HELL’S ANGEL
Steve Hornbeck’s Down
at the Office:
Kudos for such an imaginative article. Who says
conservative-minded people are boring and unable to “think outside
the box”? Excellent article by Steve Hornbeck. I truly enjoyed it.
Please keep up the good work.
— Tim Johnson
Micrel Semiconductor
GEOGRAPHY CLASS
Re: Bill Croke’s Clueless
in Cody:
Great article about the cluelessness of many American travelers.
I will always remember Cody as it was just about 10 miles west of
there, after coming out of Yellowstone (just over those hills),
that one of my front brake pads disintegrated. Imagine my concern,
and that of my family, when we saw chunks of metal trailing out
behind my Dodge Caravan. I slowly made it to Cody. It being a
Saturday I was worried that I would not find anyone open to help or
that parts would not be available in such a “remote” locale. As it
turned out, a local gas station/garage was open and the extremely
helpful mechanic called the nearby NAPA store and was able to
replace the pads and I was on my way after only an hour delay. One
of many great memories of my numerous cross country trips while in
the Navy. When I retire for good I hope I can get back out to
Wyoming again. Great state with lots to see! I currently reside
outside of Harrisburg, PA — think I can make it there by
nightfall??? :)
Thanks for the article.
— Mike
I always enjoy the insight Bill brings to your pages. My wife and I
travel, via car, all over the United States and it is so true that
many people simply do not understand distance. Our recent trip to
Glacier National Park drove this point home for us once again too.
I think some folks expect their video world to extend to instant
video vacations, and hurry up about it!. What ever happened to
stopping to smell the roses?
— Roger Ross
Tomahawk, WI
What a great article!!
When I was a teenager in the 50’s growing up in North Dakota, I
was on tour bus full of teenagers on my way to New York City when a
young man noticed my name tag and asked if North Dakota was a state
yet?! I told him that in North Dakota we were taught the states and
their capitals in second grade. North Dakota like Wyoming has vast
open spaces that I consider very beautiful.
I am also alarmed at the little knowledge that many of our
citizens have about our great country.
— Connie Klecker
Minnesota and Arizona
Bill, I enjoy your amusing tales from Wyoming. As a fledging writer
from Montana, now retired in Southern California, I can relate to
your homespun western humor and wry comments about the literacy of
tourist and the general population in regard to geography. As an
example, when my wife and I lived in New Mexico for several years,
many of our friends and casual acquaintances wondered how we like
living in a foreign country, namely Mexico.
Keep up the good work
— Tom Bullock
West Covina, CA
AMERICAN PILGRIMAGE
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s America’s
Holy Cities:
In case no one else mentioned it, the both Pentagon and the CIA
Headquarters are located in Virginia, not Washington, D.C.
Conservatives might alternatively designate Arlington, home of the
famous cemetery, as their “Holy City,” despite it being within a
Democratic stronghold.
— John McConnell
Herndon, Virginia
How can you pass up San Francisco, the true liberal mecca where the
progressive elite hold their deserved sway over the lumpen masses
and have enshrined the liberal belief that, since all the pinkish
social engineering they’ve done to date has failed, the only thing
left to do is more of it?
— Richard McEnroe
Citizens and boosters of Charleston, South Carolina have referred
to their town as the “Holy City” for many generations. The origin,
I suspect, has to do with the large number of churches (almost one
on every corner in the peninsular part of the town between the
Ashley and Cooper Rivers). It also relates to the proud (but not
haughty) nature of the citizens. I am told it is frequently voted
the most polite city in America, an honor one would never consider
bestowing on Washington, Chicago or Hollywood.
— Stuart S. Settle, Jr.
Richmond, VA
R. Emmett Tyrrell’s column about America’s holy cities reminded me
of Ambrose Bierce’s definition of mammon. “Mammon,” he wrote in
The Devil’s Dictionary, “God of the world’s major
religion. Its temple is in the holy city of New York.”
— Bill Roughton
Fairfax Station, VA
Go scour the USA for a place where a saint or saints have lived and
worked, or where God has manifested Himself, opened a new
revelation or traditional dispensation or accomplished some great
prodigy, and you will find your holy city. What? You can’t locate
such a place? There is your answer.
I would have laughed at Tyrrell’s tongue-in-cheek article, but
for my suspicion that his tongue is only halfway in (out?)…
— Jeffrey S. Erickson
Davidson, NC
Exquisite! I hate to admit it, but I had forgotten how ineffable is
Tyrrell’s talent for satire. He is truly America’s Addison and
Steele.
— J. R. Wheatley
Harper Woods, MI
I loved your column tonight and wonder why you did not say, “Las
Vegas,” city of the holy rollers? (groan:)
Anyway, I will probably be writing in with a rant soon as I am
reading too much “stuff,” should just stick with you fellows.
— Carole
Just a minute — there is no precedent that I am aware of, at any
rate, for having a capital city also the Holy City. Think about it.
Najaf — not Baghdad, Qom — not Tehran, and Mecca — not Riyadh.
Washington, therefore, cannot possibly qualify. I propose Garden
Grove, California. We have the Crystal Cathedral, an ideal location
for a pilgrimage, and by the way, it’s only a short couple of miles
from Disneyland.
— Jim Heideman
Garden Grove, CA
Well, we may not have holy cities, but the liberals and their
language distortions have given us something almost as good. We
have “sacred” Indian stuff. Yes, anything Indian or, as they say
Native American, must be viewed as “sacred.” Any noun referring to
Indian material, “burial ground,” “headdress,” or “totem,” for
example, must be preceded by the word “sacred.” When carried to its
natural conclusion, we will have “sacred Indian casinos,” “sacred
Indian relics,” and “sacred Indian tractors.” And, just as Muslim
priests have decreed that certain cities in their part of the world
are holy , in our part of the world, the priests of liberal culture
have declared everything Indian to be sacred.
— M in Colleyville
Mr. Tyrrell has missed the obvious, though I can easily forgive
him. Has he ever been to Nashville?
Thank ya, vera much.
— Jim Sweet
The Editor replies: Yes, during his
Hoosier years in Bloomington, Mr. Tyrrell often visited Nashville,
Indiana, in neighboring Brown County.
CRISIS INTERVENTION
Re: David Hogberg’s Among
the Tax-and-Spenders:
My state, Alabama, is said to face a budget deficit requiring
1.5 Billion in new taxes (25% of the state’s 2002 revenue).
It is a phony claim for several reasons:
*Alabama’s constitution prohibits deficit spending, and provides
pro ration instead.
*State tax revenues have increased $625 million (11 %) from 1998
through 2002 (latest figures)
* The bulk of the “crisis” is said to be under funded public
schools. A bogus claim, but mega bucks for the all powerful
teachers union. No publi official has ever detailed the
“shortfall”.
I strongly suspect that except for a few states, like
California, the Crisis is manufactured just as it is in
Alabama.
— G.B. Hall
Montgomery, AL
PIKES PIQUE
Re: Reid Collins’ Let’s
Not Go to the Videotape
Mr. Collins needs to take a closer look at American History. Not
only did the founders come here for freedom to worship as they
pleased, to explore new lands, to do as they pleased, they also did
put heads on pikes. In Plymouth colony. I’m not suggesting it’s
what should or should not have been done, nor am I implying that we
should or should not do the 21st century-technologically possible
equivalent. Simply that Mr. Collins should better check his
facts.
— unsigned
ON THE MOVE
Re: Reader Mail’s Talking
Back to Old Europe:
Several eloquent writers (Carrigg, Diaz, Dana and Tinder, among
others) supplied considerable “comeuppance” to a demented view
expressed earlier — but there was one point about the Middle East
apparently forgotten: The Arabs/Palestinians of that general region
were nomads. Nomads! They went wherever there was
something-to-get/find/eat. And when a bunch of Jews turned the
desert into citrus groves, gardens and a very livable place?
Then, by golly, more than a few of the former camel caravans
decided to stay put, stick around, and partake of the goodies —
nomads no more. Just thought I’d remind you about some history most
have ignored …
— Geoff Brandt
Everett, WA
