THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 9, 1994 TAG: 9408090012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
I am tired to my soul of the cynical whining of so-called conservatives. Especially so if they consider themselves deeply religious and morally superior to those secular, humanist, leftist liberals whom I assume, after much study, to be anyone who does not agree with them.
In a double-barreled blast of Bozo reasoning (op-ed page, Aug. 4), Cal Thomas and John Leo have taken a Capraesque movie about the virtues of childlike innocence and syncronicity, and used it to attack ``boomers'' and those of us who see ample evidence that the rational mind could use a large dose of the heart.
Mr. Leo is concerned that schools are being ``dumbed down'' in favor of self-esteem and ``good-hearted social attitudes'' (`Gump': Hollywood's sure-fire formula for a feel-good fable''). Since when are a good heart and a good mind mutually exclusive? Is Mr. Leo implying that Forrest Gump would not have behaved as he did if he were more intelligent?
As for Mr. Thomas' ``boomer'' fixation (``Forrest Gump' and the meaning of life for Boomers''), is there some past ``boomer'' trauma? Was he mugged while walking barefoot and forced to wear Gucci loafers, or something?
We boomers would never be so presumptuous as to think we were ``kind, humble,'' etc: Those are ideals, and we make a conscious effort to live up to them because they bear the ``fruits of the spirit'' spoken of in ``The Book.'' Childlike faith and innocence are as worthy an ideal as the rational self is a worthy opponent.
Literal interpretationists among us should remember, ``Except you become again as a little child, you shall in no way enter in.'' Nothing else matters.
If Mr. Thomas and Mr. Leo must think, they should ``think on these things.''
MICHAEL McCARTHY
Chesapeake, Aug. 5, 1994 by CNB