Letters

A couple of weeks ago, we featured a story about a spelling bee for adults held in a bar in Louisville, Kentucky. In response, Rick Renn e-mailed as follows:

"I was delighted to hear the story, but I'd like you to know that we have been doing virtually the same thing at our bar, Mr. Toad, in Omaha."

Mr. Renn, who listens to the program on KIOS in Omaha, was not dismayed that another bar running a spelling bee got the free publicity. He wrote, "We are content that there seems to be a group of us committed to raising the literacy rate of sops and tipplers."

Last Saturday's story on the fencing tournament in Fort Ticonderoga, New York, drew lots of responses from people glad that we'd paid some attention to what they regard as a neglected sport. The story also "jogged the memory" of John Wilde of Greenwood, South Carolina. He wrote: "Forty years ago, when I was a librarian at the University of Winnipeg, I hired a young Mennonite woman as a periodicals assistant. One day she wandered by a fencing practice. Curiosity led her to pick up a foil. Before she knew it, she was on the college team, though the coach had to enroll her in a couple of courses to make it kosher. She showed real aptitude, but eventually returned to her roots and enrolled in a Mennonite bible college. God's gain was fencing's loss."

My commentary on gratuitous violence in pro hockey provoked various responses on the website and on our facebook page.

"Spot on," wrote Joseph Moore. "What will it take to get it under control? Someone dying there on the ice in front of eighteen thousand fans?"

A listener named Erin felt the same way, and wrote: "Thank you. It's nice to know that someone likes hockey for hockey. I would certainly be more of a fan if they cut the excess violence."

On the other hand, Izzo10914 began his or her comment with "I'm sorry, but you are stupid," and went on to contend as follows:

"Fighting is part of hockey. Hockey is a tough sport. You have to be able to handle pain to play. If you get rid of the big hits and fighting, it's not hockey anymore."

You can drop the gloves in response to anything you've heard on our program or read on the website. Click here to do so, or leave a message on the listener line, 617-353-1860. You can also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.