‘The Color Purple’

Press, 13 April 1989, Page 12

‘The Color Purple’

Sir,—Bert Walker (March 3) has clearly not read “The Color Purple” but has jumped on the bandwaggon. Had he read the book and thought about the act of love-making he would not

have used the expression “kinky.” The love-making of Celie and Shug (Sugar) is the act of tender, caring love that enabled the tragically neglected and abused Celie to rise above her desolate existence and get out of her abysmal marriage. The sexual love-making is scarcely described, but the tender comforting and. loving verbal communication is. Has Bert Walker ever criticised the masses of “kinky” sex (violently abusive of women and their bodies and sadism for the pleasure of sick men) which are available, often to children, on videos, television, film and in books and comics? Let him do that before criticising that of which he knows nothing.—Yours, etc., SUSAN TAYLOR. April 3, 1989. Sir,—My comments certainly enlivened the day and gave food for thought to Mick Ozimek, P. D. Anderson and 20 others (April 10). I can understand their disappointment at the few who were prepared to support them. The apparent increasing number of young people who are not doing well stems frorti the fact that they are being subjected to influences that are far more damaging, and more /Conducive to a lowering of standards of honesty and morality, than ever before. In addition, the general good work of the schools and churches is being undermined by less admirable forces in our society. Adult attitudes can play a greater part in the fight against delinquency, but while meretricious attitudes persist we must expect juvenile; delinquency to flourish. Rising generations must be given -the means to live full and abundant lives. Three cheers for Dr Lockwood Smith's concern for the welfare of youth.— Yours, etc., BERT WALKER. April 10, 1989.