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The next San Francisco earthquake [Sept. 1] will inevitably be glorious: a Bill Graham production featuring surprise friends and relations and perhaps even Cher Bono Allman, a Columbia soundtrack, a Dick Clark Wide World special with simultaneous quadraphonic FM coverage sponsored by the folks from the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and T shirts for the quake maniacs on the East Coast. May even start a trend.
Chena Harper
San Francisco
Your article on earthquakes is just wonderful. We are less than half a mile from the San Andreas Fault, on a hill overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean. Why is your article wonderful? Because the presence of earthquakes is one of the factors that encourage a lot of people not to move to California.
How about a scary article on sharks along all the California beaches?
James M. McCraney
Pacifica, Calif.
Parents, Beware
This fall's school openings [Sept. 15] provide further evidence that too many parents have abandoned their responsibilities in the affairs of education to the school professionals. The professionals have somewhat mindlessly followed their leaders. Threats of "we will strike" commit us to further straitjacketing the school systems with more specialization. "Professionalism" is the cry.
Parents, if you don't actively move your public schools from a labor market debate into an organized parent action for educational reform to ensure a better education for every child, you may soon see the end of public education.
Harvey B. Scribner
Amherst, Mass.
Dr. Scribner, co-author of the new book Make Your Schools Work, was school chancellor of New York City, 1970-73.
Castro Caveat
The decision of the U.S. Government to allow foreign subsidiaries of American corporations to trade with Cuba [Sept. 1] constitutes another maneuver within the so-called policy of détente, which so far has meant nothing more than forsaking territories the Soviet Union covets in return for little but Soviet "good will." In this sense, American concessions resemble the classic "protection" payment made by shopkeepers in exchange for nothing but an uneasy respite until the threatening payee chose to renew his demands.
The step-by-step method of lifting sanctions on Cuba is a clever strategy designed to overcome the opposition of American firms with investments in pre-Castro Cuba who have demanded that compensation for the confiscation of property by the Castro dictatorship be made a prerequisite for the re-establishment of relations with it.
What about principles and morality? In matters of détente, they do not even seem to enter into the discussion. No matter the assurances made to defenseless nations, no matter the blood of those who yesterday fought in Viet Nam. But then, Secretary of State Kissinger was never professor of ethics at any university.
Carlos Prio Socarrás
Miami
The writer was the last constitutionally elected President of Cuba (1948-52).
The View from Kankakee