Sound Off!: February 2008

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A Fool's Paradise

Subject: The Day the Music Died

John,

I said to myself, that will be the day that an article about Buddy is in the reader. I hate to rave on, but I enjoyed it. My sister Peggy Sue also liked it. These words of love are sincere even though some people might think that it doesnt matter anymore. Everyday I say oh boy, I am going to play some Buddy Holly. My heartbeat always increases when I hear him. I hope that you will think it over and write more Holly stuff for guys like me living in a fools paradise. Thanks for the great article.

--Donn F.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Young People

Subject: America the Violent: The School Shootings

I must commend you for the article in yesterday's paper about violence among our young people and its causes. I have long said that the horrendous crimes being committed by young people stems from a diet, begun in their early years, of horrendous acts of violence shown on the screen...whether it be movies, TV games, or indeed the daily news reports showing bodies strewn on the streets of Iraq. Parents follow the rules of good nutrition...good food leads to a healthy body. Why don't parents also realize that feeding garbage to young minds will develop diseased minds? Add to that the availability of "weapons of mass destruction," guns, and we have a situation that cries out for attention, but is too "hot" politically. What is the answer? Who will listen? Keep up your good work...and thanks for letting me blow off some steam.

--Betty M.

School Shootings

Subject: America the Violent: The School Shootings

Good for you john for seeing that a million gun control laws will not solve the problem of mass shootings. The gun is only a tool, not the problem. When will the politicians see the light. They can keep passing their feel good laws and the violence will continue. You cannot solve the problems of society with laws. Americans must look in the mirror and see themselves as the problem and change their priorities in life to the family.

--Mike

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Suffering

Subject: America the Violent: The School Shootings

Thank you for your comments. I share your beliefs. I don’t understand how people who pay to see human suffering, fear and violence as entertainment, fail to make the connection with violence in everyday life. Peace.

--Kris B.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Our Lives

Subject: America the Violent: The School Shootings

We have taken God out of our schools, and our lives. We can no longer say it is right or wrong, there is no such thing. Until we start teaching values to our youngsters, and limit some of their computer time, this a will continue. Possibly if some of the mothers were home when the young people get home from school and monitored their activities, this could be turned around. Let the parents assume their responsibilities.

--Rosemary

Schools

Subject: America the Violent: The School Shootings

When they took the ten commandments out of schools and hid them, the schools became what they are to day. When I went to school no one ever did anything like this because we knew their was a god who was watching, now you have no one pointing the way. So the schools is full of killings. So what do you think? No God, no one to hold you accountable.

--Vida C.

Principles

Subject: America the Violent: The School Shootings

Once again, you have hit the nail on the head. At least as far as this reader is concerned. If only our friends and relatives would adhere to the principles given in the Bible many of our problems would be solved.

--Michael B.

Timely

Subject: America the Violent: The School Shootings

This is an excellent and timely article. I hope it gets wide distribution. In particular, I totally agree about the obvious impact of our "Hollywood" based culture of movies, TV, video games, that heavily suggest violence and general immorality to all of our people,very much including our youth. In my legal opnion, our First Amendment protects POLITICAL speech and expression only, and so that our communities, on all levels, have a constitutional right to ,if you will, "censor" such dangerous "products". Not easy to work out, but increasingly essential. AND, in my view, religion generally is the sole source of human morality, and the efforts of the Organized Left to suppress it, in the public place and generally, is also unConstitutional. But open for democratic discussion.

--John M.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

True

Subject: America's New God: When Politics Trumps Faith

Thank you very much for this wonderful essay. What you say is true. I have felt this way, and I have been hoping that some media person would feel the same and say it. Thanks for being the one.

--Angel E .

When Politics Trumps Faith

Subject: America’s New God: When Politics Trumps Faith

Dear Mr. Rutherford:

I appreciate your recent article on the intersection of politics and faith, thought I do have a few concerns. First, though, you are right to say that politics and faith are not equal loyalties; amen!

It is true that the Republican-led Congress made many mistakes, but how can you say that it did nothing to care for pregnant women and babies? What about the federal funding given to crisis pregnancy centers through the faith-based initiative? There's always more to do--and more that could have been done--but what, exactly, do you think Congress should have done?

Also, I disagree with your assessment of the Christian Right's response to homosexuality. What you view as "tirades against homosexuality" I see as stands for Christian values previously considered self-evident. The former is driven by hate while the latter is motivated by love.

Finally, while Jesus did reject politics as the *solution* for what ails us, he did not reject politics outright. And given today's era of the administrative state, perhaps one can help the poor, show mercy and be a peacemaker *through* political mechanisms. Yes, Jesus did say blessed are the meek. But God also certainly blessed the powerful who remained faithful to him (see, e.g., Daniel and Joseph in the Old Testament). Power need not be abandoned, though it must be handled with caution lest we forget its Source.

Thank you for your tireless efforts to speak truth, often to those in power.

Respectfully,

Daniel B.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Wonderful

Subject: The Day the Music Died

Thanks for the wonderful story about Buddy Holly. When I was in high school in the '50s I used to drive my '56 Chevy from my hometown of Plainview, TX down to Lubbock on weekends. Several times I heard Buddy and the Crickets and one time they were playing on top of the Hi-D-Ho Drive in restaurant there. Elvis came to Lubbock one night and I managed to sneak off and go down there after being warned by my parents not to go. Buddy opened the show. I will never forget how the girls went crazy when Elvis walked out. In the late '90s I went to several of the Buddy Holly Music Festival in Lubbock and met several of the orginal Crickets who still live in Lubbock along with Buddy's brother and Buddy's niece who is a really good singer herself. I also met Peggy Sue Gerron there ard recently purchased her book Whatever Happened to Peggy Sue.
I love it and was sorry to see that Maria (Buddy's widow) is theatening to sue Peggy Sue for some of her comments.

Maria also threatened to sue the Buddy Holly Music Festival in Lubbock and caused them to change the name to the Lubbock Music Festival. I think she must be hard to get along with. I also go to the Clovis Music Festival every September and two years ago they had a fabulous night called Winter Dance Party and played music from Buddy's last performance. It was great. Also enjoyed touring the Norman Petty Studio where Buddy recorded some of his hits. The studio is preserved just like it was in the '50s. Thanks again and Rock On.

--John S.

Buddy

Subject: The Day the Music Died

Thank you for your inspired and enjoyable article about Buddy Holly. This is possibly the finest tribute that I have ever read about this remarkable musician. Being a native of North Dakota, I have followed the serendipitous story of the rise of Bobby Vee as a result of the demise of Buddy Holly.

As you know, Bobby Velline was among several local Fargo musicians tapped to fill in for the three popular singers who died that fateful night, at a concert in Moorhead, MN the following evening. My wife was one of many young teenagers who traveled some distance to attend the concert at the Moorhead Armory. In 1964, I met Bobby Vee and his new bride through a mutual friend after a concert in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His stage presence and off-stage demeanor was so reminiscent of Buddy Holly. I now live in the Texas Panhandle, not too far from Lubbock, the home town of Buddy Holly. His influence is still very strong in this area.

Your article tastefully avoided mention of one element of the evolution of rock and roll music of five decades ago. Buddy Holly mentored many musicians in succeeding years who pioneered a new and exciting vein of music that was written and performed with commitment to wholesome entertainment. This was music that originated with the vision, heart, and soul of talented and driven young people, music whose lyrics mimicked the joys and sorrows of virtually every teenager of the time. The striking comparison with contemporary popular music is that these early rockers accomplished so much without the influence of drugs and alcohol, and lived their lives by virtue of clean living and honorable behavior. Their unpretentious lifestyle undoubtedly was a positive influence for many young people of those days. Who could ask for better examples to emulate?

Music didn't really die that day; it lives forever through the memories and souls of the likes of Buddy Holly. Long live rock and roll!

--Larry E.

The Three Stars

Subject: The Day the Music Died

Just wanted to thank you for your article about "the day the music died". It brought back that day for me in my 7th grade class. The weather was bad so we couldn't go out for recess, and instead were sitting at our desks. A girl named Pat Lester was listening to her transister, turned down low, and started to cry. She turned up the volumn and we all listened to the sad news. It was the first time for me of losing rock 'n' roll icons, and it really was a serious bummer. I still have the 45 of "The Three Stars" by Tommy Dee & the Teentones. Horrible and maudlin, but I remember playing it over and over and crying. (Eddie Cochran also did a cover of that song not too long, I guess, before he died too.)

I also remember about a year earlier my Mom took me and a friend to see a rock 'n' roll show at The Mosque auditorium in Richmond VA (where I lived at the time). The show closed with a group called "The Crickets featuring Buddy Holly". They were so great that they got standing ovations and had to do more than one encore. It was the perfect way to close the show. I also remember, on American Bandstand, Dick Clark confessing that when he first heard the song "Rave On", he thought it must refer to someone named Ray Vaughn! That was probably in 1958.

Well thanks again for the excellent article about Buddy. You've warmed the heart of an old rocker up here in the chilly Berkshires of northwestern Massachusetts.

--Cathy G .