Letters to the Editor: A fan of ‘Cats,’ but not the negative review
‘Cats’ review uninformed
My letter is in response to the very negative review of the movie “Cats”. The reviewer obviously does not understand what is involved in making a movie from a musical play. Worse is her lack of knowledge and respect for a book that was brought to Broadway by Andrew Lloyd Webber as the musical “Cats”. Calling one of the most successful and awarded plays “absurdism” with regard to the purring of the cat characters is such an example of ignorance as to be without understanding. I am so sorry that she feels the ‘80s entertainment is so lacking in campiness that it deserves only a review based on her negative feelings. This reviewer I am sure finds wonderful things to review about the violence and noise that are found in many of today’s films. I would suggest the Herald-Leader publish reviews by a reviewer with some background in the media.
Leslie Berger, Berea
Trump imitates art
Two hundred and thirty years ago, the founding fathers anticipated a future president like Donald Trump when they included the emoluments clause in the Constitution. Now we have Trump enriching himself by spending millions of government dollars at his resorts. We also have foreign governments and conservative groups booking rooms in Trump hotels for any meeting. Sometimes they book the rooms for non-existent meetings and pay for the empty rooms as a way to curry favor with Trump. The founding fathers would say it is time for Trump to be removed from office.
One hundred and seventy-six years ago, Edgar Allan Poe anticipated someone like Trump when he wrote “The Tell-Tale Heart”, a story about an amoral person who believed he was so smart he could get away with a planned murder. Poe’s protagonist in the story becomes increasingly unglued as the police suspect him and question him about the crime. As the pressure mounts, he finally breaks down and confesses.
Of course, Trump will never confess because he is delusional and doesn’t know truths from lies. But we are witnessing Trump becoming more and more irrational as the pressure of hiding his dishonest actions mounts. Just as Poe described.
Kevin Kline, Lexington
Truth about peace
Securely armored in the truth that Miss Podrecki (my 4th grade homeroom teacher) taught about America’s commitment to the spread of peace and tranquility (very often at an inspiring expense of its own national self-interest), I was gratified by the headline in the Dec. 3 Herald-Leader: “Be thankful America is not fighting ‘endless wars.’”
However, that reassurance took a momentary blow when I accessed the internet to learn that the United States has been at war 222 out of 239 years since 1776 — that is 93% of the time (and growing).
Upon further reflection, I realized that thanks to our country’s historical, systematized oppression of and discrimination against various races and minorities (I’m thinking here of Arab-Americans, Poles, Italians, Irish, African-Americans, Germans, East, South, and Southeast Asians, Jews, Catholics, Hispanics, Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese, etc.), aided and abetted by scientific racism and sanctioned, often, by scripture, that we are presently indeed living in an age of “peace and stability” (as James Jay Carafano asserts in his article). Let us take note, incidentally, that we hardly ever hear a peep from most of these minorities.
Indeed, the Prince of Peace has made His presence known during this joyous season. Can the unfolding of Armageddon be far behind?
Arthur Wrobel, Lexington
Send them to Russia
Since the impeachment process began, the remaining dregs of the Republican Party have stopped even trying to pretend they care anything whatsoever about the country, the Constitution, or the American people. If President Donald Trump is not removed from office, every last Republican should be, starting with Sen. “Moscow Mitch” McConnell and Sen. “Leningrad Lindsey” Graham, and going all the way down the line. All of them should be removed from office and American society; if they’re all so enamored with President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, ship them over there and let them experience it firsthand. And while we’re at it, former Gov. Matt Bevin needs to either serve out the sentences of the violent offenders he kicked loose or be turned over to the families of their victims to be dealt with however they see fit. Enough idiocy from the lunatic right wing; time to bring it to a screeching halt.
Wayne Adams, Lexington