- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - page 2 of 2
_______________MY DINNER WITH JERRY BY JOAN WALSH (01/05/99)
	Bravo for Joan Walsh! Her article on Jerry Brown is one of the most honest, thoughtful and interesting pieces I have read in months. She actually reveals details about herself and her background (Blasphemy! This is journalism!) without focusing the article on these details. It was refreshing to read an account of her meeting, which revealed her personal viewpoint while also providing a forum for discussing important details of race, class and progress in the city. All in all, a great article. Keep up the good work. -- Charles Rotramel An Oaklander currently living in exile in Silicon Valley, I read Joan Walsh's recent article on Jerry Brown with interest. Like Walsh, I'm frustrated that Oakland gets no respect, and like Walsh, I was skeptical of Brown's candidacy, but am hopeful about his future as mayor. One point in Walsh's article struck me as particularly encouraging: her description of Brown's willingness to ask questions and admit ignorance. It reminded me of a recent discussion with a friend who, like me, is frequently on the receiving end of others' good intentions (he uses a wheelchair, and I'm diabetic). We agreed that the readiness to ask what someone needs, rather than assuming that you know, is an underappreciated virtue. The fear of looking ignorant and uncool can be a major obstacle to learning and acting effectively. -- Janet Lafler
_______________LETTER FROM HAVANA BY FRANK SMYTH (01/04/99)
	While disparaging Cuba's current infamy, truly the most incredible, sexual floor show on Earth, Frank Smyth advances the myth of the revolution's "education and literacy." Following a recent, extensive two-week tour of the island, I realized indoctrination, not education, and propaganda, not literacy, have been the Castro government's principal legacies. I couldn't find any significant books published between 1900 and 1960 either in any of the book stalls in Havana, Santiago, Camaguey, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and even Bayamo, or on any of the shelves at the University of Havana. As a matter of fact, I couldn't find any books on any shelves at the University of Havana freely available for students to read (select books are paged and retrieved from behind guarded chain-link fencing). Today's Cuban is brainwashed, programmed, robotlike, often repeating the same jargon like a broken record, hardly a shining example of the triumph of "education and literacy." -- Clemmer Mayhew III SALON | Jan. 8, 1999

R E C E N T L Y+| ADOPTION TRILOGY

Do you want to respond to a letter to the editor? Join the ongoing discussion in the Welcome area of Table Talk If you would like to submit a letter to the editor for publication, please e-mail us at letters@salonmagazine.com. Letters sent by fax or "snail mail" are less likely to be accepted. Do not send attachments. Please include your full name and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours, so we can confirm your identity. This information will not be used for any reason other than verification and will not appear on the site. Letters may be edited for clarity and conciseness. Brief letters are more likely to be published. Place the name of the article you are responding to in the subject heading of your e-mail. If you do not wish your letter to be published, please say so in the subject line. For more information on Salon's letters policy, click here.