Editor,
Now that the controversial statue of Father Junipero Serra has been removed, I would like to suggest that we replace it with someone who is not controversial, who worked in the arts, and whose most famous creation was “born” here in Ventura. I would like to see a statue of Erle Stanley Gardner standing in front of City Hall where he used to practice law when it was the county courthouse.
Many people, even long time Ventura residents, do not know who he is or that Mr. Gardner was a member of the firm of Sheridan, Orr, Drapeau, and Gardner in Ventura from 1921 to 1933. During that time be became increasingly disenchanted with the practice of law and started writing pulp fiction for crime magazines around the country. He did well at this but his greatest success came when he started writing novels, 82 in all, about a hard-driving attorney by the name of Perry Mason.
The first Perry Mason novel, “The Case of the Velvet Claws”, used the Pierpont Inn as the backdrop to the story.
A television show based on Mason ran for nine years and many more special made-for-television movies followed after its cancellation. Gardner himself appeared in the last episode of the series.
Recently, HBO launched a mini-series based on Gardner’s work.
At the time of his death in 1970, Gardner was the best-selling writer of the 20th Century.
All of this success, which started here in Ventura, should be celebrated by all of us.
Regards,
John Darling
Sheldon:
Thank you for bringing our community such fantastic local and national coverage, and editorials. I always look forward to each Breeze being published.
Robert Aronson
Mr. Brown —
In response to opinions expressed in the July 29, 2020 edition of the Ventura Breeze criticizing the words and actions of our president, I ask that you please consider them from a different perspective:
Ever the optimist and with endless vistas of free time I believe that I have figured out how the dots connect so that much human suffering will end and very soon at that.
I never thought I would have anything good to say about the man, but from what I observe President Donald Trump is succeeding in “draining the swamp”. His actions are exposing the weaknesses in various systems and are providing the impetus for people the world over to look into the abuses perpetrated by many in authority and their associates whether by design, incompetence, or a policy of “see no evil, hear no evil”.
At one point in my career I worked for the District Attorney’s Office and learned that pedophiles and those that similarly prey on the vulnerable do not do well in prison. That thought cheers me. Imagine the fear running through the veins of the super elite, the friends, associates, and clients of billionaire child sex trafficker the now deceased Jeffrey Epstein and others in similar trade. These people face the very real threat of public exposer (black mail is like that), and I seriously doubt that Mr. Epstein’s secrets died with him. When exposed, the corrupt will lose their positions of authority hopefully to be replaced by those more fit for command.
Finally, I feel there is a connection between mask wearing and the missing part of “see no evil, hear no evil”, which is “speak no evil.” To quote Ralph Smart, “Speak the truth even if your voice shakes.”
Julie Schaab Ventura
There is so much apathy in the world today…..but who cares?
~Steven J. Paul
