LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Dads,

Father's Day has come and gone. It's the day when fathers of all tongues and races receive praise, honor and a special place in the hearts of all. Dads certainly welcome such a day. However, during the remaining 364 days, several of the radio and TV promos make us out to be a bunch of misfits, dummies, or somewhat idiotic bumblers.

Let's start with TV> How about the cheese commercials. You dash madly to a window filled with cheese, only to be flattened against the glass and with a stupid look, slide down the glass. When was the last time you stuffed your mouth so full of cereal (piggish, eh what) you couldn't talk -- or -- when visiting the store, dashed madly to the cereal department, returning, like an errant 4-year-old, begging your wife to let you keep it?

Radio deserves its share as well. A fellow runs his car halfway over a cliff, worries more about his mail; gets all excited about a pigeon landing on the hood, but needs dear wife to remind him to call for help on his cell phone. Or the bank commercial, where the dad is made to appear like a spend thrift for wanting golf clubs and wife admonishes him to be more saving.

So there you are, follow dads. One day of freebies, paid for with 364 days of, dare I say, ridicule. Hope you enjoyed yours. I did mine. So until next year, let's just grin and bear it. Let us hope our children know dads are far greater and smarter than those being portrayed by the media.

W.E. Engel

Jackson