#title Letters to the Editors #author Various Authors #SORTauthors Various Authors; #date 1967 #source [[https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/28-april-15-30-1967/letters-to-the-editors]] #lang en #pubdate 2025-06-16 #notes Fifth Estate #28, April 15–30, 1967 *** To the Editor: After reading an article in the FIFTH ESTATE entitled “Detroit’s Shameless Old Lady, the Eastern Market” [[[https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/27-april-1-15-1967/detroits-shameless-old-lady/][FE #27, April 1–15, 1967]]], I was a bit pissed off at all the lies. I was very interested in the ‘old Lady’. last summer, so interested that I worked alongside these ‘black gypsies’ for 2-1/2 months. After reading this article, I feel that these people were terribly underrated. In the article, it was stated that Negro workers were paid $2. and a bottle of wine for a days work. I ask you, now—how dumb do you think these people are? The standard pay on the Market for loading and unloading a truck is $1.25 per hour. At the end of 8 hrs., that’s $10. At the end of 6 days that’s $60., NOT $12. and 6 bottles of wine. The article also states, “retailers who have enslaved these local black gypsies—laughing and joking with their ‘boys,’ patting them on their heads and buying them a bottle of wine.” This is a real laugh. The black boys are strong men and nobody doubts that on the Market. They may be mistreated because of prejudice, but they are needed for the backbreaking work and I assure you that they are not “patted on the head.” They may be called black so-in-so’s, but no heads get patted down there. You can also believe the workers have names for their bosses too. Oddly enough, black sweat and white sweat are the same color. So, dear hippie, if you ever decide to get up at 3 in the morning again, wake up before writing your next article. Tony Belland Detroit P.S. The bitch puts food on your table every day. *** To the Editor: B’YEWWTIFUL, I’ll never react to that agriculture mart with the same vibrations after digesting the travelogue prose of Detroit’s dynamic duo of ethnic soul [[[https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/27-april-1-15-1967/detroits-shameless-old-lady/][FE #27, April 1–15, 1967]]]. Let’s have more of their sensuous phantasmagoria. Let’s have Malone and Fresojevich again take us on trips through their gifted poet’s eyes to all of the equally cosmic-rich areas of our prosaic life boundaries, such as Delray, Oak Park, Belle Isle, Lafayette Clinic or Hrvatski Dom. Perhaps an Afro-American could work with them on an expose, “Inside 12th Street” and a Polie could aid them in a word portrait of Hamtramck. We the people need those such as Malone and Fresojevich who can separate the plastic from the chaff—ergo the Hippy Ethnic Chamber of Commerce. We the people need Malone and Fersojevich to expand our minds. We the people need Malone and Fresojevich to cleanse our systems. We the people need everything. Mirko Bjokovich (phonetically) Detroit *** To the Editor: “Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!” said Allen Ginsberg. Leary said, “You are a god, live like one.” But the Blackmask (BLACK-MASK ANSWERS LEARY, [[https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/26-march-15-31-1967/black-mask-answers-leary/][FE #26, March 15–31, 1967]]) know we are not god but are human. And as human, love should be our way. With love there will be no Franco Spain, Watts, Auschwitz, or Viet Nam. “Burn, Baby, Burn” will be the uniting flame of love prophetized by Blake and Ginsberg and the “Revolution” will be peace sung of once by angels to good men. Pax. Larry M. St. Laurent Marquette *** Dear Friend, We were glad to see an article by F.H. Tichenor on the M-16 rifle reprinted in your [[https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/25-march-1-15-1967/the-m-16-rifle/][issue 25 of March 1–15, 1967]]. We would however have appreciated some recognition of the fact that, although it first appeared in the Minority of One, in its present form it appeared in Peace News. Rod Prince, Editor Peace News London EDITOR’S NOTE: Sorry, Rod.