Give Us A Break

To the Editor:

Once again we are treated to the philosophical musings of little Jenna Ruddock (The Letter Hive – July 4, 2003) as related by Ted Ruddock. One wonders if there really is such a person as little Jenna, or if she is merely the alter ego of Mr Ruddock.

I thought little Jenna would have been pleased with the passage of the town budget and would not have continued to rail against dissenters such as myself and Mr Gardner. But no, we who would disagree with little Jenna’s demands are now commanded to not only leave our community (this “family friendly” place) but to leave our country as well. That would be a bit of a wrench for me, since my paternal ancestor, Joseph Hawley, came to Stratford, Conn., in 1639. He begat many children. The Hawleys have always been opinionated people, with little tolerance for tyrants and despots and even 12-year-old girls who presume to lecture and chastise those who have different opinions.

My husband served in the 40th Division in the South Pacific in World War II, when Jenna’s grandfather was in the Navy. They are both part of the Greatest Generation, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.

The summer when I was 12 (1940), I painted my toenails red, spent most days at the beach, and read Gone With The Wind. Perhaps it would be helpful for everyone if little Jenna could just chill out and stop trying to tell everybody else how to behave. She could go to the town park, hang out with her friends, and read Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix instead of Darwin and Hawkins, and just give the rest of us a break.

Carolyn Hawley Downing

10 Saw Mill Ridge Road, Newtown                                  July 7, 2003