Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
‘There’s More Where That Came From’
I was surprised to read Patrick Giles’s criticism of the Production Code as somehow taking the spark out of Hollywood films [“There’s More Where That Came From,” Arts & Letters, June 24, 2005].
One can enjoy the spice of some pre-code movies and still be grateful to the code for having given us a rich legacy of films that we can enjoy today without hearing epithets every other minute; without having to watch men relieving themselves at urinals or people vomiting in vivid detail; to see female characters gyrating on top of their male prey, being numbed by punishing noise, or blinded by incoherent cutting and editing: having to bear mindless violence and excruciating scenes of blood and gore, and without having to be drenched in the nihilistic drivel that informs much of our contemporary entertainment.
So, far from regretting the code, many of us wish it would return. We can only imagine the bliss the average movie-goer experienced years ago, paying less than a dollar or two for a whole afternoon of sparkling, uplifting, well-made pleasure, minus the toxicity that has increasingly come to inform our popular culture.
CAROL IANNONE
Manhattan
‘Kiss of Death’
Andrew Wolf is entitled to his opinions, but his June 28 column [“Bloomberg Survives the Kiss of Death,” New York] contains some serious inaccuracies regarding City Limits magazine.
City Limits has been a well known and independent observer of New York City politics for nearly 30 years. The magazine is published by City Futures, Incorporated, a registered nonprofit organization.
We maintain a steadfast policy of nonpartisanship and are not affiliated with the Working Families Party (as Mr. Wolf suggests) or any other political party. The cover of City Limits’ current issue (“The People’s Mayor?”) combines an interesting photograph with a provocative question, which is addressed in three articles inside the magazine.
We offer no endorsements, only information and analysis for our readers to use in drawing their own conclusions.
MICHAEL CONNOR
Publisher
City Limits
Manhattan
‘Respectable Charade’
On the issue of global warming, environmental lobbyists cling to Vladimir Lenin’s maxim “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”
Fortunately, The New York Sun seems to still recognize the virtue of balanced reporting on the issue. Robert Samuelson’s “Respectable Charade” [Opinion, June 29, 2005] is a case in point. He presented a refreshing, well-reasoned position, in contrast to an ever growing sea of climate alarmism.
Few scientists doubt that the Earth is currently experiencing a warming trend. However, the extent to which the current warming trend is being caused by humans, and if so, what are the potential impacts, and what we can do to avoid or mitigate negative impacts, are still very much in debate among climate scientists and economists.
What is not seriously open to debate is that that none of the proposed solutions would do anything to prevent continued global warming or its potential impacts, but each solution would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and reduce economic growth.
Policies which make people poorer also leave countries less well equipped to respond and adapt to natural disasters. Surely our resources would be better spent preparing for the impacts of a warmer world, regardless of the cause.
H. STERLING BURNETT
Senior Fellow
National Center for Policy Analysis
Dallas, Texas
‘Plan B’
Congratulations. I have just finished reading the editorial in the e-mail news today the 27th of June [“Plan B”].
I wholeheartedly agree with you on the United Nations. It is bad enough that the Supreme Court of the United States is now stating in verdicts that we must comply with the laws of the courts in Europe.
Where is that stated in the Constitution? I have not been able to find it. This country has had enough interference with our laws.
ARTHUR BEANE
Napavine, Wash.
Please address letters intended for publication to the Editor of The New York Sun. Letters may be sent by e-mail to editor@nysun.com, facsimile to 212-608-7348, or post to 105 Chambers Street, New York City 10007. Please include a return address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited.
