Dear Ringo Starr,First, sir, let me say I have the utmost respect and admiration for you as a musician. You are underrated as a songwriter, and your being overshadowed while in The Beatles was a sad waste of talent.When you joined The Beatles in 1962, it seemed like they finally found the missing link. Your steady drumming and songwriting, though somewhat minimal, influenced generations of musicians.You seemed to always be the rational and least egotistical member of the group. While Paul, John and George fought about songwriting credits or Yoko Ono, you managed to stay level-headed. You stuck with the band (except for a brief stint during the recording of the White Album) until the end.Rather than succumbing to the pressures of stardom and becoming a jaded asshole, you opted to grow into that role as the decades went by.I was rather shocked, Ringo, when you announced you were going to throw away any fan mail after Oct. 20, although your appearance on “The Simpsons” claimed that “[you] don’t care if it takes 20 years, [you are] going to answer every one of them.”Even if you were just exaggerating, I admired your commitment to your fan base. I guess after answering thousands of fan letters, you have lost the dedication.I understand answering fan letters seems like a minor part in a rock star’s glamorous life, but when you snap at the people who still pay to see your shows after 40 years, you come off as kind of a douche.I know you must have some deep-seated responsibility to answer every piece of mail, but it’s not that big of a deal if a few fan letters go unanswered. Do you think Paul answered every one of his fan letters?If you don’t want to answer fan letters any more, just stop answering them. At least people can think their letter got lost in the mail, rather than you letting everyone know how big of an asshole you are.I realize you’re getting older now, and you probably want peace and privacy after years of being in the spotlight. But come on Ringo, you are better than this.What happened to the sane, rational Ringo that we all know? Where’s the “peace and love?”Ringo, I know you had the best of intentions. You wanted to not let anyone down, so you addressed your fans in an almost threatening manner to get your point across.I think you should release another video — one that’s well thought out. Take the time to explain to your fans that you just want some time alone with your family. Say that you are human and you want to not be bothered, just like the rest of us.If you can say this in a more polite manner, you might not alienate some of your fans. You might even add a few if you go about it the right way.P.S. Peace and loveLove,Blake LeJeune- – – -Contact Blake LeJeune at [email protected]