Letters to the Editor

Wilson's Specious Veto

Editor -- Earlier this week, Governor Wilson vetoed legislation that would have provided domestic partners a few of the privileges mechanically awarded to church/ state-sanctioned hetero-couplings. In doing so, he offered the crowd- pleasing argument, ``we need to strengthen, not weaken, the institution of marriage.''

What a specious, nonlinear justification. Of course, the governor's action won't bolster the institution of marriage one bit; people will continue to marry and divorce to their heart's content.

Except gay and lesbian people. Without addressing himself to this constituency, and without ever mentioning the words `'gay or lesbian'' in his veto message, he fails to lift his pen and sign a bill that would give these Californians a smattering of the rights others enjoy.

BRUCE HINTON

San Francisco

9/15

The End of Baseball

Editor -- Baseball's wealthy Neanderthals have ruined the sport, and I'll never go to another game. I don't care if there are thrill-packed pennant chases, booming home runs, and days in the brilliant sunshine ahead, I refuse to enjoy any of it. It's important that the Neanderthals be taught a lesson.

I'm going to stay home and cut off my nose instead.

RICK LEMYRE

Brentwood (Contra Costa County)

9/14

`Colorful Anachronism'

Editor -- Bravo to Egypt's delegate for countering the Vatican's intransigence to birth control at the Cairo population conference.

That a celibate medieval theocrat housed in a Renaissance palace surrounded by priceless art and a splendid court should presume to command people of all faiths to continue breeding like lemmings would be funny if the world outside the Vatican's walls weren't getting so crowded, polluted, ugly and desperate.

When the papacy follows the Christian example of St. Francis, then it will have the moral legitimacy to advise the poor. Until then, it should be treated as a colorful anachronism from the age of despots.

GRAY BRECHIN

Berkeley

9/12

`Wonderbriefs'

Editor -- Hip, hip, hooray for the Wonderbra. Now at considerable savings to their health and pocketbooks, some women can bolster their images and self-esteem. With all the hype and hoopla, though, you'd think divine intervention had taken place.

What we need now from some ingenious marketeer are ``Wonderbriefs,'' a ``push-out'' men's underwear. Some men, too, suffer from feelings of inadequacy and develop low self-esteem. Remember, ``what you see is what you get'' is no longer necessarily the case.

CARLOS DIAZ

Pinole

8/30

Right to Bear Cars

Editor -- You've probably heard it before: ``Cars don't kill people; people kill people.'' Therefore, ``Assault cars shouldn't be banned.''

Our Constitution guarantees us the right to travel and even to form car clubs. Time and again, history has shown that our right to keep and drive a car is essential to our liberty. For example, how could we possibly get to the store and back at halftime during Monday night football?

Just because my Corvette can clock 60 miles per hour in six seconds is no reason to ban it, is it? Sure, a lot of people die from cars -- but that's mostly 'cause there's an idiot in every crowd. I'm going to call the president and tell him not to ban assault cars, 'cause the next thing you know all cars will be banned. I hope you'll do the same.

Charles M. Bertolette

Placerville

8/28

Keep Them Out of Washington

Editor -- The solution to many of our political problems is to keep our people in Congress out of Washington, D.C. With modern communication -- faxes, tele-conferencing, computer E-mail, etc. -- they no longer need to be in Washington, where they only get into mischief and spend a lot of our money.

Our congressional representatives would stay in their own districts, and pay attention to their constituents' needs, instead of caving in to peer pressure and lobbyists in our nation's capitol. Once we get interactive TV firmly in place, they can poll their constituents on any issue . . . in fact, someday we may not need them at all. On complicated issues, we might let them vote our proxy if we don't have time to research something.

So, let's keep our legislators home where they belong!

Connie Acton

Richmond

8/28

Master of Swing

Editor -- Recently I heard a radio report announcing Benny Goodman as the King of Swing, which brings to mind who was really the King of Swing.

During the Big Band period, I worked as a bartender at Simpson Rendezvous on Clement Street. The bar was a jumpy place, 10-cent beer and 15-cent highballs and dancing till early AM. As the head bartender, I worked closely with the juke- box operator who was the largest operator in San Francisco,

Benny Goodman had his hot number. ``And The Angels Sing'' was the number one recording at that time for the Goodman band.

At the bar one time there were six people shaking Liars' Dice for rounds of drinks. When the Benny Goodman hit was finished, one said Benny sure is the King of Swing. Hold on there, said the operator of the juke box. He said Benny is the radio-crowned King of Swing, not the public's.

The radio calls Benny Goodman the king, but the public says Artie Shaw is the real king. The operator said, ``If you want to prove it, put your money where your mouth is. I'll prove it.'' So five of the six put a dollar each, and I held the money; incidentally, one bet was an I.O.U.

Then the group selected two hits of the Goodman band and two hits of the Shaw band. The very best selections of both. When the week was over, the play counts for the Goodman band and the Shaw band were as follows: Goodman, 69, and Shaw, 101. The operator said you picked and bet, and you lost. If Benny is crowned the king by the radio, the public crowned Artie Shaw as the Master of Swing.

JAMES B. SULLIVAN

Glen Ellen (Sonoma County)

8/30

Money for Schools

Editor -- All of this talk about a baseball strike and the summer's blockbuster films reminds me how our economic democracy tallies our votes each time we spend a dollar. Consumer spending identifies our priorities and ultimately defines much of our culture. Wouldn't it be interesting if each of us put aside the cost of one month's movie tickets, rentals and popcorn, along with what we would have spent on the remainder of the baseball season, and sent the total to our local public school. Can you imagine the effect on our future if our teachers and kids felt as loved, respected, and valued as must Arnold Schwarzenegger and Barry Bonds?

MIKE AYDELOTT

San Carlos

8/29

`Esquire'

Editor -- Now that we are done with the ``Rule of Thumb,'' can we look at the linguistic justification by lawyers who append Esquire to their names?

The Oxford English Dictionary regulates its use in England to ``. . . persons who are regarded as `gentlemen' by birth, position or education.''

Can we live with this pretentiousness in the USA? I doubt it!

GEORGE FULFORD

Mill Valley

8/29

Hiroshima Exhibit Flap

Editor -- As a veteran who was trained to fire nuclear missiles, I read with dismay about plans to change a Smithsonian exhibit in order to rationalize the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Apparently, politicians and groups which claim to represent America's veterans exerted enough pressure to alter the exhibit to justify the U.S. attacks and, perhaps, assuage the consciences of those involved.

This is unfortunate. Unless we truly understand the effects of using nuclear weapons and recognize our role as the world's leading nuclear weapon producer and stockpiler, we are likely to legitimize U.S. use of nuclear weapons in the future. And, given the pace of nuclear proliferation and selective U.S. attempts to control it, we may one day find ourselves the victims of a similar ``justifiable'' nuclear attack.

DAN FAHEY

Berkeley

9/1

The Only `Sane' Policy on Cuba

Editor -- I am writing you out of the gravest possible concern over the present direction of the president's policy toward Cuba. I speak as the executive director of a policy think-tank actively involved in research and analysis of policies related to Cuba.

The latest administration policy -- limiting charter flights, cash transfers and returning refugees to Guantanamo -- can only hurt the Cuban people and those U.S. citizens, like ourselves at the Institute, with legitimate reasons for Cuba travel (in our case, for research) or financial transactions.

The only sane policy is for the administration to live up to agreements signed with the Cuban government after Mariel, which oblige us to offer some 20,000 immigrant visas per year to Cubans. Fidel Castro lived up to his part of the bargain, until recent weeks, by acting to prevent illegal emigration. He is no longer willing to do so because we have not lived up to our part. It is time that we did so. Only by offering potential Cuban immigrants an orderly, legal process, can the current situation be defused.

We must stop the proposed bans on cash transfers and flights. These should be the first steps toward normalizing relations and lifting the embargo.

PETER M. ROSSET

The Institute for Food

& Development Policy

Oakland

8/30

Dole's Cunning Plan

Editor -- What is clearly emerging in health care reform is that Bob Dole and his Republican cohorts are stonewalling the American public. Through a clever and cunning plan of manipulation they are carrying out a campaign of misinformation with the sole intent of sidetracking health care reform. It is becoming more apparent every day what these people are doing, and it is not the best interest of the American people that is their underlying motive.

This is far too important and universal an issue to idly sit by and be duped by a group of self-effacing and partisan politicians.

RON LOWE

Nevada City (Nevada County)

Editor -- Did Bob Dole really say that the headlines following the passing of the crime bill would read, ``Republicans Hand Clinton a Victory''?

And was that really Al D'Amato singing an embarrassing Clinton- bashing rendition of ``Old McDonald'' on the Senate floor?

Incredible.

I suppose there may be some voters out there who won't recognize the raw sewage of strictly partisan politics when they see it. The rest of us, however, hope Messrs. Dole and D'Amato will someday remember that their job is to represent their constituency and enact legislation that benefits us all, regardless of whether it reduces their party's chances of obtaining a congressional majority or regaining the White House.

C. SCOTT BEDOLLA

Martinez

Roar Out of Kansas

Editor -- That `'elephantine'' roar coming from Kansas is the ghost of the 1936 Republican standard bearer -- and arch foe of President Franklin D. Roosevelt -- Alf Landon, father of GOP Senator Nancy Kassebaum, upon hearing of his daughter's defection and support of the so-called ``crime bill'' of President Clinton, political godson of the unlamented FDR whose ``New Deal'' remains the prototype for the Clintons' socialist agenda.

THOMAS M. EDWARDS

San Francisco

8/30

Evergreen Embarcadero

Editor -- They have added insult to injury -- those experts who are developing the new Embarcadero Parkway. First, they planted those inappropriate and unnatural palms. Now they have planted ugly leaf-dropping sycamores on the sidewalk all along the southern section of the parkway.

Please, no more. We urge that only evergreen trees be planted along the northern section. They work all year long, absorb carbon dioxide, muffler noise and are cheaper to maintain. Make San Francisco green! Plant evergreens only!

JACK E. EARLY

San Francisco

8/30
09/15