The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Do the Math

7.31.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 3)

Lisa Frabrizio assumes -- quite erroneously -- that Americans know their own history, and that substance trumps symbolism.

Ask Hillary Clinton if that's true, Ms. Fabrizio.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

CITY OF ANGELS
Re: Jay D. Homnick's Fault Lines of Freedom:

Is there any city in any state more deserving of government imperialism than Los Angeles and its ban on fast food restaurants in poor neighborhoods? When you've successfully convinced a large segment of the populace that they're nothing more than victims, anything you do to "help" them seems completely logical -- and oh so compassionate.

Here's hoping they ban hip-hop for the same reason. Maybe that'll snap some people out of it.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

Like Mr. Homnick, I enjoy a good play on words. And let me say, in this article his plays were very good. However, this mandatory Fast Food Fast that the City of Angles is attempting to force onto its populous is just the latest in health-nazi action. I moved to the Austin area a little over a year ago, and was not greatly surprised to find a city-wide public smoking ban not only within the city itself, but also the satellite towns of Round Rock and Pflugerville.

The reason I wasn't surprised was a trip I took about a year before my move to Dallas. I was completely surprised by the bewildered look given me by the waitress when I habitually asked for the smoking section. It wasn't until my friend told me about the city-wide public smoking ban that I realized the problem. My immediate reaction was along the lines of A smoking ban in Texas? And included a lot more obscenity. I mean, which state more embodies freedom and a big um... "up yours" to the micromanagers than Texas? And Austin? The "Keep Austin Weird" Austin? Austin City Limits Austin? Named for Steven Austin, one of the major leaders in early Texas history and independence -- that Austin? Yeah, I know it's a liberal town, but it tends more towards the "leave me alone and let me be me" kind of liberalism than the "big government is our friend" type of liberalism. Yeah, it's hard for me to figure it out.

Tennessee recently passed a public-smoking ban throughout the state. New York City has banned (or is considering banning) trans-fats. Remember that John Edwards failed presidency included a supposition of mandatory yearly check-ups and exercise routines. The health-nazis are marching forward. We can stand up together and start fighting all cases of governmental abuse of power and extra-constitutional action.
-- Charles Campbell
Austin, Texas

Add the L.A. Nannies to House Majority Whip Clyburn (D) and you get a much better episode of You Can't Make This Stuff Up than Will Rogers ever dreamed of retailing!

From the articles in the papers claiming that poor families are starving to death because of high food prices, illustrated with photos of mothers and daughters who weigh individually more than my refrigerator, to articles that reveal a congressman ranting that "Climate Change Hurts African Americans More" and demanding that Whitey be taxed and the money "redistributed" to, um, Blacky as Reparations (doing what exactly to stop Global Warming?), life is becoming so bizarre that even comedians can't keep up.

And here in Toronto we have an unkempt hippie ratbag who has for the past five years been stealing bicycles and storing them in garages all over the city. Yes, storing them: 3,000 bicycles and counting, some of them extremely high end machines, in garages from one end of Toronto to the other. And his wife is a Chinese concert pianist. (Igor Kenk is his name. Google him for a great laugh.)

You cannot, simply cannot, make this stuff up.
-- Kate Shaw
Toronto, Canada

GOLDBERG WOULD BE UPSET
Re: Ken Shreve's letter (under "All Ears") in Reader Mail's Restored Confidence:

Mr. Shreve writes: "That question is, why do conservatives and those with libertarian leanings steadfastly refuse to call a spade a spade when it comes to Obama and his ilk. Obama is NOT a leftist. Obama is a Socialist, one that borders on being a Marxist."

Ken, apparently you didn't get the memo. For conservatives and those with libertarian leaning who belong to the cognoscenti the fashionable term is liberal fascist. Socialism and Marxist! Please, how passe can one get?
-- Mike Roush
P.S. "Call a spade a spade when it comes to Obama." Marvelous turn of phrase, Mr. Shreve.

LOOKED IN A MIRROR LATELY?
Re: Mike Roush's letter (under "Soul on Ice") in Reader Mail's Restored Confidence:

It is evident that Mike Roush needs to look over some of his own letters. He seems to have lost perspective.
-- Clifton Briner

Letter to the Editor

topics:
John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Global Warming, Constitution, Africa, Socialism