Political Theater in Lenny Bruce Pardon

Re “ ‘Obscene’ Comic Bruce Gets a Pardon,” Dec. 24: With New York Gov. George Pataki’s posthumous pardon, Lenny Bruce once again is being victimized by political hypocrisy. As someone who briefly knew Bruce and has been guided by Bruce’s opposition to sham in all forms, I agree with Bruce attorney Martin Garbus that “Lenny would be astonished” that the pardon was implicitly linked with justification of the Bush policy of preemptive war.

If Pataki had wanted to be truly courageous and principled, he would have pardoned instead all nonviolent drug offenders now languishing in his state’s prisons.

Mark Davidson

Pasadena