The failures of Ford and Reagan

Re “Jerry Ford’s magic,” Opinion, Dec. 28

It may be poor form to speak ill of the departed, but it is unfortunate that Gerald (not “Jerry”) Ford is now considered to be such a paragon of patriotic virtue even though he withheld his criticism of our invasion of Iraq while he was alive, when it might have served a good purpose. He would have been a far more patriotic upholder of the Constitution if he had spoken out before President Bush and a jingoistic Congress had committed us to this folly. We need more outspoken patriots who are really interested in our country’s welfare more than their position in history after they are gone.

RICHARD A. DAVIDSON

Woodland Hills

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Jonah Goldberg’s search for a self-described liberal to offer anything but praise for Ronald Reagan is over. Here you go: 25 million dead worldwide of AIDS since Reagan and his lot slept through the early days of the crisis. This is a moral failing of the highest order and is not anywhere overlooked or forgotten where honesty prevails.

JAMES MCCARTHY

Los Angeles

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Goldberg obviously doesn’t spend much time with liberals. Allow me to be the first to chime in that I, still, to this day, very much consider Reagan to be a “warmongering, senile fascist,” to use Goldberg’s own terms. Among Reagan’s many accomplishments: unwavering support for the apartheid government of South Africa, firing the nation’s hardworking air traffic controllers over a petty wage dispute, funding terrorists and brutal dictators in Central and South America and, of course, selling arms to Iran to fund his Contra operation in Nicaragua.

In many respects, the pathway to the awful state the world is in today was laid by Reagan and his many cohorts. Let’s send out a big word of praise to Reagan for his legacy that has brought us global warming, massive deficits and far too many years of incompetent presidents named Bush.

DOUG HAXALL

Los Angeles