To the editor: Columnist Jackie Calmes nails it (“As we approach July 4, the capital is, fittingly, a mess,” June 4). This piece reminded me of the “Great Gatsby” party some months ago, where the president entertained guests amid giant martini glasses brimming with scantily clad women. But here’s what F. Scott Fitzgerald had to say about these sorts of gatherings and people:
“They were careless people … they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”
Thanks to your columnist for ringing this bell.
David Lester, Santa Ynez
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To the editor: I enjoyed Calmes’ recent column, and I am imagining the Roman Colosseum, filled with sycophants applauding the sight of blood on the sand awaiting dear leader’s thumb — up or down. But picture this on the lawn of the People’s House. It’s sad that this is happening.
Peter Ambrose, Claremont
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To the editor: I believe that the president who succeeds Donald Trump will be able to win simply by promising that he or she will tear down every piece of construction in Washington with Trump’s name on it.
Joan Walston, Santa Monica
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To the editor: The 200th anniversary of the United States of America in 1976 was a joyful celebration of American freedom. The 250th, in contrast, feels like a “celebration of life” — that is, a memorial, in which we say our final goodbyes to the republic we dearly loved and whose loss we grieve. Yet we dedicate ourselves to the hope of her resurrection for the benefit of future generations.
Eleanor Egan, Costa Mesa
