Short History of Oak Park

I beg to differ with Wed. Journal’s esteemed features editor, Ken Trainor, in the matter of “cuckold.”  First, how old is the word as for being available for use today?  Answer: it’s current.  It’s not obsolete, that is, and won’t be as long as male adulterers festoon our land. 

(Adultery is expensive, concluded the very young but highly literate Edith Wharton, on reading the ferry boat sign, “Adults 50 cents, Children 25 cents.”)

However, Ken T. gives time in his latest column to the meaning “cuckold” has acquired in a sexual underground: some sort of kinky sex.  Not necessary: neither John Hubbuch nor the objectors to his column had this in mind — though it did occur to a Wed. Jnl co-worker.  Hmmm.

In fact, as recently as last September “The Magnificent Cuckold,” billed as “the astonishing classic farce (“Le Cocu magnifique”), written in 1920 by the Franco-Belgian playwright Fernand Crommelynck,” was presented at the Connelly Theater, on East 4th Street (between Avenues A & B), in New York City.

No need was determined in this announcement to specify that the sexual-underground meaning was not intended.

BTW, personal to Ken: you made the right choice in running the Hubbuch column as is.  BTW 2, where the heck is this column of yours on the WJ site?

The fire-Hubbuch movement is under way.  Good.  Throw him and his out on the street.  It’s in this letter from an Oak Park woman whose attention he caught with a column in which he mentions Hillary as “the most famous cuckquean in American history,” explaining for the semi-literate that this is “a woman whose husband strays” from connubial obligations. 

Comments by me are in brackets:

2/26/2008
Dear Mr. Trainor,

You should have pulled this [column] or excised part of it. Remarks regarding Hillary Clinton’s qualifications for president were derogatory to all women. [Italics added]  She does have the qualifications independent of her husband.  [Matter of opinion here, but not to be excised.]

Bill Clinton was a fine president. His term of office grows in stature compared to our current president. He and John Kennedy were womanizers during their entire terms. The U.S. sees these actions as more important than George Bush’s pre-emptive war in Iraq and the destruction of the U.S. economy. [Italics added.  Don’t bother putting H. and his out on street; we are all heading there already.]

Hillary has a longer term as senator than Barack Obama. I support her, but will work for and vote for the Democratic nomination.

Hubbuch lacks intelligence and sensitivity. You have control over his employment. [Fire him]

Donna L. Cervini

It’s give and take like this that makes Oak Park great, yesssss.

INSPIRED BY CHANGE MAYBE? — A letter writer has warmed globally to Sen. Obama as reminiscent of JFK almost 50 years ago with his stirring “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” But O’s message is just the opposite, consisting entirely about what your country should do for you, though admittedly details are vague even about this.