NOT SO FUN
MATT LABASH's article on corporate America ("Are We Having Fun Yet?" September 17) mandating fun in the workplace makes telecommuting look quite appealing. It's bad enough having to work for an American company that fails to respect or pay you adequately, exposes you to a toxic work environment, and treats you as white collar chattel. But Funsultants and Funtivities are the final straw. Workers of the World, Unite! Give us back our grim, merciless, robber baron bosses and sweatshops! Oh to be a breaker boy once again!
LES PHILLIPS
Minneapolis, Minn.
THE GREAT WARRIORS
ANDREW FERGUSON's review ("In the Trenches," September 17) of the National World War I Museum raises the question of "what the older Kansas Citians would have made of [the museum]." More importantly, what would the American veterans of the First World War think? Here's my guess at what they would say: "It's not how you remembered us, but, rather, what took you so long?! It's been ninety years since the Armistice, and only three of us doughboys are left. Why isn't our memorial, our national museum, on the National Mall in Washington? Why is it in Kansas City, Missouri?"
Suffice it, the great national landmark to WWI veterans is here in Kansas City, it's been here since 1926, and we did our homework for the new museum. Come judge for yourself whether or not we great-grandchildren accomplished our mission, the one carved in stone at the base of the original Memorial Tower: "In honor of those who served in the World War in defense of Liberty and our Country."
ELI PAUL
Kansas City, Mo.
PRIMARY HISTORY
REGARDING FRED BARNES's article on the GOP presidential horserace ("And They're Really Off " September 17), it's worth noting that at least since the 1940s, every GOP presidential nomination contest that did not feature an early heir-apparent frontrunner settled down into a battle between the conservative and moderate wings of the party. Such has been the pattern from Taft-Dewey in 1948 to Taft-Eisenhower in 1952 to Goldwater-Rockefeller in 1964 to Reagan-Ford in 1976 (Ford being a special case as an unelected incumbent).
Giuliani seems to have locked up the moderate slot, while the battle still rages for the conservative slot among Romney, Thompson, and McCain. Although Romney seems to have the inside track by virtue of leading the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, it would be odd if the presidential nomination for a southern and western-based conservative party came down to a choice between the former mayor of New York City and the former governor of Massachusetts.
JOE SALZGEBER
Brunswick, Ohio
READING CATHER IN KABUL
JAMES SEATON's review ("Woman of Letters," September 17) of The Cambridge Companion to Willa Cather was quite enjoyable. Two years ago while working in Kabul, I was privileged to introduce a young Afghan woman named Mariam to Cather's writings. She went on to write her senior paper in English at Kabul University on Cather and her works, finding many similarities between the harsh lives of women in Afghanistan and those of pioneer women in the United States over a century ago. We enjoyed discussing the commonality of human relationships despite separation by religion and culture--women making sacrifices in their own lives in order to give their children a better life; families frowning on the choice of partners; and human frailties and strengths in dealing with tragedies.
VIRGINIA K. SHEFFIELD
Arlington, Va.