The American Spectator

Reader Mail

A Collision Sport

8.14.09 @ 6:01AM

(Page 2 of 3)

A KIND HEART
Re: Ben Stein's John Hughes, RIP:

As one who worked for, and lived down the street from John, your piece about him brought tears and a smile. I too am a conservative in the cesspool of Hollywood -- and he seemed to hire me, out of kindness, understanding of my ideology, and the fact that a friend of mine sold him his home in Lake Forest didn't help.

He was at once stoic and jovial -- an interesting combination, but one which often is apparent in someone so brilliant. He was a great and giving man. He taught me a lot, as did his friends, John Candy, Joe Pesci, and Christopher Columbus.

I worked on Only The Lonely with Candy, Columbus, Maureen O'Hara, Tony Quinn, and Ally Sheedy -- there were others, but the above were the ones I knew, and became friends with before the production wrapped.

John put me on that film, when I had 5 callbacks, and didn't book a role in it. I ended up doubling Kevin Dunn -- and John made sure I was treated right. He found a way to have me on set, even when my character didn't work, as he knew I was but a starving actor.

I won't forget him. The films he made "defined" my generation. He made me laugh. He made me cry. He made my name more than it was before I worked with him, and for that I am eternally grateful. I may not still be working in the business today, were it not for his generosity.

The loss goes far beyond what the public will ever understand. He touched many, not just with films, but with his kind heart. I will never forget him.
-- Matthew S. Pletcher

EXPEL MY SUBCRIBTION
Re: Ben Stein's Expelled From the New York Times:

Cancel my Spectator subscription. Well, not really. My wife was stupid enough to renew. But Ben Stein should have been expelled from everywhere after that disgraceful "Expelled." And I don't think his financial advice will be missed by anyone.
-- Mike McCants

BEYOND REPARE
Re: Eric Peters' The Clunker Con:

Reparations for slavery is a concept so unpopular and lacking in merit that it has been rejected by a vast majority of the public and ignored by Congress. Now, we are in a crisis, sparked by a thinly disguised version of reparations known as a "subprime" loan. The same thugs who caused the economic crisis are using it as an excuse for further "share the wealth" schemes such as "Cash for Clunkers." Your story exposed the program as a scam, not unlike subprime loans. In both cases, our children and grand children will be paying for these programs, long after we are gone.

"Health Care Reform," and "Cap and Trade" are coming next. Each of these is designed to surreptitiously "transfer wealth," to the poor. The proposed laws actually call for U.S. government access to every bank account, of every citizen, with withdrawals from the "wealthy" and monthly direct deposits of cash, to the "poor." To add insult to injury, Rep. Frank wants to pervert contract law and "rewrite" contracts by force. This will not only be a replay of the subprime loan mess, as housing values have crashed; but is an assault on democratic principals, established law and traditions that predate our nation, going back to English Common Law... To this I say, not just NO, but HELL NO!

So Rep. Frank, Mr. Attorney General (excuser of voter fraud and intimidators) and Mr. President, I say, OK! The time has come. Let us have a coward-free discussion of race in America. Let us start with being honest about what you are trying to do. Do you have the courage to be honest or are you , "cowards on race"? We need not fight over each of these destructive and phony programs, individually. Let's get to the bottom line and decide about Reparations, once and for all, and move on. Maybe then we can stop the destruction of our economy, stop the bashing of our democratic principals and STOP THE TAKING OF OUR LIBERTY.
--Phillip Thompson

UNIVERSALLY BAD
Re: John Rosenthal's Obama's Snitch Program: "Chicago" Politics or EU Politics?:

Does it matter what geography produced such politics?

Letter to the Editor