Letters to the Editor

Gonzo in perspective

I read R. Thomas Berner’s commentary “‘Gonzo’ under glass” (Friday) with great disappointment. The article is typical of the way in which Hunter S. Thompson’s work is only superficially understood and then dismissed.

I want to make it clear that I believe Mr. Thompson’s work is not for everyone and that not everyone will have the deep connection with his writing that his fans do. However, I would expect that, under the circumstances, the editors would choose someone with a better understanding of Mr. Thompson’s work to be featured.

The paragraph that is most representative of Mr. Berner’s misunderstanding of Mr. Thompson’s work is the one dealing with his book “Hell’s Angels.” To say that his aim in the book was “to show that the motorcycle gangs are not the heinous people they’re portrayed as in the press,” though he was “man enough to admit he was wrong” after he was stomped by the Angels is to fundamentally misunderstand the book. “Hell’s Angels” is not a defense of the Angels. The book is littered with details of their savage behavior and outlaw mentality. If nothing else, the book serves as a thorough explanation of its conclusion.

What “Hell’s Angels” is, and what all of Mr. Thompson’s work aims to be, is an honest look at a situation that is popularly misunderstood. Mr. Thompson’s goal when writing “Hell’s Angels” was to get past the media’s demonization of the motorcycle club and to get at the real truth of the matter.

He was not out to oppose the mainstream press simply for the sake of opposing them; he was out to oppose the mainstream press because the stories they were printing were filled with hype, paranoia, and, yes, fear and loathing. “Hell’s Angels” is an honest look at the Angels and their reasons for being. It does not pretend there is goodness where there is none, and it does not pretend there is evil where there is none.

I suggest that Mr. Berner take a look at more than what he deems “Mr. Thompson’s best work” (especially some of the letters in “Proud Highway”), as it might help him achieve a more thorough understanding of the work.

“Gonzo” is more than telling what happened on the way to the Republican National Convention for the 1972 election; it’s giving a human context to stories that, in the end, affect us all personally, regardless of the objective facts of the situation.

With the loss of Mr. Thompson, we have lost one of the greatest forces for real truth in American journalism at a time when we need such forces more than ever. He will be sorely missed.

Rest in peace, godfather of gonzo.

DAVE O’CONNOR

Arlington, Mass.

Story Continues →