MAYBERRY, U.S.A.

How dare Pinsky attack “The Andy Griffith Show” for its lack of social awareness or documentation. He charges this show with the responsibility of educating the masses to the social unrest of the ‘60s.

Mr. Pinsky:

Why “The Andy Griffith Show”? Why are you not also indicting the Cleaver household? You know, Ward never did explain to Wally that he might just be expected to report for military service in Vietnam; but then none of Wally’s buddies in beautiful Mayfield were drafted.

The residents of the “make-believe land of never-was” on “Petticoat Junction” did not seem to be bothered by world affairs. How about those zany castaways on “Gilligan’s Island”? What did they do to make the television audience aware of the civil rights movement?

Remember “The Munsters” or “The Addams Family”? No one ever criticized these families for failing to promote a real and harsh look at life in the ‘60s, and do you know why, Mr. Pinsky? No one cares!!!

America knows these are not real families nor real places. These shows are mindless, escapist, pulp. They’re designed explicitly to entertain, nothing more. Reality belongs to the news or programs such as “60 Minutes” or “20/20.”

Hindsight is a vehicle for the weak, Mr. Pinsky. If you are still concerned with judging television programming for what it does, why not attack the blissfulness of “The Love Boat” or the dangerously exaggerated reality portrayed in “The A-Team”?--shows still in production.

BRIAN HUNT

Upland