Letters to the Editor - 6/6/2009
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ASSOCIATED PRESS A grave is decorated with a wreath at the American Cemetery in Colleville, near Bayeux, western France. The 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings is being observed today with ceremonies on the beach at Normandy. A letter writer praises veterans.
'Moonlight' shines in Scranton
Fans of Scranton . . . a hardy blue-collar lot, many of whom were actual miners, they came right to the ballpark from their jobs, still wearing their tin helmets with the lamps on them.
Editor: Baseball produces great writing and historical revelation. And in the last year three superb books have been published - "The End Of Baseball" by Peter Schilling Jr., "The Heart of The Game" by S.L. Price and "Chasing Moonlight" by Brett Friedlander and Robert Reising.
Schilling's is a revisionist historical fiction of Bill Veeck's attempt to integrate baseball in the 1940s; Price's is a tragic, albeit life-affirming account of baseball "lifers," and "Chasing Moonlight" is about Dr. Archibald W. "Moonlight" Graham and his remarkable story.
From a mere footnote in baseball history in the early 20th century to his fictional resurrection in W.P. Kinsella's "Shoeless Joe" and the film "Field of Dreams" - Moonlight Graham emerges as one of the most fascinating characters in both baseball and medical history.
What makes this book a must read for local baseball and history buffs is the account of the Scranton Miners Class B seasons of 1905 and 1906.
In Chapter 4, subtitled "A Giant in Scranton," the authors use liberal amounts of primary source material to document what is perhaps the wildest, greatest year of sport in Scranton's history. If nothing else, Dr. Graham comes across in this book as a fine humanitarian, a great medical researcher and one of this area's all-time favorite athletes.
JEFFREY PETRUCCI
South Abington Twp.
Pause to honor great sacrifice
Editor: Today, June 6, 2009, marks the 65th anniversary of D-Day. On that historical day Gen. Dwight Eisenhower said: "Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you." And surely, they were.
In what was the largest land, sea and air invasion in history, more than 5,000 ships piloted 150,000 allied soldiers across the English Channel to the beaches at Normandy. Twelve-thousand Allied planes kept the skies above those soldiers free of the German Luftwaffe. More than 9,000 Allied troops were either killed or wounded during that first eventful day. In terms of both human and historical consequence, June 6, 1944, served as a turning point in the final liberation of Europe.
Approximately 1,000 World War II veterans of "The Greatest Generation" now pass away daily. Our neighborhoods, hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers continue to serve as homes for these brave men and women.
On this 65th anniversary of this momentous day, all citizens of Northeast Pennsylvania should take a few minutes to pause, give thanks and say a prayer for those veterans as well as the families who sacrificed so much at that time in behalf of freedom's call.
To those of "The Greatest Generation," we can all offer a most sincere and profound, "Thank You."
GARY DUNCAN
Dunmore
Get child's take
Editor: I read with interest the recent controversy over pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania.
This is a hotly contested issue where both sides believe they are in the right. However, in this case I believe the best voice comes from that of a child's perspective.
Anyone with any doubts about pigeon shoots should read "The Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli. It is written on a child's level and from a child's point of view. I will not expound on it, I will merely encourage readers to peruse it.
KRISTY RYCZAK
Mayfield
Timely message
Editor: Scranton School Director Patrick O'Malley has done a tremendous job with his MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) commercial.
I am a mother of a junior at Carbondale Area High School. My daughter recently attended her prom, and the thoughts of the commercial of Mr. O'Malley walking through the cemetery explaining why students should not drink and drive on prom and graduation nights sent chills up my spine. It makes one realize that a one-night mistake could end your life.
I commend Mr. O'Malley for spending his money to relay this important message around the region to remind the parents to spend five minutes explaining why their children should not drink and drive.
So, to all students, please don't drink and drive.
MARIA GIACOBBE
Carbondale
Stacked deck
Editor: One might notice that being a career politician can be a very cushy job and it wouldn't be surprising that politicians would do almost anything possible to hold onto that job. What better way to accomplish this than to pass laws that would persuade a voting majority that the economics of their lives is dependent upon their re-election and especially that of their party? These types of laws, however, could adversely affect the voting minority and would be unconstitutional if at least five members of the Supreme Court said so.
However, if by a stroke of luck the court could be packed with jurists empathetic toward the political and social goals of the party that happens to be in power, the divisions of power among the legislative, executive and judiciary branches would no longer be a defense against abuse. The judiciary would have become an arm of the legislative branch - a constitutional rubber stamp that could legalize any legislative laws that would provide the majority votes that would keep the party of all three divisions in power in perpetuity, at the expense of the minority. This is government by tyrannical control of a dependent majority - it is not democratic republicanism as visualized by our founding fathers.
It is time to consider term limits
RODOLF W. VELICKY
Factoryville
7 posted comments
Regarding an "enlightened monarchy" it again was Voltaire who said"only an enlightened monarch or an enlightened absolutist, advised by philosophers like himself, could bring about change as it was in the king's rational interest to improve the power and wealth of his subjects . Voltaire essentially believed enlightened despotism to be the key to progress and change."
I believe it would be more likely that the "king" would improve the power and wealth of the "King " ?
Also, who would choose the philosophers that would provide the necessary change ? Haven't we had enough "CHANGE " ?
Just look at the Sunday Times. The Sports section is almost as thick as the other 3 news sections combined, with one whole page in Sports devoted to pictures of the Pocono 500 car starting grid. Meanwhile in the 6 PAGE Nation and World section a reader finds 3 pages devoted to news, 2 FULL PAGE ads, a 1/2 page od weather data and underneath a 1/2 page ad. And this is not a criticism of the Times. It is just an observation of the phenomena which is striking a number of American newspapers-dwindling readership. Many contribute it to Americans getting their news from the Internet. I think it is more that Americans are reading less and less of what is vital. An overabundance of dime-novel stories versus serious thought provoking material.
It appears as if Benjamin Franklin's comment about our form of government is coming true. To wit,At the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 18, 1787, a Mrs. Powell anxiously awaited the results, and as Benjamin Franklin emerged from the long task now finished, asked him directly: "Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" "A republic if you can keep it" responded Franklin.
Then there are the words of General Omar Bradley who commented soon after the D-Day invasion, "Every man who set foot on Omaha beach that day was a hero." And later amending his words to "those beaches."
May they Rest In Peace and Honored Glory!