It’s censorship, not heroism

How can any self-respecting journalist -- in this case, Times columnist Patrick Goldstein (“A Parent Who Said ‘Enough,’ ” March 16) -- possibly apply the term “hero” to a crybaby Florida father whose complaints to the FCC got a shock jock fired? Easy: Just use the shameless “I used to believe in the 1st Amendment before I was a parent” defense.

Spawning apparently makes it perfectly acceptable to demand that all forms of popular entertainment be blandly innocuous and relentlessly inoffensive.

James Dawson

Tarzana

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GOLDSTEIN’S descriptions of Douglas Vanderlaan as a “hero” and the “David” of a “David and Goliath” story are seriously misplaced.

While Vanderlaan has every right to voice his opinion, the most indecent aspect of the current situation in radio is that people like him effectively can decide what their communities can hear. There is nothing heroic about that.

Jeffrey Turkell

Los Angeles