Nichols right to not be cowed by...

Nichols right to not be cowed by colleagues

Your Sunday editorial chastising Newport Beach Councilman Dick

Nichols for questioning the nature of what you refer to as the

library’s “Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series” raises more

questions than it answers (“A reminder about freedom of speech”).

That’s because you also find out that city funds do not support

the series, which implies that our city-owned library does not have

any official connection to it. Well then, who does? In Nichols’

favor, shouldn’t the people of Newport Beach as well as their council

members be informed of how things are run in our city and who does

the running?

Nichols’ act and politically naive questioning seem fresh and

right on target, and we hope he never settles down into an

intimidated silence and apathy. Frankly, I don’t feel threatened by

the politics or philosophy of these speakers, except the possible

threat of boredom from speakers who really can’t find that many

forums of people willing to sit still and pay all that money. One

speaker sticks out of my mind with the dryness of his lecture on

randomness to show that there is no God and that all we perceive in

life and death was created through simple randomness and was not the

result of any intelligent force at work.

I marvel at such dreary waste of time.

REBA WILLIAMS

Newport Beach

Distinguished speakers challenge left and right

Councilman Dick Nichols is concerned about the “left-wing-leaning”

group of speakers featured at the Distinguished Speakers Lecture

Series at the Newport Beach Public Library. Councilman Tod Ridgeway

and Mayor Steve Bromberg were correct in squashing Nichols’ attempt

to control and “conservatize” this elegant and eloquent group of

speakers.

Ironically, when I hear both sides of political issues, I become

less of a knee-jerk liberal. I heard David Gergen speak at this

series last year, and was overwhelmed by this moderate Republican

conservative. He was brilliant, fair-minded and funny as he described

his work as an advisor in the cabinets of Presidents Nixon, Ford,

Reagan and Clinton. Gergen distilled the essence of good leadership

traits from all four.

I was raised in a liberal Democrat household, where we were taught

to vote Democrat first, no matter what, in a Tamany Hall-type

procedure. When feminism emerged in the 1970s, my default voting

became: Democrat first, if no Democrats on the ballot, then women

first, and if no women, then teachers over businessmen.

Reagan and Nixon, as well as any Republican president, were

painted by my parents as babbling, nonintellectual warmongers. Yet, I

was so impressed by Gergen that I bought his book, “Eyewitness to

Power,” and have been reading it cover to cover for the last year. It

is simply but intelligently written and gives the strength and

weaknesses of these three Republicans and one Democrat.

While it is easy to see some of Clinton’s weaknesses, for example,

Gergen also details his intellectual strengths and global popularity.

While I had been taught that Reagan was an arch-conservative fool, I

found to my amazement that this man was a great leader. (My mother

would turn over in her left-leaning grave.)

I have become very interested in politics again because of my

encounter with Gergen. I understand concepts such as why he left

Clinton’s office and why he so admires Reagan.

Like Joe Bell, I love “The West Wing” television show. Of course I

am in harmony with many of the protagonists’ beliefs. However I was

happier when the character Ainsley Haynes was on the show, as a

conservative attorney hired by the president. She presented many

sound arguments for a conservative point of view, and it helped me to

understand all my friends and neighbors in Newport Beach a bit more.

I will never be as much a of knee-jerk liberal as I once was. I am

sure the vast conservative majority in our area will not be tainted

by hearing a few “liberal” speakers. (And since I haven’t heard them,

I am hoping that they, like Gergen, will be even-minded.)

I have the deepest respect for Ridgeway and Bromberg. They decried

the rantings of a cardboard conservative: Nichols’ remarks were

shallow and punitive. I respect conservatives and liberals who have

given thought to both sides of issues. (I am not so sure President

Bush does this as well as some of his predecessors.)

If Nichols attends this fine speakers’ series, I suspect he will

gain depth, if by no other reason than reminding himself of why he

disagrees, as Americans have done for 200 years.

SUE CLARK

Newport Beach

Another potential gold mine in Costa Mesa

Thanks, Mayor Karen Robinson, for trying, but if the Costa Mesa

Planning Commission’s decision succeeds and Kona Lanes is destroyed,

it would feel like the movie “Poltergeist.” Notice to Kohl -- we

wouldn’t shop at a place that was infamous for killing old memories

all for the almighty dollar. Philanthropy will officially be declared

deceased in Costa Mesa. Let’s all just stop this moaning and groaning

and work on making money -- isn’t that the bottom line in life

anyway?

I’ve got a new project for you -- the little choo choo trains the

kids love next to the Costa Mesa Golf Course. I bet there is money to

be made there, and it wouldn’t take long to tear those tracks up.

MARTIN STUKA

Costa Mesa