CASINO LOCALE:
Re: George Neumayr’s Casino
Country:
Awesome article, just what we are suffering in Jamul, CA.
— Jonathan Shultz
WAYS AND MEANINGS
Re: Francis X. Rocca’s The
Third World Way:
Francis X. Rocca’s general comments on religious conservatism
allude to many important additional issues. I would like to make
three points:
1. Mr. Rocca writes of Anglicanism (Episcopalianism in the U.S.)
and Catholicism in the spirit of one being the peer of the other.
It is a healthy attitude, for Anglicanism, although “protestant,”
is not Protestant. In fact the two have so much in common that, in
this more “cooperative” era, one validates that other … or in the
case of the “progressives,” one can help destroy the other.
2. Should any person actively engaged in any sexual
relationship, outside of a marriage between a man and a woman, be
knowingly ordained to the deaconate or priesthood, thus affecting
“liberalization” of church-wide policy such a church, by one
self-indulgent move in the guise of “fairness,” ceases to be a
Christian church.
3. In the case of the Episcopalians in the U.S., holding to
religious tradition is fundamentally serious. It was the
Episcopalian communion (pre-Revolutionary Anglican) that exerted
far-reaching influence on the ethics and norms that undergird the
cultural foundation of our Republic. For our country to continue on
into the future, such values must be continued in the lives of a
significant number of citizens — citizens who depend upon their
religious communion to be truthful, regardless of strong
destructive social norms to the contrary.
4. For more on No. 3 above, read The Way of the WASP: How It
Made America and How It Save It … So To Speak by Richard
Brookhiser.
— Carl G. Pyper
Monett, MO
Mr. Rocca’s article on religion once more shows his complete
ignorance of what Christianity is really about. Not once in his
diatribe did he mention Jesus Christ, the Apostles, or even the
Bible. Instead he launches into a conservative/liberal schism
centered around homosexuality. Mr. Rocca seems to forget that God
condemns sin for what it is and that homosexuality is an
abomination unto the Lord, as stated in the Bible, which while
written by man, is the word of the Lord. Therefore the “Third World
Christians” are not conservative per se, but follow their faith
according to its tenets. On the other hand, the “white European and
North American Christians” have fallen into sin and away from the
tenets of their faith, which they try to pass off as
progressiveness. The Christian faith is not subject to populous
whim but to what is stated in the Bible. It’s about time a
supposedly intelligent man like Mr. Rocca realized that.
— Pete Chagnon
THE SOUNDS OF MUSIC
Re: Lawrence Henry’s About
Songs:
Lawrence Henry correctly points out the major difference between
songs “then” and “now.” He mentioned Oldies stations.
Can anyone believe, twenty-five years from now, that there will
be Oldies stations playing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” or
anything from Britney Spears?
— Greg Barnard
Franklin, TN
What passes for music today (ad nauseam) is nothing more than the
noise of clashing junk akin to Fibber McGee’s famous closet. Since
I was raised in a home that valued light classic music and the big
bands while my youthful musical interests strayed toward Dixieland,
Klezmer, country and other folk music tastes, it came as a body
blow when the painful “rock” hit the public market. My seminal
moment came when I was standing outside Oregon’s stunning
Timberline Lodge at night during a light snowfall and the
earsplitting cacophony of “Rock Around the Clock” boomed out over
loudspeakers. The strong urge to vomit swept through me. Over the
years, things went downhill from there. There is no way that I
would set a radio dial to today’s “top tunes” as what comes out of
the radio is far too upsetting. It is too painful and disturbing;
certainly not what my idea of what music is supposed to do for
us.
I can remember songs we would sing around a campfire in summer
camp or even those that were popular during WWII. We knew the
words, the music and we could dance to the tunes. Can anyone repeat
the words of, much less sing, today’s popular songs? What’s the
point? Noise along with the mind-numbing beat of drums. I just
don’t get it. Band leaders who have mastered maybe four chords of a
guitar and dress like sex starved hobos dragging in millions of
dollars while they screech and shout obscene words. Why are these
talentless creeps so admired?
What is such a shame is that the technology of music recording
is far beyond anything I could have dreamed of as a kid and yet it
is garbage that one finds on today’s CDs. I do appreciate the
remastering of the grand old tunes and the great artists and bands
of yesteryear. I value my collection of old vinyl records and once
in a while buy a CD of good music if I can find a treasure amid the
trash in today’s stores.
— Al Martin
Depoe Bay, OR
Perhaps the recording industry would be able to recover if they
actually started producing songs again. That is, if they could
recognize one…
— Ross Kelsey
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
Re: Robert Garcia Tagorda’s An
Affirmative Action Memoir:
Congratulations, Mr. Tagorda! You are now an honorary White
Person (a person of no-color). You must now refer to yourself as a
“Honky,” affect a deep-South drawl, and learn to drive race
cars.
When I was in high school (class of 1971), my SATS were circa
1400, I was a National Merit scholar, and my father was unemployed.
We were broke. Had I been non-no-color, it staggers the imagination
how much money would have been thrown at me. The National Merit
Foundation gave me exactly zero.
— Jim Stevenson
NETWORK NEWS
Re: Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder’s In
the Business of Telling Lies:
One thing that has not, it seems, received attention is the
conduct of Messrs. Sulzberger and Raines in the initial release
they issued on the Blair scandal. In the midst of detailing Blair’s
every petty cash peccadillo and creative comma, they found time to
highlight editor Boyd’s “old-boy’s-club” fostering of Blair’s
career. This is the only concrete example of management wrongdoing
they initially chose to disclose; ironically, it is the only piece
of genuinely professional behavior amidst the three of them. An
African-American professional looked out for the career of another
African-American man: how else exactly did the Jews, the Irish and
the Italians make their way into the mainstream of American
society?
On the other hand, little Pinch, telling us we shouldn’t blame
the publisher who runs the paper with all the sophistication of the
cellar-dwelling anarchist on “That 70 s Show,” and Bubba Raines,
weeping and lamenting that he once breathed the same air as Bull
Connor, when push came to shove, rose to the demands of their
beliefs by trying to dump the blame on the nearest black man. Lucky
for them the Newspaper of Record doesn’t think there’s a story
there…
— Richard McEnroe
SPECIAL MEN
Re: Jed Babbin’s Double
Down:
During WWII, there was an outfit formed of both American and
Canadian soldiers called the First Special Service Force. They took
their training just outside Helena, Montana. They were a very
clandestine outfit, thus the name they were given. This was
intentional for security reasons. But they were highly trained in
commando tactics.
This outfit was 1,800 fighting men strong but accomplished so
much. Their first action in Italy was to take a mountain, Monte
LaDifensa, that had stopped the entire 5th Army for about 5 months
with huge losses. One company of 600 men climbed this mountain
after dark and managed to either wipe out the Germans or send them
off the mountain. They were used further by the 5th Army Commanding
General, Mark Clark, to pave the way for his troops’ success in
conquering Italy.
This outfit had large casualty numbers, but never gave up an
inch of ground or lost a battle. From this outfit the modern day
Special Forces was derived. Your article concerning the value of
Special Ops troops made me remember this gallant outfit, and how
valuable specially trained troops are to any army. Any President
who does not realize this should not be leading a country or
Commander-in-Chief of an army.
— Jackson Brannon
MORE ON MARTHA
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s Get
Off Stewart’s Case:
I have been trying to figure out why the feminists and the
liberal elites haven’t stepped forward to defend a woman who
obtained their Holy Grail — BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING and she did
it on her own!!!
It finally dawned on me that they hate the fact that she “made
it” based on showing women how to do everything the feminists
walked away from — making a lovely, comfortable HOME while BAKING
COOKIES!!
— Mrs. Mary E. Quinn
Penfield, NY
MIXED BLESSINGS
Re: George Neumayr’s Hit
and Run Liberals:
Did anyone really think they (the Catholic Church) would allow
an honest man to handle the responsibility of searching
out the truth and the solution to their sins??? Of course not.
Stonewalling and deception is their game! Frank Keating was doomed
before he began.
The church has gotten away with this tactic for far too long.
They feel they are above the law, that all their dirty little
secrets would never be found out, no one would have the nerve to
question those wearing the collar. As long as they were able to get
away with the crime, they kept it going, while using the
parishioners contributions to pay off the victims and the adoring
faithful, praying on their pity. Well, they have been found out,
and it will not be easy for the flock to forgive. People will still
believe in their God, but the trust they had will have to be
earned. And the money contributed will have to be accounted
for.
Yes, I am a life long Catholic, who graduated from Catholic
School. One of these “monsters” baptized my mother shortly before
my dad passed away in 1991—-she thought she could not be buried
with my dad if she were not baptized — he proceeded to do this
before she was able to tell her children, and made himself her
Godfather. Last year his name was among 6 local priests who were
“relieved” of their duties due to behavior involving children.
Though not of the severe pain the children suffered at the hands of
these molesters, it infuriated me that his name is on my mom’s
baptismal certificate. I commend Frank Keating for his attempt to
right a wrong. He should hold his head high.
— Mrs. Rose Van Alstyne
It was so sad reading George Neumayr’s June 18 column, “Hit and Run
Liberals.” For those of us older Catholics who knew the Church in
America when it seemed to be the center of civilization, it is
agonizing to see how the diabolical efforts to destroy the Church
are gaining ground, largely through the actions of our highest
Church officials like Cardinal Mahony, Cardinal Weakland and
spineless bishops. I wonder where the Catholic Church will survive
when the final demolition takes place? Nigeria? Korea? We know it
will survive because Jesus told us so — but He did not guarantee
that it would survive everywhere.
But in addition to feeling sad for myself, in seeing what is
lost, I feel heartbroken for all those younger Catholics who will
never know the beauty of the True Faith. They will never learn it -
certainly not by following their American shepherds. I also feel
the suffering that George Neumayr went through in having to write
such a piece and having to admit the facts that he did. What a
tragedy.
— Laurette Elsberry
Sacramento, CA
As a practicing Catholic, I want to offer my profound thanks for
your consistent and persistent pursuit of the truth regarding the
ongoing abuse cover-up by the Catholic bishops in America. You most
recent piece on Bishop O’Brien is another gem of insight and
clarity on the situation. I hope and I pray that there are Catholic
clergy and bishops especially who are reading your columns and
using them to fire their spirits for the Herculean task of cleaning
out our Church. I firmly believe our Church will survive, but I
also know that it will take a miracle and the heroic efforts of
stalwarts like you for it to happen. God bless you!
— Mimi Hall Uhlmann
