Two of life’s pleasures: Coffee and the paper | Letters to the editor
I was very impressed by Bob Eckstein’s opinion piece, “Less local news: Not good news.”
I first became interested in newspapers at age 9 when my family lived in Chicago. Back then, major publishers had their Sunday editions on the street Saturday evening. After Saturday supper, my Dad and I would walk down to the nearest newsstand and return with three Sunday papers; the Tribune, the Sun-Times, and the Daily News.
They were all so huge, it took two of us to carry three papers.
At home, I pulled the comics sections out of all three, and read them while laying on my stomach on the floor and listening to the radio with one ear: Jack Benny, Allen’s Alley, The Bickersons, Duffy’s Tavern, The Shadow and more.
One day I discovered that one-panel comics were scattered throughout the rest of the paper. As I looked for them, I came across news stories that caught my attention.
By age 11, I was reading the entire paper from the front page to the classifieds, and gained knowledge that seemed to improve my school grades. All that newsprint wasn’t wasted. It was stacked up in the basement until the Boy Scouts’ annual paper drive. The Scouts then made money by sending it off to be recycled.
I take seriously Eckstein’s observation that newspapers are slowly disappearing. I think that would the death of our democracy. It doesn’t matter that I saw today’s headlines on last night’s TV news. You have different ways of reporting the story.
Today, at 84, I still consider a good cup of coffee and the morning paper to be one of life’s greatest pleasures. I no longer subscribe to the paper edition. My choice is the “e” edition which I read on my iPad (by the way, I still turn to the comics first).
Melvin Gerald, Boca Raton
Trump’s comeuppance
Several recent letters were written by people who think Donald Trump was a wonderful president who did a great job and is congenial, charitable and considerate.
I don’t know who they’re describing. He is charitable only to himself and the rich and famous. If he were a good president, Democrats would have nothing to say. I don’t recall anything like this happening when Ronald Reagan and the Bushes were president.
Another letter writer says Trump will never pay a penny to his accusers and that he did nothing wrong.
What do you call letting so many Americans die during COVID? How about the insurrection, the Georgia election fiasco, the documents theft, and paying off a porn star?
One letter writer has a Ph.D. after his name. Embarrassing. How smart can you be to sweep Trump’s antics under the rug?
It’s such people who help the MAGA cult exist. However, when Trump loses the election, he will get his comeuppance.
Carole Markowitz, Delray Beach
A vote for Jill Stein
It’s time for us seniors to get with it and stand for the future of our children and grandchildren. I’m tired of phony politicians who are only interested in corporate money and not the American people. Our laws have been twisted by big money to suite the elites.
We are seeing right now, before our eyes, how corporate donors control university administrators to squelch the voices of our brave, well-informed students.
A few days ago, Jill Stein (the Green Party presidential candidate) stood with protesting students (at Washington University in St. Louis) and was arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally. She is 73 years old. She supports keeping Social Security secure, universal health care for all, ending our reliance on fossil fuels and free college. Jill Stein for president!
Joyce Milberg, Delray Beach
A preference for Trump?
You will not print this, but to this reader it is clear that you favor two frequent writers, Neal Bluestein and Mark Goldstein (probably not their real names) who reflect a preference for Trump among your staff. Dishonest journalism.
Steve Barrett, Deerfield Beach