WORLD CLASS WEBB
Re: Judd Magilnick’s The
Icon in Winter:
This is an absolute gem of an article. Beautifully written and
profoundly insightful. It should be required reading in any Lit.
101 class and, more importantly, perhaps freshman political
science. This is a smacking rebuke of the silliness that is
political correctness. Again, beautifully written and a sincere
tribute to Jack Webb. I am positive that any remaining friend or
family member must be most proud of this very poignant article.
— Tom Fitzpatrick
Your piece on Jack Webb moved me to tears. I grew up watching
Dragnet and when I joined the Army in 1965 I had a drill
sergeant in basic training who was uncannily like Jack Webb’s
“D.I.” Between two tours in Vietnam, college in the 70’s, and just
living to my present age of 56, I have learned one big truth: Jack
was right: the world really is made up of black and white or good
and evil. There are good guys and there are bad guys and everything
else is unimportant.
Thanks!
— T.L. Jeffrey
Thank you for your exceptional column regarding Jack Webb. It is
wonderfully written and evokes many memories of that era.
I was only a teenager in the 50’s but had the opportunity to see
and meet Jack Webb on occasion at my father’s restaurant (the
original Love’s Barbecue, in Encino) — in the San Fernando Valley,
when the Valley truly was a valley — full of ranches, hidden
homes, rolling hills, horses, and fruit and nut orchards. Indeed
Ventura Boulevard and the business district stopped for all
practical purposes in Encino! (Needless to say, that’s not the
picture now, sadly.)
Jack Webb was at the height of Dragnet fame and, as a
teenager, it was a thrill to see him. He was much as you described
him at your luncheon meeting, only perhaps not as acerbic since he
was riding the phenomenal wave of success at that time and perhaps
not as grieved over his career and the state of matters. But there
was an intensity to the man and, as you say, though smaller than
expected, commanded a presence. But he was also pleasant to my
father and staff, and very nice to a star-struck teen, and we were
pleased to have him and his friends stop by to enjoy our patio
dining under the trees during those warm, balmy evenings in the
Valley. A long time ago…
Thank you for reminding me of this brilliant man and his
exceptional career and contributions — and, also, for reminding me
why once again I am drinking martinis!
Best wishes,
— Sue Hill
Seattle area
GOING TWICE
Re: The Washington Prowler’s The
Black Caucus Is Back!:
Re: The Trent Lott Problem and all your sundry articles (also
click here,
here,
here,
and here)
regarding same.
As prosecutor, judge, and jury, I accuse, indict, and convict
Senator Lott of Supreme Arrogance and Terminal Stupidity. He is
hereby sentenced to relinquish his leadership post forthwith and to
assume the position of “Backbencher” for an undetermined period not
less than two years from Jan. 1, 2003.
For the good of the Republican party, for the good of
Conservatism in all its forms, fashions, ideas, and agendas, for
the good of our country, TRENT LOTT HAS TO GO NOW.
From a life long (45+ years as a voter) Conservative Republican
who has not missed a primary or general election since Nixon’s
first run in 1960 who was born and raised to my adulthood and
beyond inside the Beltway in Maryland within a half dozen blocks of
the D.C. line.
— Ken Shreve
New Hampshire
As a proud member of the vast right-wing conspiracy and avid reader
of the fifth column’s reporting I have an unanswered question that
continues to nag at me.
Why do we care what extreme left partisan’s think?
I see it in this website, the Wall Street Journal’s
editorials today, everywhere. For now, this week, today, it’s all
Trent Lott all the time.
The Trent Lott thing is the epitome of the left’s personal
destruction machine. Yet for some unexplained reason the right
continues to participate in its operation.
For example, I enjoy Laura Ingraham’s radio show but all she
discusses is what the New York Times says about this and
that. Who cares? The NYT is a partisan yellow dog rag!
Jesse Jackson is offended by Trent Lott. Who cares? He’s
offended by anything that gets his name in print.
If everyone knows that this is a leftist personal destruction
machine in operation why even acknowledge it?
We’re intercepting shipments of missiles headed for a theater of
operations where many of our armed forces are and we’re bemoaning
comments made at a birthday party?
Please let’s leave the left to carp and complain about totally
made-up issues and concentrate on real events occurring in the
world.
— Howard Wimbrow
Ocean City, MD
TENDERLY TRAPPED
Re: Lawrence Henry’s :
How is a cop or a nurse going to save $1,000 a month,
considering that the take-home pay for many of those jobs is
probably less than $2,000 a month? How out of touch are you?
— Steve Cornell
Lawrence Henry replies:: If the
take-home pay for a cop or a nurse is $2,000, then the take-home
pay for a cop married to a nurse is $4,000, from which saving
$1,000 a month should be doable. There is a moral here, not really
explored in The Millionaire Next Door, but true
nonetheless: If you want to get rich, get married. And stay
married. Virtually none of the respondents in the
Millionaire survey was single.
THERE OTTA TO BE A LAW
Re: Francis X. Rocca’s Name
Droppings:
Any city, state or nation worth its salt should pass a law
stating that no building, park or institution under the auspices of
the government shall be named after any person who has not been
dead for less than fifty years. In my city there is a grade school
that was originally named after the farmer who donated the land for
the school. About eight years ago the school was renamed in honor
of a minor city politician whose claim to fame was that he started
the annual city Halloween parade. Another school was named after an
organizer of the United Farm Workers despite the fact that there
haven’t been any farms here for thirty years. A third school, which
for fifty years was known as Walnut Street School, was named after
Cesar Chavez. In fifty years will anyone know who these people
were? It’s doubtful. And will anyone but the most geeky political
freak know who Robert Byrd was?
— unsigned
Regarding Francis X. Rocca’s Dec. 13th “Name Droppings,” I have one
thing to say; “Excellent!” I have long wondered about this myself.
When Sen. Bob Torricelli gave his infamous long-goodbye he rattled
off a number of projects that he was responsible for
building/funding. An abused mothers shelter “…that I built.” A
playground “…that I built” — you get the picture. Like
he coughed up the dough to build or fund these things.
Like he went down to a vacant lot with load of lumber and
started pounding away at 7:00 a.m. one morning, all by himself. And
nobody in the media called him on this. But then, as Mr. Rocca
points out, they never do. And they especially never do when it’s a
Liberal claiming credit for something we were forced to
pay to have done, at the point of a gun, so he could get
re-elected and rob us some more.
Good job, Francis! It’s about time.
— Anthony Antetomaso
American citizen/taxpayer
ALL REVVED UP
Re: Enemy Central’s A
Sorry Lott:
It seems Reverend Bob Herbert just might be one of my least
favorite people and a bookend to Reverend Trent Lott. It’s said
that these reverends have a free hand to expound and dictate
morality to all of us parishioners on what’s right and wrong.
Herbert is no better than Lott in what he thinks. He too is hiding
as a purist in the Democratic Party, waiting for someone to
harmlessly say something so that he may rear his ugly head and spew
his “I told you so” rhetoric and say all Republicans are racist….
I am a proud Republican, once a Democrat, who doesn’t think that
Lott is a racist, stupid maybe, but not a racist. I personally hope
that he steps aside so the country can get on with the more
pressing matters of the time ….
— Ron Turnmyre
