Letters for March 15, 2018

Thanks for Lady Bird cover story

Re “Our homegrown star” by Rebecca Huval (Feature, November 9, 2017):

Hello. I’ve been meaning to write to you for a while now regarding your article about Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird. It was the first that I had read about it, and I was quite intrigued just by the cover. Earlier that day, I was jogging around McKinley Park, and then my friend Daniel and I got together at Willie’s Burgers. That’s where I picked up a copy of the SN&R, and it was oddly congruent that McKinley Park and Willie’s were both mentioned in your article. I actually read the whole thing aloud to Daniel after we got back to his place. I have yet to see the film and likely won’t until I buy it on DVD, but I love the attention it’s been receiving both locally and beyond. Odds are that it won’t win any Oscars in the five categories it’s nominated for, but I’m thrilled that it’s been recognized as thoroughly as it has. (Original Screenplay would seem to be its best chance of taking home an award, but it’s got The Shape of Water, Get Out, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to compete against.) I’ll be watching the Oscars as I do every year and secretly cheering Lady Bird on, even if my predictions fail to support it. Thanks for introducing it to me and giving me something to be excited about.

Wayne Chapman

Sacramento

via email

My father, the thief

Re “Local costs of global empire” by Dennis Myers (Feature, March 9):

My life was directly impacted by the U. S. Army. My dad was an Iowa farmer who was exempted from the draft during World War II, but was promptly drafted the year after the war ended in 1946 and met my Mom the next year in White Horse, Yukon Territory, where he was stationed. My dad made a career of the Army for 27 years as a supply sergeant. One of my chores as a kid was to unload his pickup when he returned home from work with armfuls of household goods he pilfered every day from the taxpayer. My dad was a fierce patriot, but he rationalized his theft as part of his fee for defending the country. Fact is, the Pentagon could not withstand an audit, and my dad was never punished for his pilfering.

Don Knutson

Sacramento

via newsreview.com

JFK the war hawk

Re “Local costs of global empire” by Dennis Myers (Feature, March 9):

While much of this article may be true, using Kennedy as an example of a good president is a bit of a stretch. Since I was in the Army when Kennedy sent the first division to Vietnam, I was more than concerned at the time. It turned out the whole reason to send the men was a total lie—the so-called Tonkin Gulf incident. Kennedy started the process which got 50,000 Americans killed and a lot more injured for zero gain. Something other presidents, Bill Clinton, Carter, both Bush’s and Obama, have all done to gain some temporary political advantage. In the case of Kennedy, it was to look tough in the upcoming 1964 elections as anti-Communist.

Michael Fellion

Carmichael

via newsreview.com

JFK: pres for life

At a political event in Florida, Trump praised China’s president Xi Jinping, saying, “He’s now president for life. President for life. And he’s great, and look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll give that a shot some day.” I’d like to see Trump be president for life. We haven’t done that in a long time. The last president for life America had was John F. Kennedy,

Marc Perkel

Gilroy

via sactoletters@newsreview.com