A special man

Thank you for the lovely piece on Herb Lucas (Local 6/3/04). We have known him since he and Mary came to stay at Springfield Residence during her illness, and have remained close to him since he settled in at Hill House.

We have heard many stories of his life including, of course, the war — and we have listened with awe and humility. We are thankful to all of these special men who risked all, and from which risks we have benefited.

Kathy and Carl Shaifer
Chestnut Hill

No sympathy

So the more holy than righteous Jerome Murphy thinks it's okay to send anonymous letters in violation of injunctions and standards of ethical behavior. Well, it's not. It's cowardly and dishonest. And it raises some really serious questions. At the time of this incident, Jerome held himself out to Andrew as his advocate in the disciplinary process, telling Andrew that he had his best interests at heart and that if Andrew told the truth, it would go easier on him. Then Jerome went into the disciplinary proceedings and totally sandbagged Andrew. Now we know that Jerome didn't even talk to the girl or her parents or conduct a thorough investigation by talking to other witnesses to various aspects of the incident. Talk about a kangaroo court!

My son and I, among others, were outspoken in our disagreement with the school's handling of this incident, wishing instead that Frank Steel hadn't used this as an opportunity for self-aggrandizement. And there were consequences to our outspokenness. As Frank told my son, standing up for what you believe in is a double-edged sword. But we have a clear conscience. We stood up in public for what we believed instead of anonymously sneaking around trying to hurt people.

I have little sympathy for those parents who think this could never happen to them and that Frank Steel and CHA will always be "fair" to them if their boy messes up. Think again. Think about what your boys are learning from all of this. And think about where your tuition money is going! Not to promote open discussion of the issues faced by today's children, but to pay high-priced lawyers who are happy to encourage litigation instead of resolution of issues. I'm glad we're gone.

Marie A. Fritzinger
Roxborough

Ludicrous

Jim Foster has crossed the line from his usual insensitivity and inaccuracy to downright cruelty and ignorance in his letter regarding the article on the death of Sherwood Baker in Iraq. He accuses the Local of lowered standards (May 27) because, he says, the front page article mixed news and opinion, and admonishes the Local for including a discussion of the Zappala's strong disapproval of the war in Iraq. He calls the Local "jaded" and equates it with tabloid journalism while implying outrageous connections to totalitarian, state-controlled publications.

Apparently Mr. Foster doesn't understand the difference between "news" and a feature article. Sherwood's death occurred over a month before the article appeared. The funeral services had been held weeks before the article appeared. At this point, it was not news. It was a feature about the life of a wonderful and promising young man who grew up in our area and, of course, about the family that still lives among us. Note that there was similar coverage of the story in the Inquirer even after the Local feature appeared.

Mr. Foster insults Sherwood's memory and adds to the pain of the family's loss with his ludicrous remarks.

Barbara A. Mitchell
Chestnut Hill