August 19, 2015 --

A Bizarre Comment in "The Forward," August 12:

Jews in Iran are "basically well-protected second-class citizens."

"Mockingbird"

LPR is curious why the recent attention given Harper Lee, the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" -- and, now, "Go Set a Watchman" --hasn't much noted "Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee," by Charles J. Shields. LPR definitely recommends this "portrait," which, among other things, prompted the thought that the character in "To Kill a Mockingbird" Ms. Lee has come closest to resemble is...Arthur (Boo) Radley. The Shields book includes interesting information on Lee's assistance to Truman Capote, gathering material for "In Cold Blood," and on the filming of the movie version of "To Kill a Mockingbird," which starred Gregory Peck who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Atticus Finch, the lawyer/single parent in "To Kill a Mockingbird."

August 5, 2015 --

The Meaning of the Pollard Parole ...

Jonathan Pollard will have served 30 years in prison. This is ten years more than Albert Speer was sentenced at Nuremberg for war crimes. The agent of an American ally does not spend 30 years in prison. The Pollard prison term puts the lie to claims that the U.S. and Israel are allies.