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applegrove

(132,337 posts)
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 06:32 PM Monday

Charles M. Schulz:

In 1970, students in a fifth-grade class at Hawthorne School in Beverly Hills were assigned to write a letter to someone they admired, asking them “What makes a good citizen?"

So 10yr old Joel Lipton wrote to Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz.

Joel got a reply.

Michael Warburton (@michaelwarburton.bsky.social) 2026-04-06T07:22:00.457Z
39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Charles M. Schulz: (Original Post) applegrove Monday OP
Are anybody still called a citizen? These days it's more like consumers or even products. Dave Bowman Monday #1
We are either numbers or the enemy. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Yesterday #22
We are non-performing characters DBoon Yesterday #26
That's a pretty good way to put it. 👍 Dave Bowman Yesterday #35
That's great. underpants Monday #2
This brought back a memory from when I was about 7 years old Just_Vote_Dem Monday #3
Awww what a sweet memory! SheltieLover Monday #4
My pleasure! Just_Vote_Dem Monday #5
😃 SheltieLover Monday #9
What a lovely memory malaise Monday #7
A set of envyclopedias was BIG money back then. 70sEraVet Monday #17
The encyclopedias were later, when I was in my teens Just_Vote_Dem Yesterday #24
Oh....wow. That brought tears to my eyes, FemDemERA Yesterday #34
Being a bookworm I can remember how great I felt when we got that encylopedia. Dave Bowman Yesterday #36
Gorgeous SuzyandPuffpuff Monday #6
K&R spanone Monday #8
Cool. LoisB Monday #10
Charles was wise 🦉 MustLoveBeagles Monday #11
Makes me giggle BaronChocula Monday #12
Here is what I know about Charles Tree Lady Monday #13
Awesome to know about Charles Schultz Cha Monday #18
Hi neighbor Unwind Your Mind Yesterday #23
Wow I didn't know his home burned down Tree Lady Yesterday #28
Yikes, I'm sorry to your daughter, that is so scary Unwind Your Mind Yesterday #32
After the fire she moved near police station in Rohnert Park Tree Lady Yesterday #33
Amen Joinfortmill Monday #14
Sparky! Botany Monday #15
Yup, true for more than 50 years now. Love seeing this because KPN Monday #16
An excellent message that still today resonates. WestMichRad Monday #19
Sounds right to me. marble falls Monday #20
He spelled his name the German way - SCHULZ FakeNoose Monday #21
Interesting. I think it has to do with pronunciation. efhmc Yesterday #25
I generally like to ease into my DU day. Prairie_Seagull Yesterday #27
I know how you feel, my friend. calimary 22 hrs ago #39
K&R LetMyPeopleVote Yesterday #29
;-{) AAUGH! Goonch Yesterday #30
Hooray for Lucy! FakeNoose Yesterday #31
President Pee-Nut! czarjak Yesterday #37
My grandmother drmeow 23 hrs ago #38

DBoon

(25,017 posts)
26. We are non-performing characters
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 11:08 AM
Yesterday

We exist in the background devoid of volition, to be used by the technocratic elite

Just_Vote_Dem

(3,660 posts)
3. This brought back a memory from when I was about 7 years old
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 06:44 PM
Monday

My mom knew I loved to read, but we were poor and I could only afford the occasional comic book. At the beginning of that summer, a box was delivered to the apartment, and my mom encouraged me to open it up. Inside was a virtual ton of Peanuts paperback books, (ok, probably about 15 or so, heh.) She had saved up for quite a while so I could spend part of my summer enjoying one of my favorite pastimes.

A few years later, she saved up again and I got a set of encylopedias.

God bless you mama, I will never forget you, love always

70sEraVet

(5,497 posts)
17. A set of envyclopedias was BIG money back then.
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 08:24 PM
Monday

The ones I got for my family in early 80's came from a thrift store -- a couple of decades out of date and one or two volumes missing!
The kids didn't know that we had gone to the moon until they went to high school (just kidding on that)!
Your mom must have really sacrificed.

Just_Vote_Dem

(3,660 posts)
24. The encyclopedias were later, when I was in my teens
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 10:37 AM
Yesterday

I've been working at least part-time since I was 13, so luckily, things were not quite as bad as when I was younger.

FemDemERA

(836 posts)
34. Oh....wow. That brought tears to my eyes,
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 01:27 PM
Yesterday

A lump in my throat and a wealth of emotion…. Not a bad thing, just thinking how wonderful special she made you feel, and then missing my own mom intensely for a moment. Thank you for sharing that memory.

BaronChocula

(4,583 posts)
12. Makes me giggle
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 07:38 PM
Monday

I had a boss many years ago who always referred to Schulz as a "sanctimonious prick." He had seen some informal press meeting with Schulz who ended things by saying something like "well, I have to go now. I can't keep Snoopy waiting." And from that, a very strong opinion was born.

I don't think my boss knew much more about Schulz than that and I don't know if anything would have changed his mind. He was a stubborn curmudgeonly communist, but one of the funniest people I ever knew. I miss him. I guess I miss Charles Schulz too. We need more like him.

Tree Lady

(13,303 posts)
13. Here is what I know about Charles
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 08:00 PM
Monday

When he moved to my town Santa Rosa, CA he built an Ice Skating Rink because his daughter wanted to ice skate. Every year at Christmas he put on an ice skating show with star skaters and priced the seats so locals could afford to go. I went every year and we were pretty broke then. He put in a lot of his own money to cover it.

After he died even though he left a lot to family Christmas shows stopped. They did keep rink open, I bet prices were raised.





Cha

(319,246 posts)
18. Awesome to know about Charles Schultz
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 08:25 PM
Monday

and the Ice Skating Rink!

I lived in Phoenix, Arizona for about 5 years in the '60s and there was an Ice Skating Rink there and I learned t Ice Skate.. Loved it!

Unwind Your Mind

(2,353 posts)
23. Hi neighbor
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 10:33 AM
Yesterday

When I was a kid here in Santa Rosa, every fourth grade class went to the rink for skating lessons, eight weeks I think and provided by the Schulz family

We took some out of town friends to see the rink and the museum last fall and really enjoyed it, recommended

I don’t know if people remember but their family home burned down in the Tubbs fire in 2017. My understanding is that much of his art was lost but fortunately more was being organized in a warehouse for the museum at that time

Tree Lady

(13,303 posts)
28. Wow I didn't know his home burned down
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 11:36 AM
Yesterday

I left the area in 2000. My daughter was renting up in the hills and her rental burnt down, she barely got out.

Unwind Your Mind

(2,353 posts)
32. Yikes, I'm sorry to your daughter, that is so scary
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 12:30 PM
Yesterday

My in laws lost their house in the hills too

It took my FIL weeks to tell us that he knew the house had to be gone before we had confirmation. It was a terrible time

Botany

(77,421 posts)
15. Sparky!
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 08:13 PM
Monday

Wisdom and thought behind his words

America shows and grows strength in
real citizens who treat minorities well
and don't dwell in "The good old days
were better than now fluff."

Peanuts was powerful stuff to me growing up. Btw "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was and still is as good as it gets.

KPN

(17,397 posts)
16. Yup, true for more than 50 years now. Love seeing this because
Mon Apr 6, 2026, 08:16 PM
Monday

it validates my sense of how long what’s going on has been going on. Pretty much my entire adult lifetime plus a bit in my opinion. And I’m 75.

Thanks much for sharing.

Prairie_Seagull

(4,705 posts)
27. I generally like to ease into my DU day.
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 11:09 AM
Yesterday

This would have been a much better OP to read first instead of...

FakeNoose

(41,751 posts)
31. Hooray for Lucy!
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 12:04 PM
Yesterday

Maybe he'll break a hip when he falls backwards. That would be nice!

drmeow

(5,995 posts)
38. My grandmother
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 04:27 PM
23 hrs ago

was friends with Charles Schulz and she had (and my father now has) a signed original by him of Snoopy begging for and getting a treat. That heirloom may cause some conflict when my dad is no longer with us!

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