Age: 69
Occupation: English teacher, retired from California State University, Fresno.
Hobbies: Bird watching, reading, tropical fish, movies, baseball on TV and following politics.
Bee reader since: 1965
How many letters: 23 since 2002.
Favorite topics: Social justice, education, electoral politics, the Iraq war.
Why do you write? I care very much about the long list of issues facing America today. I think we all have a responsibility to follow politics and contribute to finding solutions to our problems as much as we can. Writing letters is one way to do that. And, besides being about our future, politics is a great spectator sport.
Excerpt from recent letter: "Proposition 8 is dishonestly named. Its supporters call it a defense of marriage. It's not. It's an attack on marriage and love and decency ... .
"My partner and I both oppose Proposition 8. Notice that I use the word 'partner.' I'm male. Do you think it matters whether my partner is a man or a woman?"
Reaction to letters: Lots of positive feedback from friends. Sometimes, angry feedback from other letter writers.
Topic that doesn't get enough attention: The ways in which we Americans create our own problems. Too often we respond to problems by scapegoating our political opponents (I also do it).
Education: Bachelor of Arts (English) from Harvard University; master of arts (English) and Ph.D (English and linguistics) from the University of Utah.
Family: Wife, two daughters and sons-in-law; two grandchildren; one brother and sister-in-law and three nephews.
Political philosophy: Left-liberal and progressive. It is outrageous that so many groups are so powerless and underserved in America. We're a great country, but too often we don't act as though we are. We have no right to say "E pluribus unum" if we don't welcome all our brothers and sisters to the table.
-- Compiled by Pam Rowse
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