The American Spectator

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Intelligence Matters

6.7.02 @ 12:01AM

HARVARD SQUARED
Re: John Corry's Nieman Harvard:

As a Harvard guy who graduated in the early sixties (BA 1963, MBA 1965), I found Corry's article a "trip down memory lane." I, too, had tea with the Schlesingers; his son, Steve, was in my class. I, too, withdrew from Ken Galbraith's tedious course with his insufferable moralizing. A great article! Keep up the good work.
-- Robert V. Holton, Jr.
Wilmington, DE

SORRY SITUATION
Re: Lawrence Henry's Imagine There's No Israel:

Good point. Just like Israel is galvanized into a unified course of action when its enemies strike, so it would appear the Arab nations use Israel's existence to divert their own populations from their sorry own plight, and justify the Palestinian cause.
-- David Travers
Melbourne, Australia

90-LB. WEAKLAND
Re: George Neumayr's Getaway Weakland:

Excellent article. The only thing I do not agree with you about is that Weakland has succeeded. I think his flagrant actions (and subsequent exposure) will awaken the $20.00 donor in the pew.
-- Annette Cwik

Kudos to Mr. Neumayr for succinctly and brilliantly exposing the rank hypocrisy of liberal clerics like Bishop Weakland who for years have ridiculed their own Church while posing as progressive, compassionate "reformers." The press has been relatively easy on him, though (no surprise there -- it would be too much for them to turn on someone whom they fawned over for years). Thanks again for this bracing, honest evaluation of the whole sordid Weakland story in the Prowler.
-- Vickie Albright
Thousand Oaks, CA

Thanks for the hard-hitting piece on that kidneystone of a bishop. I'm glad we passed him. I put a copy of your story on our rec-room table (I'm in a religious house) and one of the aging liberals got so mad he almost flipped out.
-- identity withheld
(Aw heck, just search for "unusual clergy" at Yahoo)

Great Great Article about Weakland. Thanks.
-- Brian

I would like to know the reference for the statement that before Vatican II, the Holy See proscribed the ordination of a member of religious orders who was "afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty."
-- K. McMahon

George Neumayr replies: That quote appears in The Canon Law Digest (Officially Published Documents Affecting the Code of Canon Law 1958-1962). The website diocesereport.com has posted the relevant section.

PATIENCE RITES
Re: Jed Babbin's Let's Immanentize Their Eschaton:

I thought I had a mind for trivia, remembering that expression from Buckley in the '60s, during my political awakening.

Then he was writing about the impatience of the New Left, and I was thinking of the term about an hour ago while listening to Sean Hannity talking to a conservative caller who was whining about compromises made by President G. W. Bush.

Then it was the New Left wanting instant gratification, refusing to recognize the need for compromise, salami tactics, etc. As a college conservative in the sixties (Iona, '68), I was repulsed, in at least part, by this immaturity. I also remember cartoonist Al Capp being quite caustic about this viewpoint, putting down members of what he called SWINE (Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything).

Letter to the Editor

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