WHO'S IN?
Will In-N-Out Burger remain out of reach? I'm not that big of a fan — I'd rather see Fatburger or SmashBurger come to town ["In-N-Out in St. Louis — Or Pie in the Sky?"]. But between the hometown boys at Hardee's, Carl's Jr., Steak 'n Shake, White Castle, Fuddruckers and Red Robin, I don't think we're missing much.
JZ71, via the Internet
FEATURE, MARCH 10, 2011
THE SCENES OF THE FATHER
Remembering the "hoodlum priest": I enjoyed your article and the additional information it contained ["Forgive Me, Father, For I Have Cinema'ed," Dennis Brown]. It reminded me of two nostalgic moments.
While in high school, I appeared in the movie, running past Don Murray in my football uniform. But more important was one night shift during college, when I was working as an orderly. Earlier that evening, Fr. Clark threw a bedpan at a nurse and was immediately sedated and sent to the psych ward. When I came on duty, he was just coming to. He was very lucid and talkative. I regret I did not write down our several hours of conversation about his life. Charismatic just doesn't begin to describe him.
When the nuns became aware what had happened early the next morning, he was quietly sent back to the medical floor. He died two days later. Life puts you in fortunate situations, and this was one of mine.
Tom Cradock, St. Louis
We'll take "riveting" and "fascinating": Riveting retelling of a fascinating story. Thanks.
Christy Kennedy, via the Internet
If they can redo True Grit: Now why don't they remake this?
SMD Pepper, via the Internet
Praise from an alum: Awesome story. Well done. I can't believe I was unaware of this as a Saint Louis University High School grad.
BDT, via the Internet
FEATURE, MARCH 3, 2011
SHE FIGHTS LIKE A GIRL
A lot to chew on: I read your article, and I felt there were a few good points in it ["Daddy's Little Girl," John H. Tucker]. From what was written in the article, I can tell this father and daughter lead a very different lifestyle from mine. They have been taught to trust no one and to always have a guard up, but at the same time, they seem like very sensitive people.
I also thought the debate on allowing organized MMA fights for kids was interesting. It is kind of a rough subject. I personally would not want to watch a six-year-old fight someone three years older. To me, that just sounds insane. However, I do see where this would be good for some kids, such as those who grew up defending themselves like Green. It would be a good way to channel the anger felt when one has to grow up that way.
When reading about Madeline's mother, I felt a tinge of pity. If she went to so much trouble to clean herself up, then I feel like Madeline should at least give her a chance. Coming from a person who has never lacked either parent, I do feel that having the two there is important. Even if the parents are divorced, the mother and the father both need to be a part of the child's life. She is fortunate enough to still have her mother around, because some do not.
As a whole, this was a very interesting article. It gave me a chance to see into the life of someone who had to fight throughout his entire life. I could not imagine staring up at someone years older than me, ready to break their arm, or to put them in a chokehold. To me, this way of living is a whole other world, but it suggests that good people can come from all parts of town, even the bad parts.
Nicole Bancroft, Overland
