Disney History Park

* Re “An Uncivil War Over Disney Plan,” Aug. 17: I don’t know which side I would support in the battle between Disney and those who want to preserve the Manassas battlefield. I believe in a person’s right to do what he or she pleases with personal property. On the other hand, there are many places, from Huntington Beach to Hesperia, of which I have fond memories before the developers played their hands. But as Forrest Gump said, “It happens.”

However, no matter what the end result is, there is one tremendous plus in all this: We get to see Pat Buchanan holding hands with environmentalists before hell freezes over.

EARL EAGER ALBERT

Temple City

* The childish temper-tantrum outburst of the week: “The First Amendment gives you the right to be plastic” (Michael Eisner).

We don’t need a sanitized, plastic Civil War theme park. Let the wind blow over the natural and scenic landscape. Let visitors to the area quietly reflect on the tragedy of the thousands of lives lost in this place. Let us visit the same area so hauntingly filmed in Ken Burns’ masterpiece, “The Civil War.”

PATTI LAURSEN

Los Angeles