Letters

Hell Right Here

Wow! The article “I’m Coming to Rescue You From Protestant Hell” by Brianna Van Ness (Cover Story, September 1) is really powerful! At least Brianna needn’t worry about going to hell; she’s already been there. As Pastor Tony Wolfe of Westminster Presbyterian Church noted in your “Sheep and Goats” column, “I think there’s an aspect of heaven and hell we experience right here in this life. Beyond this life…I don’t know.”

It’s hard to imagine the kind of virtual hell that people create for each other, particularly what Brianna’s father put her through in her tender, growing-up years. That she has survived is some kind of miracle. And why is he still loose and not in jail? What kind of society do we live in where some kind of sanity and justice are missing altogether here?

Thanks to Brianna for her courage in writing this great story and to the Reader for printing it!

Rev. M. Laurel Gray
El Cajon

Go Directly To Jail

Re former mayor Dick Murphy (Neal Obermeyer cartoon, “City Lights,” September 1). It’s nice that Mayor Dick has given his take on the mess that he caused in San Diego. The only thing I’d change on his life’s course from judge to mayor is, he’d be writing his memories from his jail cell.

Steve Kelly
Allied Gardens

Morals Lost In Bomb Shelter

Kudos, kudos, kudos for the person who wrote and complained about Mr. Mencken (Letters, September 1). How long are you guys going to employ this guy, or let him schlep around your office? The guy’s a real crackpot. Anyway, the bottom line is that you’re employing a guy who rents a bomb shelter out from a racist, and he does it just to save a couple hundred dollars (Cover Story, December 22). Where are his morals or principles? Where are your morals or principles? And now with this article. I’m glad that somebody else complained about this guy. He needs a little talking to from somebody that owns that place. Because he’s not a movie star.

Name Withheld
via voice mail

My Public Babysitter

Re the cover story for August 25. First of all, I really appreciate the LARGER PRINT!!! Also, it illustrated just how difficult it is to be a good and caring teacher. Andrea Manroe is working with only three children! In most public schools, multiply that number by 12 or more. When Andrea tells others about homeschooling her children, a common comment she gets is, “Public school is six hours of free child care!” Sadly, that reinforces what many parents use public education for. There are many easier ways for Andrea to spend more time with her children, as I am sure she realizes now, but her list of all the cons of homeschooling opened her eyes to reflect upon herself. I applaud her (and her husband) for making that tough decision. Teaching her children is an enormous responsibility. I wish her the best.

Allen Stanko
via email

Kool-Aid And The Times

Perhaps if Mr. Don Bauder would stop drinking Kool-Aid long enough to read something besides the liberal propaganda of the Times he would have seen that the only thing the New York Times got right in the story about Mr. Issa is his name.

John Sadler
via email