The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Old Town and Older Truths

4.29.02 @ 12:01AM

MARY GO-ROUND
Re: The Prowler's Hughes Behind the Scenes:

Every time I see Mary Matalin's face on television I'm reminded that Washington is the only city I know of where you can find fame, fortune, etc. by running perhaps what was the most incompetent political campaign of modern American history (that is up until the Gore campaign of 2000). Of the many virtues of George H.W. Bush, loyalty to friends like Mary does not rank very highly with me. Oh well, at least Mary and ole Snakehead have decamped from my native and hitherto largely, unspoiled Shenandoah Valley to the more swampy terrain of Old Town Alexandria -- more natural terrain for the Ragin' Cajun.
-- Bill Harrison
Arlington, VA

Everyone's worried that MM will spill GOP secrets to hubby James Carville after hours. What if the reverse is true? MM relates Dem schemes, risky or otherwise, to her political peers in D.C., after eavesdropping on phone conversations, perusing mail and generally just paying attention to JC's ravings. She is in a good position to do this sort of thing, especially since James cannot stop running his mouth.
-- Paul B. Garrison
Greybull, WY

NO NEED TO SHOUT IT
Re: Bill Croke's Rocky Mountain Bohemia:

One fine Winter not so long ago, I just up and left City Life to go to the Bahamas. I worked on boats, acted as the "supply guy" who somehow knew who to call to get those hard to find items and helped practically the whole island who had the means to get connected to the Web and trade e-mail and set up websites for their little B&B or Fishing Camp. Life wasn't particularly difficult; sandals, shorts and an Aloha shirt were considered dressy, food was plentiful if you could deal with fresh fish, lobster and conch, and the temperature never got remotely cold. Why do I not identify this place? Well, the night of my going away party, one of the Old Timers took me aside and asked conspiratorially,

"Do you like this place?

I answered, "Well, yes!"

He smiled and said, "Shhhh!" complete with finger in front of pursed lips.

Now, I thought about this just a little. You'd think that people who lived on tourists would want the word spread in the States about the idyllic paradise just a short plane flight away. The old timer had a point though, a stampede of wretched American Tourists (Not Anti-American at all. Just get on any Cruise Ship. You've seen them and been revolted too) would ruin the place and drive living expenses up for everyone, not to mention essentially killing their town and island culture. I kept quiet, and still do.

So, from the voice of experience, "Shhhh!"
-- Robert Wood

IMPORTANT DETAILS
Re: George Neumayr's In the Absence of Faith:

An old lady I knew remarked,"John has thrown out the baby with the bathwater." She was talking about John XXIII, the pontiff who decided to stem the outflow of the young from the church by modernizing its traditions.

It's been a long time since we've seen a priest in a cassock or a nun in a habit. A long time since we followed the Mass in a Latin missal. A long time since we shunned meat on Friday. A long time since we stopped in to make a visit at our parish church (Most of them are locked up now to keep out thieves.)

Unimportant details? Perhaps. But since they were discarded, the church has been headed downward, ever more rapidly. Our Jewish friends, at least the conservative ones, understand the value of tradition. They still cherish those "unimportant details."
-- Bill McTernan

Thanks for your April 25 column, "In the Absence of Faith." No one has written a better piece about the priest sex-abuse scandal. Although few will admit it, the whole story can be summed up -- As ye sow, so shall ye reap. Our Church "leadership" has rejected Catholic teaching on moral issues and recruited seminarians who reject Catholic teaching, now we're seeing the inevitable result. My favorite moment was when Bishop O'Connell explained why he molested the young seminarian -- he was using an improper technique to help the boy with his sexual issues, and was influenced by the prevailing Masters & Johnson theories. If it wasn't so tragic it would be laughable.

Letter to the Editor

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