An Exchange of Letters Between My Brother and Father from Late 1992

The idea of posting my father’s letters to a blog was for my siblings to finally see what my father wrote about each of us in his letters to the others. To say he was grossly unfair is probably an understatement. He wasn’t ashamed of his cheapness—bringing his own liquor to bars and just buying sodas for mixers or meanness—his reference to my Uncle Marvin and calling my brother a “turkey”

You begin to notice a pattern in his writing, which I noticed to an even greater extent in his unpublished autobiography, and that is the belief that if you write something down and you write it often enough, you give credence to the lie. More on this to come in future postings, but a couple of examples of this from this exchange of letters.

My father alludes to sending me a Christmas gift the prior year, which, if he did, I never received. Nor had I ever received a Christmas gift from him over the course of my entire adult life. In another letter—not part of this exchange—he alludes to having sent me a $500 gift certificate as a wedding gift the summer of 1993. A pretty generous gift for me to have supposedly not acknowledged, except when you consider that I never received anything from him. Nothing, not a card or phone call. Granted, I wasn’t expecting anything since I didn’t invite him to the wedding or even send an announcement. It wasn’t until after his death, when going through his correspondence that I learned that he had complained to family and friends about my not acknowledging the gift. Maybe the Alzheimer’s to which he eludes at the end of the last letter might explain it.

Finally my father claims 1994 would be his 30th consecutive year at the Fiesta of San Fermin in Pamplona. His first trip there in 1966 was well documented in his journals, so 1994 would have been his 27th year.

I also find it strange that my father expresses a liberal viewpoint in letters near the end of a life he spent espousing political ideology that a friend and colleague of his characterized as “slightly to the right of Attila the Hun.” I was with him on one occasion in which he swerved his car into a huge puddle, soaking a line of welfare recipients standing outside the office on Broad Street in Philadelphia, screaming, “Get a job!”

October 24, 1992

Dear Mark,

Saturday night and I'm sitting here reading goddam blue books which demonstrate, roughly, 6th grade levels of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and, on the average, 3rd grade intellectual levels! I'm torn between last-year tendencies to be generous and very realistic anger and depression at the state to which the American educational system is condemning the next generations to total inadequacy! I can't wait to get out! So, I'm just biding my time until next July 1st when I'm definitely out of here.

Janet has just left, flying her 747 down to Rio and Montevideo--in search of Uraguayan and Brazilian Monopoly sets (I must have about 30 by now, having just gotten one from Australia--to match Egypt, Thailand, etc) My main targets now are Finland, Austria and Greece (to finish Europe), then Mainland China, Philippines, and Korea to finish Asia. Then to work on Africa.  What collections my kids will inherit!

I do hope you're thinking seriously about all of us meeting in London. I am torn between 3 or 4 November . . Janet can drive me up to Newark only on the 4th (and Beverly has sent me a big box to carry over to Jennifer) . . and back on the 7th (when she'll be returning from her own flight over to London). Still no word on the Guy Fawkes party, though I'm sure that someone in Cambridge will be having one. I will be coming down to London on Friday, the 6th, so if you can't get away before Thurs. night the 5th, we can arrange to meet at Jenny's on Fri. morning in London. I will probably spend Fri. night at Liptons, Sat. with Janet in her hotel in Kensington.

I enclose, as usual, advance payment for my pass, and, if you decide to go and can get a Buddy pass for Jessica, I will pay for that. I haven't spoken to Jeff yet, but will presume he can get a Courier flight to get him to London at least by the morning of the 6th, possibly earlier. So . . don't screw up; be Mr. Reliable for a change, forego a little poontang for 72 hours, and help effect a family reunion in London. Believe me, when you're a drooler and your women have all left you, you'll be grateful for having sisters who'll help wipe the drool and see you don't die alone, like Uncle Marv.

Still waiting for the Real Estate market to pick up so I can get the hell out of here. The San Diego area is my temporary alternative; I will not spend another winter in Philthadelphia! I think we'll be going into a trade war with England since this U.S.Air/Brit Air deal is dead. The little pissants want us, how­ever indirectly, to do for them what they think we've been doing for Germany, France, and the other European countries they want to give us nothing and give them free reign in the States.

Your nonsense about competition being good for Boeing and HcD/Douglas is just that their governments are pouring millions into their airbus industries, it is hardly fair competition. Continental will soon be forced out of Europe and you'll be working for some Europeans . . but that is only if the reaction of your soon-to-be-out-of-work crews doesn't put your company into permanent manure! Think twice about what's happening to this country, you have swallowed this Welfare shit, the cry for self-sufficiency is a red-herring to get out of the moral obligation of providing for basic needs in this country And remember; whatever your beliefs, don’t manifest them so as to alienate those close to you--on whom you may well want to fall back on when things get bad!

I have signed on for the First Summer Session to make some bread so that I can provide up to $1000 for a 1/3rd share on a seaside Apt. in St. Jean for the month of July. The Grands will come here on November 12; we'll put them to work in trying to find us a first class place for the summer. 1994, my 30th consecutive, will be my last year at Pamplona. This coming year is promising; with the peseta at 109 and climbing, we might get 150 to the dollar for '93! This will still make a rum + coke at the Windsor $3.00, but will help in general . . the room at the Maisonnave will only be $175 for a double (with meals). When you consider that you paid $100 per for a small walk-up at Marceliano's . . that may be a good deal!

Janet's and my next trip will be to India, then to Brazil. United is going to connect up around the world in February and Fly into Johannesburg and New Delhi. We may even get married this Spring! If we fly to Las Vegas, perhaps you and your sweetie will join us there!

Don't let me hear about your coming up this way without seeing you old man--it's been years since you were last here. If I see my sweetie Bonita the beautiful Continental Flight Attendant on the International run, I'11 tell her you'l1 be coming up to see her!

Take Care,

          

Dear Dad;

Thank you for the wonderful letter. . . Your sermonizing is more than amusing. In fact, it moves me to anger.

Your comments regarding the current status of student education and knowledge was very upsetting, but it is hardly news (unless you're suggesting it's getting even worse, which would be hard to imagine). I've often believed the state of education was in collapse, the matter of degree, to me, was never of consequence.

My personal experience, regarding your culpability for this situation is minimal, unless of course I judge you based on your influence in my life. . . That influence, paired with my knowledge of your political views, would only indicate that you are an integral part of this distaste. . .

I might also add, that I think the situation is worse than you believe (I use the word 'even', largely because you concur with Boy Clinton on his assessment of our current state). I say worse, primarily because ideas to correct the situation, like you and Boy entertain, have gained such wide currency.

We have all had to listen to insufferable political musing for the past months. However, nowhere did the Republicans take a bigger liver punch than that the Democrats dished out over there stance on "family values".

Perhaps I'm the first to suggest to you, that you failed on two significant levels when it comes to the disaster in our education system. First, you simply were not present during my educational years... Next, I've have seen no indication that you are of the nature to correct the problem through working with the University, or the schools that turned out your own inadequately educated children (yes, all of them!). I wouldn't even bet the intellectual Rambo of this family even impeded, or slowed the shit pump Temple had working over time spitting these Bovidae out into the streets.

You may have heard the Bush/Quayle support of family values, now you get to hear mine... If these kids don't get a good dose of discipline, and an accompanying lesson in personal accountability (preferably from someone they're afraid of, Dad) during the years they spend in grade school, there's no way they are going to sit still for anyone long enough to learn anything in high school. College is out of the question.

In short, it takes a mother to love and coddle; it takes a father to discipline (preferably a conservative). A female cannot adopt the dual role of kind forgiver and enforcer.

You liberals are only out to make matters worse. You push us further away from personal accountability, every, single, day. You blame everyone else. . . the government, the environment, etc. . . Everyone except yourselves--the fathers, the families, the liberals!

Don't forget, the free market system is the last vestige of accountability left in this world. It's our golden goose. I'd like you liberals to quit chasing it around the yard with an axe.

The reason we can't compete with foreign, albeit subsidized products and services, is because we are the lazy, stupid shitheads (of the sort Temple is churning-out), not concentrating on producing the one sure fire answer to these imports. . . A good fucking product!

I trust the market. I don't trust any check-bouncing, pork-barreling, politically correct, tree huggin', owl spotting, grinin' and gripin', bone-head, trustee of JFK son-of-a-bitch to spend one dime of OPM wisely! And I don't recommend you do either.

By the way, even a highly subsidized Airbus (I'd capitalize it if I held myself out as a judge of others spelling, grammar, etc. . .) is just competing with the U.S. aircraft industry. Care to guess what country would be selling all the planes if we didn't have excessively burdensome union work rules, litigation, environmentalist, and on, and on, and on. . . Besides, John Maynard, it's a worldwide slow-down in new aircraft orders, not a domestic problem.

With regard to your comments on welfare. . . I feel a moral obligation, only to those truly in need (the crippled, the insane; those that cannot provide for themselves), not the permanent caste of able body loafers with their asses parked on my paycheck that aren't willing to work. Shit there's probably a significant number that attended Temple, and yes, Northern Michigan University (and every other liberal piece of shit pinko university out their confusing the fundamental elements of accountability with right-too, "access" horseshit diarrhea of the sort spewing out Clinton's mouth).

I would not want to alienate you, or any others with my personal views. However, I might also suggest the same to you. . . The way I see it, there's just as strong a chance that others will need to count on me, as there is, I'll need to count on someone.

[Attachment (fax):]

TO:                  Mark Vorzimmer
FROM:             KB
DATE:              October 28, 1992
MESSAGE:       This is not the one I had, but it is pretty similar, enjoy!!

PSALMS OF ARKANSAS

BILL CUNTON IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT.

HE LEADETH ME BESIDE STILL FACTORIES,

HE RESTORETH MY DOUBT IN ARKANSAS POLITICS, HE GUIDETH ME TO THE PATHS OF UNEMPLOYMENT,

HE ANOINTETH MY WAGE WITH FREEZE, SO MY EXPENSES RUNNETH OVER MY INCOME,

SURELY POVERTY AND HARD LIVING SHALL FOLLOW THIS ADMINISTRATION AND I SHALL LIVE IN A RENTED HOUSE FOREVER.

5000 YEARS AGO, MOSES SAID, "PACK UP YOUR CAMEL," PICK UP YOUR SHOVEL, MOUNT YOUR ASS AND I WILL LEAD YOU TO THE PROMISED LAND.

5000 YEARS LATER, F.D.ROOSEVELT SAID, "LAY DOWN YOUR SHOVEL, SIT ON YOUR ASS AND LIGHT UP A CAMEL; THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND."

TODAY, BILL CUNTON WILL TAX YOUR SHOVEL, SELL YOUR CAMEL, KICK YOUR ASS AND TELL YOU THE PROMISED LAND IS IN JAPAN."

P.S. I AM GLAD I AM AN AMERICAN.

I AM GLAD I AM FREE.

BUT I WISH I WERE A LITTLE DOG

AND BILL CLINTON WAS A TREE.

December 3, 1992

Dear Turkey,

You keep pulling that "Call you right back" shit .. and there is never less than a week between calls--if that.

Robbin Walker hadn't a clue as to why she wasn't offered a job at Continental--she thought she'd done very well on the interview--only to get a brief form-letter rejection. We were not all that unhappy as (a) we thought a ramp agent job would be closer to home (b) would be better paid and (c) would have better hours. We were convinced that an airline could not do better than to have someone like Robbin; but she got short shrift from Continental--and little assistance from you!

So .. what are your plans for Xmas? Are you going to Cleveland? I am off from Dec.15 to Jan.15th--though the University wants me to retire on January 1st (they were so dilatory last June that I had to rescind my application to retire on July 1st--principally on the stated grounds that I needed more than 5 days to make an important life decision; so now they come up with January 1! But I'm going to hold my ground for June 30th.)

Janet is in Colorado, but will come back this Saturday (the 5th). She's free until the 24th whence she's off to Narita again. As I said, I'm planning on going out on the 25th, even though I've not heard yet from the Liptons--and need to be put up over there from Dec.26-29--then coming back on January 1st (Janet will try to join me if she gets a line for January that gives her off until at least the 3rd or 4th).

I will need you to send me an r/t for ConEx between PHL + EWR, I will probably only use the one-way up to EWR since I don't want to take a car up if I come back down in Janet's on the 1st, but will have the r/t for a back-up if she can't come over.

My friends Alister & Sam are coming down from Cambridge to go with us to Clive Sinclair's New Year's Eve party .. so we're getting side-by-side rooms at the Hyde Park Hilton for the 30th and 31st, then off the morning after the party. Jen will be back on the 30th, so she'll probably come along as well. You could be her escort if you like! I think you'll find her English room-mate, while cute, is a bit young for you... Anyway, give it some thought--the last New Year's Eve party had real class--a huge luxury boat with overflowing champagne--which parked immediately below Big Ben at the stroke of midnight. A tot of rum as one ascended up the gangplank upon boarding was a good sign. New Year's day is a pain-in-the-ass to come home on, but it least promises a first-class seat!

Still no word from Jeff .. probably on his way to Brazil! Called in a real estate man to appraise the house and its sale-worthiness. Market has collapsed around here. I could, right now, only get $179, 500 [down from $250,000], but if things go optimally, I might get $200,000 by summer. Only good thing is that prices are down more than that in England. Janet wants to take a temporary shift to Hawaii for six months (which would create a moving-mileage for use for an England move that would save us some $25,000); so I guess things could be worse than having to spend 4-6 mos. in Hawaii. Jennifer would hope to come back to a job in Phila at the end of the summer .. and then Jess would move up here and go to Temple (the Pa. supreme ct. just ruled that fathers are no longer obliged to provide college education + expenses to over-18 year olds--and while there is no retroactivity, that would impact on Jess' last two years. But since it remains free if she goes to Temple, she will have to come up here once I retire. Actually, she would like that--providing she could live here with Jennifer. She has already burned her bridge with Bev and Alan by moving out; so she has gone way out on a limb. This latest Pa. Supreme Ct. decision has really twisted Bev's gourd! Jessica now realizes that by giving me the finger and changing her name she also burned another bridge! When all I have is $1250 a month taxable, it will be hard to get money out of me--if Jeff wants a Christmas present from me, he better fucking well acknowledge the ones he received from me last year! His lack of taste one can do nothing about, lack of manners is something else!

The weather is closing in here in Philadelphia .. and I'm not looking forward to this winter .. just have the summer to look forward to...so...don't forget the ConEx passes (you have plenty of advance payment from me..$400 paid for 3 Y class tickets to London and one Business .. why don't you come up for a weekend? I hardly remember what my children look like .. better get here before my Alzheimer's flares up irreversibly.