. Death penalty. Teddy bears. Orange jumpsuit. Two sons. Swift/certain/severe. Bill and Billy. Ribbons. Putrification. Rain.
Ryder truck. New World Order. Four tons. FBI, ATF, CNN, Russian tanks, U.N., OK, OJ, DOA. Fertilizer. Heartland. Toys. Terror. Disinfectants. Political advantage. Rush and Bill. (Newt who?) Nine floors. Broken glass. Rescue. Concrete. Slow. Shoring. Piece-by-piece. Hope. Commercial break. Bernard Shaw. Theme song. Dogs.
One hundred days. One hundred fifty missing. First Amendment. Second Amendment. Randy Weaver. Tenth Amendment. Devolution. (Oh, that Newt.) King/Koppel. Kate-the-houseguest. Kato-the-dog. Mailer and Oswald. Stone and JFK. Microchip in buttocks. Glove at Rockingham. McNamara. Vietnam. Transmitters in dollar bills. "Did you smear blood inside the Bronco?" D'Amato and Ito. Uma. Oprah. Barney Fag. Kids in voids. One Marine. Desk. Sitting. Dead.
Tomorrow I'll pick the newspaper off the porch, toss it and its rubber band into the recycle can, unplug the TV, and turn it to the wall. I'll simmer a strong, cracked-bone beef stock, add carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, salt, pepper, and big, big, chunks of beef. I'll stew it all day until the kitchen smells right and the juice is thick enough to float a mound of sour cream. I'll make bread from scratch - just flour, water, yeast, and salt - I'll knead it as long as it feels good to knead, I'll bake the bread, soften some butter, bubble the stew, and listen to Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves and Keith Jarrett. Comfort food and comfort music. I'm taking a day off. Brice McDaniel Seattle
GRAPHIC: PHOTO BRICE MCDANIEL