University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Speaking Of Boors

Being late reading the July
11th CD, I've only just
discovered that we are not to
be deprived of the continued
profundities of the superior,
broadminded, humble, and
assuredly upper class Mr. Teri
Towe. How reassuring to know
that he is still here to serve as
our visual (a new facet of his
versatile personality), as well as
aural, self-appointed mentor of
that which is culturally suitable
for us lesser folk.

We can all sleep more
soundly at night knowing that
he is here to guard us and that
we may continue to rely on his
predictable evaluation and
treatment of those who dare
disagree and take issue with
him. I thought we'd lost him –
that he'd graduated and
returned home as saviour of
the benighted masses in his
own area, leaving us to sink
back into our slough of
mediocrity.

I really don't take issue
with all of his conclusions.
Some of them have much
merit, in my opinion. I do,
however, question his verbal
browbeating and sweeping
statements about so many
things, among them censors.
Many censors are probably
quite as well educated and
intelligent as he – improbable
and incomprehensible as such a
possibility may seem to him. I
doubt if he's had enough
experience to evaluate them.

Rather my displeasure is
based on the overbearing,
arrogant manner in which he
hands down his edicts about
anyone with whom and
anything with which he
disagrees. Fighting with reason
and logic are methods Mr.
Jefferson would indubitably
understand and sanction. I
doubt that Mr. Jefferson would
feel slurring remarks based on a
man's pronunciation of words
had anything to do with reason
and logic.

There is more than one type
of small-mindedness, as Mr.
Towe's pronouncements over
the years on WTJU and now in
the CD continue to remind us
– the types being equally
unpalatable. Verbosity proves
nothing but possession of an
ample vocabulary. Pomposity
proves even less – or more,
depending on one's
interpretation and point of
view.

Mr. Towe elevates the blood
pressure and makes achieving
the tolerance he advocates, or
tolerance of his approach at
least, extremely challenging.
He quite effectively defeats his
own purpose.

May I suggest to him that
he re-read Mme. Roland's
guillotine (sic) message in a
new light, that of his own
exercise of his rights as assured
by the First Amendment: "Ah,
Liberty! What crimes are
committed in thy name!"

Quite so! What a boor!

Pen Pal

I am currently stressed with
a problem relative to my
hospital confinement, so I
thought I would drop you a
line at Reader's Digest to see if
you would consider helping
me. First of all I want to start
my story and request off on a
truthful basis, by telling you
that, I am presently confined
to a hospital, where I am a
victim of paralysis and
leukemia.

According to my
physicians, I have 9 more
months to live. During the one
year that I have already been
confined, I have not received
the first letter from a pen-pal
or a relative, and in order for
me to survive, what short time
I have left in life, I desperately
need someone to correspond
with.

I would like to know if
your company would seriously
consider placing a small ad in
"the letters from readers"
section of Reader's Digest, and
advise your readers of my
illness and desperation for
pen-pals? Since your monthly
magazine has such a large
circulation, and is so
renowned, I feel confident that
it will obtain results for me.

I would deeply appreciate
any correspondence you could
arrange for me, and if some of
the employees at your
company should care to take a
personal interest in my request
and care to write me, I would
appreciate that also.

So please Gentlemen even
though my request for an
article to locate pen-pals may
appear unusual to you, I hope
that you will make an
exception, as since I do not
have but 9 months to live, I
need all of the strength and
courage I can obtain through
letters, that only readers of