Sragow complains that only one example of the cause of the tragedy was featured in the film--the race to set a new record. This is totally false. Many causes were featured, including the lack of lifeboats; the design of the watertight compartments that filled up "like an ice tray"; the loss of the binoculars by the officers of the deck at a port in England, which deprived the crow's nest of effective eyes with which to see the berg; and the faulty design of the ship's rudder in relation to the width of the keel, preventing the ship from being able to steer around the berg and avert the crash. All of these historical elements that led up to the crash and to the inability to deal with it after it happened were, in fact, examples of "uppercrust arrogance and sloppiness."
Beyond that, it is inconceivable that anyone watching this movie could avoid feeling the mortality of all passengers involved, from steerage to first class. Heroes and villains were found in all classes of passage and were more than amply portrayed in their full glory or wickedness, depending (not on the class, as stated by Sragow) on the individual. First-class passengers meeting their fate calmly were, indeed, portrayed. So were first-class passengers behaving as scum.
Honest boatmen were shown doing their duty; passengers were shown adhering to codes of chivalry. (Did Mr. Sragow have to go to the bathroom during the scene where the rich industrialist met his fate dressed in top hat and tails, not trying to buy his way onto a lifeboat, not using his position for all the leverage it could have bought him?)
Mr. Sragow must not have seen this movie. Mr. Sragow could not possibly have seen this movie. Please get a new movie reviewer who actually watches the films that he is going to write about in your otherwise pretty good paper.
Kathleen A. White
Via e-mail
Recylcing Crozier Tech
In the December 11 Observer was an article by Jimmy Fowler ["The other arena"] concerning the smaller groups being left out of the proposed new performance hall in the Arts District. There is a building already completed that could provide space for all of the groups mentioned, if they could hurry and get organized and stop the demolition of Crozier Tech--a publicly owned building that someone, sometime, somewhere decided DISD did not need anymore.
Of course, finding the right person to talk to may be a feat in itself. Many of us have written letters, visited with elected officials (some are gone now), stood up at Dallas school board meetings and made suggestions, and talked with other cities about how they reused their school buildings. One suggestion was for the various cultural organizations to take over. This building is near the Arts District and the arts magnet high school and could be utilized very well. There is a Dart light rail station in front of the school. It's a wonderful location for these groups.
Preserve the school building--Dallas' first high school--and have a good location for all the groups to perform; don't wait for the bond issue and a long, drawn-out process of raising the money and building a new building. Hurry, you may beat the demolition permit!
Frances James
Dallas
