Thank you for your engaging articles featuring Merit School of Music and the People’s Music School (“Sweet music,” Jan. 23). Rick Kogan’s story really got at the heart of it: The arts and music really matter, and can be transformative in infinite and profound ways. They define us and feed our soul collectively and individually.
As a faculty member of Merit teaching early childhood classes, I have been witness to the many wonderful ways that Merit nurtures and engages the children and their families.
BRIGID FINUCANE / Chicago
Positive image
In John Bolsega’s response (In-Box, Jan. 23) to a photo of two men kissing in your “Year in Pictures” issue (Dec. 26), he remarked that “most folks don’t want to see this graphic display of homosexuality.” Thinking about the world we live in, it’s a beautiful thing to see anyone kissing.
I’ll take these pictures any day over images of death, destruction and hatred.
LINDA RADECKI / Schaumburg
Mixed message?
After reading “Heaven’s lobbyist” (Jan. 9), I was glad for Anita Bedell’s success in fighting gambling casinos in Springfield. I do have a few questions for “the Church Lady.”
How many Catholic parishes have “Las Vegas Nights”? Or bingo nights?
How many parishes charter buses to take senior citizens to the casinos?
If church leaders are sponsoring or endorsing gambling, why would people think gambling is destructive?
MARY ANN FIRANEK / Chicago
Who started it
Dennis Conklin states (In-Box, Jan. 23) that the United States declared war on a country that had not attacked us when we declared war on Germany in 1941. This would be a questionable justification for our invasion of Iraq even if it were true, but it is not. Germany declared war on the United States first. It was only after this final act of aggression that the U.S. declared war on Germany.
Americans had a sense of the proper way to do things then, and as odious as Hitler was, President Franklin D. Roosevelt could not justify declaring a pre-emptive war on Germany. Hitler made one of his biggest blunders and did Roosevelt a favor by declaring war on the U.S. Until then, Roosevelt felt his hands were tied.
I don’t believe that Saddam Hussein was as dangerous as Hitler, and he certainly did not present as grave a threat.
EDWARD J. DZIEDZIC / Chicago
Fond farewell
Please say it isn’t so! For so many years, I have enjoyed waking up on Sunday mornings with a cup of coffee and Dave Barry’s column. It’s always a guaranteed smile, and frequently a laugh out loud.
Perhaps a mountain of mail from readers who are sorry to see him go will coax him out of retirement. If so, please add my letter to the pile. If not, I’d like to say thank you and good luck to Dave. His column will be sorely missed.
ANNE HAZAN / Glenview
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