Doonesbury Cartoons on Frank Sinatra

The Times has received 221 letters commenting on its decision not to print all of Garry Trudeau’s Doon e sbury strips on Frank Sinatra; 206 criticized The Times’ decision and/or praised Trudeau; 15 criticized Trudeau and/or praised Sinatra.

Who on God’s Earth does Garry Trudeau think he is? He may think he’s a spokesman for a generation, but he’s in my generation and I think he’s an arrogant egomaniac.

What gives him the right to launch an unwarranted attack on Frank Sinatra because Sinatra was, among others, awarded a deserving Medal of Freedom?

Sinatra has done for, and helped more people than Trudeau has written cartoons. If he were in the real workaday world, I don’t think he’d be so quick to pull the trigger.

It’s an affront not only to Sinatra, but more so to the President’s judgment, and still more so to America. Think about it. An America that affords the Trudeaus an elitist life style.

EDMUND MICHAEL DeFUSCO

Los Angeles

Editor’s Note: The Times risks lawsuits again and again because taking the risk is often the only way to get important information to its readers. Most of the Sinatra panels were withheld, not because of fear of litigation but because the newspaper was strongly advised by its lawyers that they would have substantial problems defending in court any libel suit that might have been filed.