Evening star., 1959-11-07
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Quiz Show Revelations Stir Mixed Emotions

ance in our society no mat
ter how shady their back
ground or ill-gotten their
gains. The Federal Govern
ment through q system of
inequitable tax laws and
extravagant give.away pro-
grams has made cheating
in one form or another-the
most popular national game.
In q moral climate such as
this. revelations of fraud are
more the rule than the ex-
ception. That we as individ-
uals-and . people-should
positively accept, excuse, JUS
tify and even condone such
actions points up our great
est. crying need ~ q Nation
IA return to morality.
Anne Snyder.
Gainesville, Va.
h& =
Well, the hue and, cry re-
garding Charles Van Doren is
just about over and we can
go back to. our mundane af-
fairs. The man has sinned
and confessed, and that's
that.
I agree with Representa- =
tive Derounain who said at
the conclusion Of the hear
ing. Il don't think an adult
of your intelligence ought to
be commended for telling the
truth" Actually, Van Doren
made a clean breast Of the
whole affair after he was
found out and he could not
retreat.
However. there is such q
thing as genuine repentance,
and II Van Doren is actually
repentant, he is entitled to
a second chance. Even the
repentant thief on the cross
received a second chance, for
he was carried into Paradise
with our Lord. So, Van Do
rem is entitled to as much
grace as God can afford to
give.
c. +. HaughawOut.
The majority of us make
mistakes - sometimes over
and over, but few Of lie have
to face q nation with it.
As I see Charles Van
Doren he is q very brilliant,
intellectual chap who has
been greatly protected and
sheltered. He has lived with
his poetry and history. He
doesn't even like to fish or
hunt because it infiicts hurt
on something. All of which
has made him q softie.
I do believe that because
OF this mistake he is and will
be a better man, and 4 better
teacher.
Harriet Turner.
AS I see it, Charles Van
Doren is not a man, today,
he is a way Of life. And he is
an indictment Of us ALL
In a country proud Of its
schools and colleges and Of
its high rate Of literacy,
school teachers draw smaller
wages than do illiterate
bricklayers, so its professors
by day teach its children
literature and culture and
philosophy and how to get
the most out Of living, and
then by night those same
professors must achieve their
own success with q COM
r'Srcisll" sponsored some-
thing for : nothing. Vanity
fair!
And then we 90 righteous
and indict those same pro-
fessors.
c. Dix.
I think far too much stress
has been laid on the nefar-
iousness Of rigging the TV
quiz programs (after all, 1t
was q show, no one lost any
money, and all the viewers
were pleased. and far too lit
tie on the significance Of ly-
ing about it before the grand
jury.
Particularly I think your
editorial of November 4 was
far out Of line in accusing
Mr.. jackson Of getting $20.-
900 by false pretenses. The
people who paid him the
money knew exactly what
they were getting and were
! entirely satisfied.
George d. WatrOus, Jr.
1t offends me to see In the
press that some Of our best
people. including Mr.. Eisen-
hover. still choose to deny
that the revelations Of the Tv
quiz investigation have ma
tional significance as to o
national trend In morals.
II these people would open