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Sometimes the letters are unkind.

Tracy Bufano sent in this response to my In God We Trust column: “With all undue respect, I have no idea what your article was trying to say. I believe you are highly confused and lack any knowledge of history. If you read the book that God gave us, this would help you. Then, you would need to go back to medieval monastic history to understand the separation of church and state. Then, I suppose you could read the Constitution. Good luck, although you don’t appear to be equipped with critical thinking skills but rather seem to be robotically programed by the system. I will pray for you.”

As a robot programmed by the system, I greatly appreciate your prayers.

Same subject. This one from Russell Jeans: “I shouldn’t be so harsh, but I believe we are better off discussing something as silly as this only if the same amount of time is spent talking about health care and other social issues.

“Having written that, my contribution is to agree with the spirit of your commentary and to say it is silly to have that language on our currency since it is there only for political reasons. But, far more damaging to the wealth and health of you, me and other Americans would be the implementation of the ideas proposed by the universal health-care system proponents. So, keep us on the right track and sip one for God and country. Do good and avoid evil.”

I keep trying, but it never works.

There was this from David T.: “I’m a student at William & Mary (actually, he wrote `williams and mary,’ but who am I to correct a college student?). I read your article and just wanted to say a few things. First, an important thing about the whole affair that you did not mention is that the chapel is used as a classroom, thus it is used for a state function. Also, there had been complaints. There are a few stories of Jewish prospective students visiting and when shown the Wren Chapel and told it was used as a classroom were uncomfortable with the presence of the cross. Finally, the decisions to put the cross in a glass case, while being a widely accepted decision, was not decided by a student vote but by a council of faculty, students and administrators set up by (then president Gene) Nichol to investigate the matter. So I just wanted to let you know of these things because sadly in this whole matter a lot is being lost in the media game, and we here at WM would like to prevent that.”

On my Fidel column, Ignacio Lopez wrote, “It’s sad that there’s total ignorance in our country. For almost 50 years the Cuban people in Florida have protested Fidel’s tyranny. It’s easy for them because America allows them to protest, and use propaganda. Remember what Gandhi said years ago ` Don’t blame the government for taking away, and controlling your land. Blame yourselves for allowing it to happen.’

“The same goes for the Cubans who left their country when Castro took power. They should be ashamed of themselves for not doing anything to stop him. And they say they are proud to be Cubans? That’s total hypocrisy!”

On the same subject Lynn Thompson wrote: “I’m very disappointed to see your scathing letter about Fidel Castro. Why is it that our government has chosen to pick on an island so small when there are so many much worse dictators in the world? And to hear you say you thought Batista should have shot Fidel? Do you go along with killing anyone we don’t agree with? Should he have shot and killed all the Cuban-Americans that he arrested in the Bay of Pigs?

“And although he’s obviously an egocentric dictator, he has done a lot more good than a lot of other governments of poor countries. And the grinding poverty is not all his fault – you didn’t refer to the ongoing embargo. I’ve been to Cuba several times, and there are health clinics in all the neighborhoods in Havana and the preventative care is very good.

“What exactly is it that made you call Fidel a monster? That’s extreme, isn’t it?”

OK. He’s the greatest survivor since Franco.

Jim Stetson offered this: “Your vicious diatribe against Fidel Castro unfortunately reveals the flawed and dangerous attitude of many Americans toward those who disagree with us. No, I do not agree with Castro or what he has done in Cuba. Yet you totally ignore the arrogant and self-serving U.S. political and economic policy toward Cuba for decades, which oppressed many Cubans and unfortunately shaped Castro.

“You laugh off CIA-sponsored attempts on his life, which are shameful. You describe him as a creep, geek, egomaniac and monster, words which not so recently our government used to describe Saddam Hussein. We deposed Hussein; of course, the world now is a better and safer place. Thank goodness President Kennedy had the sense to resist the pressure of his military advisers and opt not to invade Cuba. Instead of setting ourselves up as moral arbiters and policemen of the world I think we would do better to look at ourselves honestly and try to become better people.”

Finally there was this from Martha Maguire: “I just wanted to write to thank you for cheering me up on so many dark mornings. My husband died suddenly at 48 and there were times when you were the only sunny part of my day. May God bless you.”

And you.

I want to hear your comments. Connect with me at john.bogert@dailybreeze.com or send a letter to Daily Breeze/John Bogert, 5215 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503-4077.

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