MISMANAGEMENT
Re: Jeremy Lott's Crisis
Mismanagement:
Jeremy Lott's article, "Crisis Management" (9/27/04) contains some errors. Besides referring to an organization that doesn't exist ("Catholics for Choice") he engages in some curious speculation.
Referring to Catholic League president Bill Donohue's press release on Deal Hudson, Lott writes, "Responding to complaints, the Catholic League has removed the press release from its website...." How does he know this? In fact, the release was removed because Deal Hudson requested that we remove it. We acceded to his request because he wanted to put this issue behind him. As for Lott's remark that we "attempted a joke at the Virgin Mary's expense," we have files that he can look at to see real jokes at Her expense.
Finally, the characterization of Fr. Benedict Groeschel as a
"ringer" is unfair. To say that his reaction to the sex-abuse
crisis in the Church amounts to "blaming journalists" shows an
ignorance of what Fr. Groeschel has actually written and spoken
about on this topic.
-- Louis J. Giovino
Director of Communications
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
New York, New York
Jeremy Lott replies: The organization is Catholics for a Free Choice. Here's the website.
UNSEDATED
Re: Andrew Cline's I Wanna Be
Sedated:
Conservative punk is not as rare as one may think. Recently I've
discovered that more and more bands have come out against left-wing
garbage like punk voter.com, I guess some punks don't like being
told how they are supposed to think. Please check out www.americanstreak.com for the Crush Kerry conservative
punk compilation.
-- James Cummings
Arcadia, California
STANDING THE HEAT
Re: Eric Peters' Blair's Hot
Air:
The influence of carbon dioxide (which is the main point of
globaloney warming theory) in the heat retention of the atmosphere
is only about one-fourth of one percent when compared to the
influence of water vapor. No amount of human activities now or in
the next thousand years will have any influence on future climate
changes, which, by the way have been going on for a couple of
billions of years without the presence of man. This opinion was
signed by over 17,000 American scientists (of which I am one, Ph.D
in Engineering, UCLA 1968). The silence by the media about the
existence of this document is deafening.
-- Marc Jeric
Las Vegas, Nevada
NOT IN VAIN
Re: William Tucker's Who Says
We Lost in Vietnam?:
I wanted to express my gratitude for Mr. Tucker's essay on the American success in Vietnam.
I am old enough to recall how our troops were withdrawn from the country after destroying the Viet Cong and forcing the North Vietnamese to the treaty table. The Communists reneged on the treaty after our departure, which was predictable, but then the South Vietnamese proved their ability the resist the North's onslaughts as long as American money and materiel were provided as promised.
This support was ended, of course, by a duplicitous U.S. Congress (I'll never forget Millicent Fenwick and her obnoxious pipe!). When the South fell -- at a time when no American combat unit was present in that country -- the media lost no time in declaring the mess, largely of their own making, to be an inglorious American "defeat." At once grim and gleeful, they seemed unable to stop reminding us that this was America's "first lost war." Meanwhile, those members of Congress who had betrayed South Vietnam pleaded against a season of "recriminations."
Mr. Tucker correctly points out that the long-term outcome of
the war has been a backward and impoverished former enemy, now a
humiliated neighbor to nations free and thriving. Perhaps 58,000
young Americans did not die in vain.
-- Timothy A. Swain
Colfax, Indiana
William Tucker's article should be read by every American,
especially every Vietnam vet. I spent 1987 in Thailand. I witnessed
Mr. Tucker's statements corroborated by: veteran missionaries with
decades of Southeast Asian experience, a journalist from "Soldier
of Fortune" magazine, dozens of Vietnamese boat people in the
holding pen at the immigrant jail in Bangkok (yes, they were still
voting with their feet in 1987), the surrender of the last remnant
of the Communist Party of Malaysia to the Thai government, Thai
authors in the Bangkok English language newspapers, and the peace
and prosperity of Thailand. Asia still owes a debt to the American
GI.
-- David Shoup
Augusta, Georgia