The Thin Line

Sir / The shocking thing about the White House transcripts [May 13] is that they reveal the President to be a man so absorbed in denning the thin line between illegality and immorality that he has lost sight of the fact that both are equally unethical.

BRUCE LAUTERWASSER

Ithaca, N.Y.

Sir / Again President Nixon has come across with too little, too late. His televised transcript offer is yet another in a long career of politically motivated turnabouts when his position of power is threatened.

It is imperative that Chairman Rodino and his committee see through this gold-lettered, black-bound version of "Poor Richard's Almanac" and pursue all forms of necessary evidence, especially the tapes.

MICHAEL SMITH

Glastonbury, Conn.

Sir / What just about breaks the heart is that while the nation lies wounded and confused, the President of the U.S. still thinks, in his fantastic arrogance, he need do nothing more than barnstorm, nothing more than instruct his "children" in speeches that are not only embarrassingly transparent but absolutely enraging in their efforts to persuade us dumb (expletive deleted).

ELIZABETH ROSE

Laguna Beach, Calif.

Sir / When the President edited his transcript, he took out the dirty words and left in the obscenities.

(THE REV.) WILLIAM A. KOLB

St. Louis

Sir / There is nothing that has brought me to the defense of President Nixon as much as has the making public of these damn tapes. In effect they are making a man testify against himself, which a man does not have to do in court.

I like a battle fought for good government, but a good share of this Watergate situation has turned into a personal political vendetta.

(MRS.) DONALD R. GILLETTE

PennYan, N.Y.

Sir / If we Americans and our elected representatives are apathetic enough, Mr. Nixon will surely "put Watergate behind us." We will quit all this "disrespectful" talk of impeachment.

If we pursue our leader's reasoning to its logical end, we would be extending the rights of all defendants in criminal cases. The defendants accused of a crime would have the right to determine what evidence could be used against them.

BETTY LITTLE

Belmont. N.C.

Country Converts

Sir / Your article on Merle Haggard [May 6] got me to take a better look at one of my own prejudices. I have always loved all types of music, but never could quite stomach country. After reading your article, I listened to two records of Haggard's left with me by a friend. You made a believer out of me--the man is really good.

BOB PATERSON

San Rafael, Calif.

Sir / I was raised in Montana shunning country music. Two years ago, a friend turned me on to Waylon Jennings. I bought all his albums. Since my discovery I have been turning my anti-country-music friends on to him.

Thank you for at least mentioning his name with the other country stars. He will be bigger than all of them.

WILLIAM D. DION

Salt Lake City

Sir / Before reading your feature article on country music. I thought it was the only kind of music I did not enjoy and appreciate. After reading your excellent article, I can honestly say. "Lord, they've done it all, and I still don't care for it."

DAVID H. BINKLEY

Camp Hill. Pa.

Sir / What H.L. Mencken once said regarding vaudeville applies, I think, equally well to country music--there are those who like it and those who can stand it when they are drunk.

J.R. KOHLHEPP

Cincinnati Sir / I am disappointed that in your otherwise good article on country music, you neglected to mention the man who gently and painlessly opened public receptivity to it; Glen Campbell, because of his superb musical talent, has been able to present the country sound with a bit more polish and a great deal of feeling.

Without Glen, the public would not have accepted so heartily the more rustic country entertainers that have now achieved stardom.

JUDY HARPER

Glastonbury, Conn.

The Verdict

Sir / Bully for the Mitchell-Stans jury [May 6]. Twelve unpretentious Americans saw through the paper tiger. A relatively unimportant incident was grasped in desperation by a few who wanted Nixon blood and was magnified and fueled by the news media into a carnival atmosphere.

J.R. RINKER

Augusta, Ga.

Sir / The not-guilty verdict on Mitchell and Stans is also a loud and clear guilty verdict for the press. Thank God for Forelady Sybil Kucharski and the eleven other typical Americans on this jury.

L.D. HADAWAY

Gainesville, Ga.

Sir / My deep and abiding faith in the American system was reaffirmed Sunday, April 28, in the verdict in the Mitchell-Stans trial. That is, a person with money and/or political clout does not go to jail!

JOHN NORMAN WESTER

Villa Rica, Ga.

New Generation

Sir / Aw, come on, Mr. Sidey [May 6], y'all been generalizing about us down here. As born, bred and proud Southerners, we disapprove of Richard Nixon's sham presidency as much as any Yankee in Massachusetts or New York City. Why, we could round up a pickup truck full of pro-impeachment folk without leaving the county.

Seriously, the South isn't all cheerleaders, good ole boys and Baptist deacons, as you so richly imply. There is a new generation of Southern adults that well know how to discern a gator from a stump. You know, we've seen a good many gators down here. We just stay home when Nixon brings his carpetbags to town.

GAIL AND BLANEY PRIDGEN

Columbia, S.C.

Grace to Say Goodbye

Sir / Happily for Portugal [May 6], Dr. Salazar has finally been buried. Unfortunately, the new government thinks it can resolve the country's colonial entanglements through a so-called federation. General Spinola should remember that another general, not so long ago, attempted to salvage another African empire in the same way. De Gaulle's proposed French Community proved unworkable, and he had the grace to accept its demise. I hope General Spinola will also have the grace to say goodbye to Africa without any more bloodshed.

JOSE L. SANCHEZ JR.

Indianapolis

A Pickel or a Ninny

Sir / Mr. Boosel [May 6] has a great idea in a 21/2e coin--halfway between a penny and a nickel. We could call it a "pickel," which also describes our economic situation. Or a "ninny." which describes the people who are responsible for it.

BERT CASPER

White Bear Lake, Minn.

Clean Cops

Sir / Your article on police corruption in American cities [May 6] reactivates an age-old itch I cannot scratch. I recently retired from the Los Angeles police department after 27 years. From the early '50s. when William H. Parker became chief, I could proclaim with pride at social gatherings that I was a Los Angeles police officer.

The L.A.P.D. is not perfect, but it has sparkled in comparison with police departments of other cities. I and several hundred thousand other "clean cops" would enjoy some mention of this being so. But alas, not committing crimes is not newsworthy, while committing them is.

JESS TUBBS

Thousand Oaks. Calif.

Too Human

Sir / Re Khrushchev's memoirs [May 6]: it was a very enlightening experience to look inside a man whom I had always thought of as a shoe-stomping tyrant and find that he was a very intelligent, concerned and compassionate individual. It is no wonder he was ousted: he was too human.

DENNIS BLACK

Bethesda, Md.

Deserving a Trial

Sir / I attend an alternative school like the one in Pasadena [May 6]. Mine is the first of its kind in this area. Even though the school board voted to let us continue through next year, there are still those who cry for blood. Things like cursing, bare feet in class and smoking are not, in my opinion, substantial reasons for shutting down a school that has eliminated the teacher-student barrier and has helped many of us find ourselves and learn to reach others. Alternative schools may still be experimental, but we deserve a trial before we are condemned.

EILEEN O'CONNOR

Cinnaminson, N.J.

Sir / To teach in a school like John Marshall Fundamental School in Pasadena, Calif., would be a dream come true. There must be a waiting list for teachers too.

SUZANNE LANGWORTHY

Orchard Park, N.Y.

Right to Reply

Sir / Re Pat L. Tornillo v. Miami Herald [April 29]: I am amazed that the basic right to reply in case of offensive or inaccurate newspaper reports is being questioned in the U.S. In Colombia, a 1944 law gives all citizens (not only political candidates) the right to have a reply published within three days. If the paper does not comply, the citizen may resort to a special judicial procedure in which the judge decides in 48 hours.

PATRICIO SCRU VILLAMIZAR

Medellin, Colombia

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