The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Giuliani Jitters

5.7.07 @ 12:01AM

(Page 4 of 4)

SHOW AND TELL
Re: Jay D. Homnick's Phone Listings by ABC:

Homnick says "To publicize the names of customers should be illegal in any business."Why? What earthly conservative reason is there for another law? Even worse, Homnick wants a law interfering with freedom of speech, and which seizes property, namely the seller's information.The madness grows -- his suggestion comes from a situation where a procuress plans to reveal the names of her customers. What pressing public need requires either side in that mess to be protected?

If you don't want people to know what you've done, don't do it.

The only law we need is one prohibiting conservatives from demanding new laws on trivial issues, with a subsection requiring the editors of conservative magazines to root such calls out of articles before they are published.
-- Fred Z
Calgary, Canada

Jay Homnick replies:
There is no more conservative principle than confidentiality.

If you don't want it public, don't do it? I can only dye my hair at the hairdresser if I want the world to know? A woman can only buy a girdle if she wants the world to know? A padded bra? You see no reason why merchants should be obligated to protect that information? I disagree.

APOLOGIZING FOR ISLAM
Re: Tim Behrend's letter (under "Al Qaeda's Arcadia") in Reader Mail's Dirty Pool:

Tim Behrend is a classic example of what is wrong with Western thinking regarding militant Islam. While there may not always be formal links between these movements and/or the rogue state that support them their goal to force the submission of the world to Islam is the same. Minimizing, excusing and marginalizing the threat of imperialistic Islam is a dangerous mistake.

It is unfortunate that the majority of Westerners are such poor students of history. Islam has traditionally spread by the sword and this 21st century jihad is no different from of earlier conquests of the Near East, North Africa, Anatolia, Persia, central Asia, Spain, India, the Balkans or wherever else Islam is dominate. Where it is competing for religious dominance violence seems to be a preferred method of proselytizing. Ignoring this reality or the threat will not make it go away. Western apologists for violent Islam are merely insuring the struggle will be longer, more violent and deadly. They are also sowing the seeds for destruction of democracy and the West.

Christopher Orlet and others warning the West of the threat of expansionist Islam are doing yeoman's work for the protection of our way of life and democratic states. Rather than lamely trying to discredit them with fallacious arguments their critics should aim their ire at the Muslim apostles of intolerance and hatred. One can only conclude from their indifference to the terrorists violence that they are either sympathetic to their cause and desire to destroy democracy too or are just well meaning fools.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Jacksonville, North Carolina

HERE'S HOPING
Re: A. DiPentima's letter (under "Honest, Abe") in Reader Mail's Dirty Pool:

I'm flattered that one of your most pointed and articulate letter-writers, also a conservative's conservative (with the exception of his support for Rudy Giuliani), A. DiPentima, took the time to castigate me. I assure Mr. DiPentima that I have looked at myself in the mirror as recently as this morning, when all I noticed was some disheveled hair â€" I didn't see any ogres or suckers.

I admit that the mainstream media favors liberal sensibilities, but, as has been mentioned on this site, Bill O'Reilly and Fox News are not a desirable antidote. My personal solution is to watch as little TV as possible. I stopped subscribing to weekly news magazines decades ago. And anyone who intentionally listens to the likes of Rush Limbaugh for information ought to be sent back to school for remedial education.

On the matter of the position taken by Frank Rich (and the New York Times), I can understand how conservatives might consider this absurd. The reason that I agree with Rich is that I'm at my wits' end after six years of George W. Bush in the White House, and am upset that no journalist, whether liberal or conservative, has shown sufficient mettle to oust the oaf. Despite Ben Stein's predictable sycophantic column today, in which he desperately scours the known universe to find one commendable thing about Bush, I consider the man an unmitigated disaster for this nation, and I believe that if the press had done the job that needs to be done in order for a democracy to function -- keeping the public apprised of the state of affairs -- then Bush would not have been elected for a second term, possibly even a first term. This may be wishful thinking on my part, but that's how our system is supposed to work.
-- Abe Grossman
Pleasantville, New York

THE KINDNESS CONTINUES
Re: Raymond Barton's letter (under "Unity Ticket") in Reader Mail's Dirty Pool:

Is there a way I can say "You're welcome" and "Thank you, too" to Mr. Barton for his kind words?

Thank you,
-- Byron Keith

Letter to the Editor

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