THE DAILY STANDARD welcomes letters to the editor. Letters will be edited for length and clarity and must include the writer’s name, city, and state.
*1*
Noemie Emery is right on target (And a Pinch Shall Lead Them). I went to school with young “Pinch” in the late 60s (The George School, in Newtown, Pennsylvania) and was no more impressed then than Emery is now. As for readership, I’ll note that my family grew up reading the Times–an ingrained habit beginning quite young. We’d fight over who got what section and then argue over its contents. Thirty-five years later, out of 7 readers in the family, only my 78-year-old mother still subscribes.
–Chris Fountain
*2*
An excellent piece on the Sulzbergers. As a waggish friend of mine puts it, “The New York Times is the world’s most pretentious family business.”
–Scott Belliveau
*3*
I hope that someone at the Republican National Committee pins to a prominent cubicle wall Noemie Emery’s words: “spoiled rich white boys from prominent families, who tend to accede to positions of power, without talent, without being tested, and sometimes without having a clue.” Dynasticism is rarely, if ever, a virtue. It is almost inconceivable that the best candidate for president or senator would be a former president’s inexperienced son, or a former president’s brother–or for that matter, his wife. Democrats in Minnesota have learned the hard way the price to be paid for politics-by-primogeniture. Let’s hope Republicans can learn some republican virtue by 2008 and avoid their apparent reflex to regard the surnames “Bush” and “Dole” as necessary and sufficient qualifications for the highest positions in the land.
–Scott Rogers
*4*
As a Christian minister, I am not accustomed to being accused of wanting to see dead churches, as Terry Eastland asserts (The Only Good Church is a Dead Church ).
Dead churches aren’t what I want, but we might get them if President George W. Bush continues to promote welfare plans for houses of worship. Since taking office, Bush has labored to find new ways to put religion on the dole. Through a combination of “faith-based initiatives” and executive orders, the president seeks to implement a wide-ranging program of state-supported religion.
The administration is savvy enough to dress this up as something less threatening. Thus, the president’s latest salvo is his plan to fund “historic” churches, and the first grant went to Old North Church in Boston. After all, doesn’t everyone love the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride?
But the fact is, once the principle of tax support for “historic” houses of worship has been established, government can begin funding any church simply because it is old and in need of repair–whether anything of historical interest ever happened there or not. Politicians will steer grants to any congregation whose votes they crave in the next election.
When a house of worship needs repairs, the congregants who attend it ought to pay for them. Taxpayer-funded religion, no matter how it is disguised to appear benign, is wrong.
Ironically, religion will likely suffer if we continue to go down this road and chip away at the wall of separation between church and state. Eastland mentions the dead churches of Europe. How do you think they got that way? The people turned their backs on them because clergy drew support from the government instead of the voluntary commitment of church members.
President Bush should preserve the Constitution and leave preservation of churches to the support of voluntary contributors.
–The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Executive Director, Americans United for Separation of Church and State
*5*
I wonder, how do these same advocates fighting the preservation of Old North feel about the number of Native American sacred sites protected by the Park Service?
–Matt Edens
*6*
Wonderful Hugh Hewitt article about blogs (The Big Four).
It’s interesting, though. I went to both FreeRepublic.com and DemocraticUnderground.com, and found out that if you’re not a “progressive” or Democrat, you’ll be banned from posting on the latter site whereas FreeRepublic states its intent, but only asks for no “inappropriate” postings. The conservative site doesn’t ban posting based on political proclivities.
All blogs are not the same.
–Aaron Levisay
*7*
The reason the Palestinian prime minister cannot take a single name is because of the message he would send (Larry Miller, Battle Fatigue). If he picks his nom de guerre, he will give up his “peace” credentials. If he gives up his “street” name, Hamas will whack him for being a softy and abandoning the final solution. If he tries to combine them, he will be Abu Abbas and we’ll whack him by some clerical mistake.
I think he should emulate American pop stars, and make up a new one. The Minister formerly known as Prime? Abu Diddy?
–Dennis McLain
*8*
The ideal male image women hold is not, as David Skinner suggests, a “girl with a penis,” but rather a gay man–a fellow whose sexuality doesn’t intrude on them (Men and the Oprah Who Loves Them). Yet when they encounter that reality, women find the formula deeply unsatisfying. Of course, men’s magazines picture the ideal female as an outgoing, goal-focused professional with a vigorous sexuality. Perhaps a man with a vagina?
–Charles Weissin
*9*
In June of 2001 my wife and I had the opportunity to walk the Freedom Trail in Boston and to visit the Old North Church.
Hundreds of people like us go through the church building on a daily basis. Although a congregation still meets there, it is clear that the building is of historical importance and that the Park Service grant meets a secular purpose.
Should the federal government be spending our tax dollars on projects of this type, to pay for improvements to private property? Maybe, maybe not. I’ll let others debate that issue. But if the government is going to be involved in these types of activities, it would be a violation of the first amendment to refuse a grant solely on the grounds that the Old North Church is a religious entity; the state cannot discriminate against religious speech. As long as tourists pass through the building in large quantities and the building is open to all without a religious test, the grant does not constitute an establishment of religion.
Should a church take money from the government? On the basis of my understanding of the New Testament, I would answer no. But that is my doctrinal conviction, which I’ll not impose on our Episcopalian friends in Beantown.
–Frank Dennison
*10*
How dare Noemie Emery say there’s no Mrs. Simpson in sight! Why, there is a veritable list of candidates for the position (no pun intended).
Hillary. Martha Burke. Ambassador WhatsHerName who’s running for Bill’s old office. The new CEO of the YWCA. Maybe Maureen Dowd herself.
–Mike Becker
