GOING HOME
Re: Paul Beston’s Tillman the Great and Reader Mail’s Pat Tillman, RIP:

Thank you for so eloquently putting into words the emotions that I was feeling. Pat Tillman is most definitely a Homeric hero in today’s society of athletes who worship money more than honor and personal sacrifice. I wept at his passing, but honor his memory, and hope that more of our young men and women realize what Tillman realized — that if you aren’t willing to lay down your life for what you believe, then what is that life worth living for? Even if it comes with money in the bank, it is more hollow than one can even imagine.
— Sarah R. Palmer
California

I was going to write regarding Pat Tillman’s sacrifice but was unable to complete the letter. I am glad others wrote in to express a lot of the feelings I had over his death. Honor and integrity are alive and well in this nation in people such as Pat Tillman. My faith in my nation has been restored through this man. God Bless Him and I know he is with the Lord right now.
— Pete Chagnon

Many will not understand my reference but, when I heard of Pat Tillman’s death, it felt exactly the same as when I watched on TV and saw Dale Earnhardt taken from us race fans. It still feels that way and will for a long time to come.

Duty, Honor, Country — Pat Tillman knew what that meant. He lived and, yes, died by this noble code. He has fulfilled God’s purpose for him and now has been taken home.
— Ken Shreve
New Hampshire

MARCH TO NOWHERE
Re: George Neumayr’s Among the Pagan Ladies:

You missed the children carrying the “Abort Bush” signs and the chants of “Keep your Messiah out of my … ” Tragic!!

Clear channel interviewed me upon my return to Denver and I mentioned the incredibly disrespectful stuff I saw. Nothing was used in their report.
— Leslie Hanks
Colorado Right to Life
Lesforlife@earthlink.net

When my own daughter was in high school, I told her if she had any idea of getting pregnant, which was the thing to do then (babies are so cute), that I would NOT raise another child after having three….for her. Her choice would be to never see that baby, but to give it to a loving couple who could give it a good home. No abortion.

Where are the mothers of today who let their daughters leave the house looking like sluts, or have taken them to Planned Parenthood to be brainwashed by their liberal agenda?

An Old-fashioned Mother,
— Eleanor G. Vignale

P.S. Those were NOT ladies. Just liberal women who have missed out on one of the few pleasures in life. The freedom of doing what you want without being pressured.

Regarding the article on Pagan Ladies — you’ve got to be kidding. Any time anyone exercises their freedom of speech that you “compassionate conservatives” disagree with you see fit to hold them up to scorn and ridicule. That’s your right. But it’s also those women’s right to get their message out, whether you like it or not. I defend them both. I get the impression that those of your ilk, however, would like to silence any of the speech you disagree with. But, oh dear, then it’s not free speech is it?

Damned Constitution!
— Scott
Pennsylvania

George Neumayr’s descriptions of Sunday’s “March for Women’s Lives” approximate the same kinds of “pagan” activity, language, and acting out seen at public events staged on behalf of homosexual marriage and other homosexual events such as “gay pride parades”; radical environmentalists and animal rights protests; feminists and other “minority rights hustlers”; and other liberal/Democrat Party special interest groups. No wonder the country is inexorably trending toward conservative thinking and policies. And, that’s a good thing!
— A. A. Reynolds

For years I have tried to think of a succinct description of Francis Kissling. I am grateful to George Neumayr for solving this problem. “Repulsive heretic” says it all.

In these dark times, Neumayr’s sharp eyes and sharper tongue always hearten me.
— Mary Jane Ballou
Gainesville, Florida

George Neumayr wrote of Saturday’s pro-abortion march in DC, “Speakers called the event the largest ‘march in history,’ and claimed a ‘million marchers.’ They were only off by about 700,000 (if the press’s generous 300,000 figure is accurate).”

CNN.com, citing an AP wire, is reporting the number thus: “Authorities no longer give formal crowd estimates, but various police sources informally estimated the throng at between 500,000 and 800,000 strong.” FoxNews.com paraphrases, but reports the same. Both point out that this would exceed the 500,000 claimed for the 1992 march, which Fox called “the last major pro-abortion rally.” At least they got the terminology right.

Echoing the infamous gun-control rally that also failed to live up to its advance estimate, they should have called this “the Million non-Mom March.” Don’t worry too much about it: many of them will eventually marry, give up this nonsense, and vote for conservatives. And if any of these “ladies” are from Texas, they have to know that their efforts now are largely in vain. Down here, we just pat our Leftists on the head and let them go on their way with our laughter ringing in their ears: they never look so good or sound so silly as when they’re angry.
— Stephen Foulard
Houston, Texas

In spring ’87 at the first pro-abort rally in DC numbering 250,000, about a dozen pro-life pickets including me walked around the perimeter of that large contingent.

I and a few others spread out to do this, and thus were essentially alone in our confrontations with that army of beasts (no intention here of slighting animals).

In my eye to eye contact and the back and forth of body posturing and facial expressions, it was easy to see that those wanton baby killers had no chutzpah whatsoever. It was like looking into the numerous eyes of demon possessed maniacs. You could almost see the spiritual chains holding them to their little places on the ground.

Those adults, typically manifesting the appearance of bedraggled college students from the sixties, did their fiercest best to create fear by both their numbers and their gestures. It was one pathetic lot of cowardly bullies looking for a way to prance over and make a kill, their throng to any one of us.

I’ve seen and known some genuinely courageous people, but not among those thousands that day. Maybe the inward force of their immorality acted to quench any normal human level of courage; maybe the wages of sin is death in the form sometimes of the loss of character strength.

In a showdown those kind of people would be routed quickly by any modest number of morally strong characters. It would be a David versus Goliath event, and even thus would be overkill by David.
— John L. Sillasen

A correction is needed to the April 26th piece by George Neumayr titled “Among the Pagan Ladies”:

“And march organizers cobbled together other phony religious fronts for abortion, such as ‘Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice’…”

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice has been around since 1973 and their membership has, for much of that time, included a number of mainline religious movements from the Episcopal Church to Reform Judaism. Whether you agree with their position or not, they were certainly not “cobbled together” for some march.
— Dwight Welch, student president
University Christian Ministries-SIU

Of course George Bush is guilty. Of everything, I suppose. I just happen to think these women shame me and shame George Bush. I know I am in the minority , but that gives me comfort. Mostly they shame themselves. The so-called celebs at the march should consider shutting up. They bore me, they are boring. Enough already with the celebs.
— P.A. Hennessey
Cannington, Ontario
Canada

ATTILA ARLEN
Re: Shawn Macomber’s Wooing the Goldwater Vote:

Have you stooped to hiring writers away from The Nation?

Shawn Macomber’s piece on right wing loonies, T shirt slogans, NRA members, Samurai swords and the Third Reich make for colorful copy, but is it necessary to tie all these things together? Is this meant to enhance Specter’s standing with conservatives?

I submit that all the people at that gun show were law abiding citizens, concerned about the loss of their civil liberties.

Bed-wetters like Shawn Macomber should stay in bed if they are so easily frightened by displays of hunting rifles and militaria.

Some interesting topics that could have been covered in this article were Arlen’s refusal to vote for Clinton’s impeachment, and his demonstrated consistent irrational behavior when votes in the Senate are being cast.

Does Shawn Macomber somehow feel that the government has NOT engaged in enough excesses under the Clinton-Gore-Reno regime to warrant any concern?

Randy Weaver and Britney Spears tie in with Arlen Specter…how, exactly?

If this is a piece designed to apologize for Arlen’s shortcomings, it falls short; it fails to extol his virtues; and it does very little except to question the credibility of a magazine that would publish such gibberish.
— Lamar Johnson
Portland, Oregon

The term “codel” refers to a congressional delegation that visits U.S. embassies/consulates overseas to familiarize the participants with problems or particular aspects of our foreign policy. Although the term “junket” can also be used, connoting light and transient reasons for the trip, a “codel” visit can, if well-organized and properly scheduled, have a beneficial outcome for the participants.

Sen. Arlen Specter’s many “codel” visits to Israel and other locales have cost the U.S. taxpayer thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars. I wait for the fruits of the senator’s wisdom to appear, but, alas, I wait in vain. But Specter is not unique in taking government-sponsored trips; what makes him special is that he pushes the envelope. Included in his travel plans there is the requirement to schedule his daily squash game, and Lord have mercy on the embassy official or Senate aide who foolishly forgets the senator’s priorities. Hell hath no fury as a Specter disappointed. Or his requirement that the plane, often a U.S. government jet, be plentifully stacked with Evian water. None of that Maine spring stuff for Snarlin’ Arlen. And, of course, while in Israel, our senator from Pennsylvania, by way of Russell, Kansas, can, if he can find the time from his onerous duties, visit his sister. Ain’t life grand!

Senator Specter’s metamorphosis into an Attila with a Kansas twang is as phony as the Social Security cards now being sold along the U.S./Mexican border. His unceasing refusal to follow party lines is legendary: he led the charge against Robert Bork, voted to increase taxes, and, more often than not, supports the Democratic Party’s social program, including partial birth abortion. Yet, this president and the Republican Party stalwarts will not even show neutrality towards Pat Toomey, a Republican conservative’s dream candidate. But that may just be the problem. After all, if Senator Specter is good enough for George Soros, then he must also be good enough for George Bush.

But if there is one big loser in this primary election, it is the credibility of Pennsylvania’s other senator, Rick Santorum. Specter and Santorum are polar opposites on social, as well as economic, issues. The latter, while writing as a columnist in a Catholic monthly, has often decried the need for representatives/senators similar to Toomey, but after standing aloof at first, Santorum, probably coerced by the White House, endorsed the Specter candidacy. It is a sorry spectacle: Santorum supporting Specter!

“Nolite confidere principbus.” Place not your trust in princes.
— Vincent Chiarello
Reston, Virginia