O.J. CIVIL TRIAL
My heart goes out to the Browns and Goldmans. Congratulations on this victory! I applaud the families for never giving up. Fred and Kim Goldman especially must have been O.J. Simpson's worst nightmare.
ELLEN KOOSER, Dayton, Ohio
I am happy for the Goldman and Brown families. While O.J. may remain free, he is forever imprisoned in a world in which the public no longer admires or respects his celebrity, which seemed important to him. And one last thing: This was not a race issue. People aren't angry at O.J. because he is black. He's a murderer.
MARNA GIGUERE, Ventura, Calif.
As I watched the civil-trial jurors sanctimoniously rationalize their verdict, I was disturbed by the implication that a white jury had redressed the shortcomings of a black jury. While pundits endeavor to discover some esoteric meaning in the Simpson case, cynics like myself realize that two truths are obvious. First, the judicial system is merely a poker game, where the whims of the judge, the draw of the jury and the hysteria of the times masquerade as truth. Second, that until white America no longer is immunized from official abuses of power, the justice system, in its eyes, will continue to mean "just us."
DAVID R. HOFFMAN, South Bend, Ind.
MIA FARROW
I could not help but notice the difference between Mia Farrow's reaction to the discovery of the sexual relationship between Woody Allen and Soon-Yi and my own. Whatever the circumstances, I am sure that my first words to my daughter would not have been "What have you done?" but rather "What has he done?"
SANDRA SHIELDS, Valencia, Calif.
I can't believe it took a Polaroid picture for Mia Farrow to see the abuse that had gone on for years. I think a good clue would have been when she had to ask Woody Allen to take his thumb out of Dylan's mouth. That made my skin crawl.
TOMMYE BELL, Smithville, Tenn.
I was sickened by Mia's book excerpt. As I suspected, Woody is a lecherous pig. Since the law did not stop this creep, the public can by boycotting his movies. As for Mia, she has learned a lot—at the expense of her children. I wonder why she was allowed to adopt more. As usual, screwed-up, rich celebrities influence society more than average citizens ever will.
VALERIE BARNES, Missouri City, Texas
DAVE RAMSEY
So, Dave Ramsey amassed $4 million, then chose bankruptcy instead of paying his bills. Now he's the guru, bragging about being nearly debt-free. Why isn't he advocating that the rest of us dump our debt the way he did? The difference between our credit-card debt and his is that we accept responsibility, go to work every day and maintain our credit ratings by continuing to chip away at our mountain of debt. Bankruptcy has become the easy out for far too many, and the rest of us are paying for it.
PATTY ERICKSON, Minneapolis
FOREVER YOURS
I commend you for acknowledging gay relationships by including Bruhs Mero and Gean Harwood in your feature on enduring love. I'm sure you will receive a lot of negative comment, but I applaud your willingness to include these people even at the risk of losing some readers.
TINA WILEY, Austin, Texas
Lesbian and gay seniors are frequently ignored by senior services, the gay community and society as a whole. Your depiction of these two gentlemen is beneficial toward abolishing stereotypes and increasing awareness about a hidden population.
THOMAS R. WEST, West Hollywood
I'll be 45 next week, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a loving couple in the media. It is my fondest wish that, like Bruhs and Gean, I will one day sit on a park bench with my arm around my mate, Mark, our hair sparse and white, our skin weathered, but still very deeply in love.
MAURICE PETERSON, New York City
CURTIS MAYFIELD
Talk about your heroes! Curtis Mayfield and his wife, Altheida, are a shining example of what true love and a real marriage are all about. They made my Valentine's Day.
PATRICIA J. MYERS, Oakwood, Texas
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
