UNWORTHY OPPONENT
Re: Francis X. Rocca’s Worthy
Opposition:
As per usual Francis Rocca makes valid points, and does so
lucidly. But I would dispute his assertion that many on the Right
look at Clinton merely as a “hick and a callow bumbler.” In fact
most people on both sides of the political spectrum know Clinton to
be both intelligent and clever, and possessing of formidable
political skills. The fact that he managed to get himself impeached
doesn’t belie that.
I would similarly contend that many people regardless of
political persuasion know Clinton to be, as George Will elegantly
put it, “an unprincipled and deeply dishonest man.” And for these
reasons those on the Right properly understood that while president
he jeopardized the country’s security with his cavalier attitude
toward, and feckless conduct of, foreign policy, and imperiled the
office of the presidency with his wretched and dishonorable
behavior.
Many on the Left deep down probably agree with this assessment,
but they will never admit it. This is the essence of the difference
between the Right and the Left: The latter ignored the danger
Clinton represented because they were and continue to be so
ideologically blinded in their raw pursuit of power that what might
best for the nation simply cannot enter into their thinking. For
this reason the Democratic Party cannot be entrusted with the
security of this nation.
— Paul DeSisto
Cedar Grove, NJ
HURRY BACK
Re: Thomas Pearson’s Party
Crashers:
Perhaps the most effective weapon that the WTO could use to
discourage the protesters would simply be to hold the conference in
the same city two years in a row. Imagine how differently these
people would be received by local law enforcement on their second
visit …
— Randy Gammon
Drexel, MO
Well, the Cancun Fanatics certainly did not help Cancun or the rest
of the world with their fanatical garbage…..
— A concerned American Citizen
CASH AND TELLER
Re: Paul Beston’s King
John:
The deaths of Johnny Cash and his uncle, Sheb Wooley, in
Tennessee — I think that was their relationship; for those of us
from the south kinship used to get complicated and you might end up
through fortuitous marriage being “your own grandpa” — both of
whom did a fair amount of film and television acting, has reminded
me of Hollywood’s casting blunders. They have marred classics like
Shane, in which Alan Ladd should have been disqualified
for the lead by his age and short stature; didn’t director George
Stevens notice that the perfect Shane was Ben Johnson, who was
playing the ultimately decent cowboy whom Alan Ladd improbably beat
up in the saloon fight? And in Fred Zinneman’s High
Noon(Sheb Wooley was one of the gunmen waiting at the railroad
station for the sheriff’s nemesis), Gary Cooper should have been
Grace Kelly’s grandfather rather than her husband. But what I
especially remember was that a still boyishly slim Johnny Cash sang
the theme over the beginning and credits of the “Rebel” television
series — “Johnny Yumaaaa road through the wwwwest” — and he would
have been the personification of Johnny Yuma, as Nick Adams, a
smallish, bowlegged, little man with thinning hair, was not.
— J.R. Wheatley
Harper Woods, MI
Readers, over the decades, who contributed more to America — to
its very survival — than Dr. Edward Teller?
From the fawning news accounts, it’s evidently one of the Johns
(Ritter or Cash).
Children, want to join America’s pantheon? Learn how to make us
hum or giggle. That’s what matters. That’s what we Americans
value.
— David Govett
www.japanorama.com
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH
Re: Steven Martinovich’s The
Ever Evolving Brain:
It was not long ago that The American Spectator was the
proud home of George Gilder and his idiosyncratic brand of
technological optimism. How times have changed. Is the
Spectator now simply another member of the crowded field
of neo-luddite fear mongers.
Every technical and scientific advance inheres risk. Pointing at
those risks is blindingly easy and putrifyingly boring. Steven
Martinovich’s review of Dr. Richard Restak’s The New Brain
is just one more piece in a long, long, wrong-headed campaign to
predict the harmful effects on society of some new technology.
The irony is Martinovich ignores the issues of personal liberty
and subjective choice when degrading the “medicalization” of
shyness and somber philosophic personalities. Should it not be the
individual themselves that decide whether a “condition” is a
“problem” needing treatment?
As an adult with ADD, I have heard many experts pontificate on
the topic. The experts refer to population studies and brain
chemistry and the full regalia of technocratic expertdom. Rarely,
however, do the experts refer to the people themselves. Empathy and
respect are not the tools of such experts. They would impose their
judgment over mine, their expertise over my experience. A classic
example of Virginia Postrel’s “disenchanting of the world” by
people who cannot tolerate the risk of change.
The real ever evolving brain has evolved exactly the capacity to
rapidly adapt to technological progress. It is the very
constitution of our humanity. This is to be celebrated. Instead,
Martinovich and Restak want to slow down the pace of change so they
can better understand and control it. They want to rob us of our
humanity in the name of saving us from ourselves. In truth, they
just want to complain and demand the world comfort them.
Fortunately, the world will do what is has always done — ignore
them and keep evolving.
— Paul Philp
DUSTY MEMORIES
Re: Bill Croke’s Sparks
Flying:
Bill Croke really has a handle on the western U.S. As an
Oregonian, I find it refreshing to see some local color and history
of the west that does not include the dreary area called Southern
California.
I have a couple of in-law relatives who recently moved from San
Rafael near San Francisco to Sparks. They seem to like it because
of the golf courses and the fact that they are out of California.
I’ve never actually been in Sparks, but I have spent a bit of time
in Reno. Anyone who wants my share of Reno is very welcome to it. I
have found it to be too dry, windy and dust ridden for my tastes.
In a word, it is a dirty little town. Unlike Las Vegas whose Strip
actually glitters day and night, Reno to me is a down-at-the-heels
second choice. The only thing I miss about Reno is the now
destroyed Mapes Hotel. It was a grand old place as I remember it
from a 1952 visit and overnight.
Thanks Bill. Keep those western U.S. articles coming.
— Al Martin
Depoe Bay, OR
RAISING CAIN
Re: The Prowler’s Reply to Buzz Brockway’s letter (“Senate Splash”)
in Reader Mail’s Courting
Disaster:
I’m not privy to Sen. Allen’s thinking but I’m afraid there’s
more to the effort to get Herman Cain into this campaign than his
money.
As of right now there is no serious Democratic candidate for
that Senate seat, and experienced observers (including commentator
Bill Shipp, who I believe is still a Democrat despite the 2002
election results) expect that if former UN ambassador Andrew Young
enters the campaign he will not be running to win — he is said to
be not in good health and his ability to energize support outside
metro Atlanta is thought to be very weak.
At this point Rep. Johnny Isakson is considered the frontrunner
both for the GOP nomination and the victory in November. Both he
and Mac Collins are experienced fundraisers and should have no
trouble mounting a serious campaign even if Young does make a
serious effort on his own part. (Full disclosure: Mac Collins is my
congressman and I would very much like to see him in the
Senate.)
No, I really think the calculation here is that both Young and
Cain are African-Americans. As a Virginian and therefore nominally
a Southerner, Sen. Allen should know better than to play such
obvious racial games.
I have no problem with Herman Cain being in the campaign and I
wish him well. If he should win the nomination I will show up at
the polls bright and early on Election Day to vote for him, and
depending on how he campaigns in the primary I could very well vote
for him then.
I fear, however, that if Mr. Cain is the nominee the role of
Sen. Allen in urging him to join an already solid field of
Republican candidates might backfire on the party — in a state
where racial tensions have been artificially kept inflamed for the
last few years over such flimsy issues as the state flag and the
name of Atlanta’s airport.
— Kevin McGehee
Coweta County, GA
www.McGeheeZone.com
IN THE MONEY
Re: Brandon Crocker’s Euro
Envy:
Brandon Crocker hits one over the fence with, “Howard Dean and
his ideological friends in the ‘Democratic wing of the Democratic
Party’ are hoping that we no longer care about our heritage and
that we are willing to sacrifice our liberties for the promise of
more European-style paternalism. “
But aren’t these the same Democrats that accuse John Ashcroft
and the Bush administration of trampling on our individual rights
and civil liberties?
The same Democrats that applaud the Ninth Circuit Court, and
judges like Judge Pregerson, for ruling with their conscience and
“what is right” rather than with the law while filibustering
qualified Bush nominees for that same reason?
If hypocrisy were money, the Democrats would be
trillionaires!
— Greg Barnard
Franklin, TN
MOVING ON
Re: Paul Beston’s Have
We Forgotten Yet?
I found your website someone posted to the Syracuse.com forum
section on 9/11. If I could be so crass as to answer Paul Beston
…
What about the Revolutionary War? Civil War? WW I, even? People
forget, they cannot keep anger, pain, vengeance inside long if they
were directly connected.
It’s not forgetting. It’s the return of life. Return to
monotony, such as myself being on disability because of Parkinson’s
Disease. It’s not healthy to dwell on the past, nor is it healthy
some of the routines of life are either really if it is lived
outside the moral, clean American way of the 1950’s really. But, it
is living.
Ask a Vietnam veteran, real or imagined, about “his” war. It is
over, just textbook history if they have written much about it.
The History Channel seems to be “living” more in World War II,
since it was the last real “good” war. Sixteen million went to war
that time, nine million stayed home. Vietnam, the figures were
reversed. Supposedly, we are to continue into the 22nd Century
fighting little, dirty, continuos wars unless we hit the jackpot —
WW III.
I served during Vietnam, in the Navy, at a European post. I
missed Vietnam duty by eight months since the Air Force had just
taken over our missions before I left the states.
We “era” veterans were sidelined from discussing war because the
“in-country’s” were so maligned when we got home. Nobody wanted to
greet any returning veteran just because of hard feelings about
Vietnam. There was an inner anger about the war whether one fought
there or not. Yet it was the first “segregated” war — not by color
but by where you were.
WW II vets didn’t suffer the ignominy of having two veterans’
distinctions as did Vietnam…have you heard of a WW II “era”
vet?
There are atrocities of all types from war. Thank God we don’t
have to dwell on them.
Unfortunately “Patriots’ Day” will soon degenerate into what has
become a sore point for veterans … only a “big sale” day such as
happens when a special remembrance day comes around.
— John L. Simson
Greenbriar Home for Adults
Homer, NY
STANDING FIRM
A hearty “Amen!” to Mr. Neumayr’s column, “The
Oui Republican.” This has been my personal battle with
other conservatives. The fact that people continuously say “Well, I
would vote for Tom M, but he’s not winnable” means to me, that if
we all actually committed to voting for him, he very well could
win. But Republicans have conceded the loss already, instead of
defining the race. We looked at the early numbers of Arnold and
Bustamante and gave up. We heard the Republican leaders say “well
I’m voting for Arnold” and we gave up.
I will not give up. The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy, not
my friend. I will not sell my principles in order to get a Democrat
in the governor’s mansion, even if the Republican leaders like
Drier and Cox have.
— Denise Grimes
