US Airways employees show grace under pressure

Holiday travel is a mess. I fly to Pittsburgh from the West Coast every year to visit my parents for the holidays, and I expect a headache at the airport: heavy traffic, long lines at check-in and security, flight delays and baggage snafus. I experienced most of that this year during my US Airways flights between San Francisco and Pittsburgh.

But I'll fly again on US Airways for one key reason: its exceptional employees.

Though I'm sure they were harried by thousands of disgruntled passengers and a disorganized management in crisis mode, all of the employees I dealt with went out of their way to be helpful. While patiently and efficiently doing curbside check-in, issuing a reimbursement for my delayed baggage and giving me a travel voucher for opting out of an overbooked flight, the US Airways employees added a personal touch by calling me by name and making me laugh off my stress.

If the company respects its employees by paying them fairly, honoring their union and acknowledging their outstanding performance in this trying season, I'll gladly fly US Airways again.

KERA ABRAHAM
Eugene, Ore.

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Real disinformation

It is deplorable that Sen. Rick Santorum ("Academic Freedom at Stake," Dec. 25 Weekend Perspectives) is resorting to disinformation in his supports of the Dover Area School District. He argues that "intelligent design" is different from creationism. Intelligent design is creationism in a cheap suit! The public needs to be warned of pseudo-science and demagogy and I urge the readers to get more information from the National Center for Science Education (www.natcenscied.org) .

The senator also argues that evolution should be "open to scrutiny" and should be "questioned." Indeed, that is the basis of the scientific method and that is the problem of introducing religion into science class. Science flourishes by peer review and continuous scrutiny. Religion doesn't.

Furthermore, in science, a theory does not mean guesses or hunches. Science and technology as we know them today are built on a number of theories put forward by scientists (including Newton and Einstein) to systematically and methodically explain certain phenomena.

More important, the efforts by religious groups and misguided politicians to undermine teaching evolution are irresponsible. Evolution is the cornerstone of biomedical sciences and "intelligent design" is in conflict not only with natural selection, but also with other vital disciplines of science like geology, anthropology, physics and astronomy, to name a few. Evolution is a well-founded science, the beginnings of which were Darwin's writings that are based on five years of field work done all over the world followed by about 20 years of scientific examination of the collected material.

BURHAN GHARAIBEH
Squirrel Hill

The writer has a Ph.D. in biological sciences.

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The whole truth

I applaud Sen. Rick Santorum's Dec. 25 commentary in support of Dover Area School District's bold decision to teach students the pros and cons of scientific theories, including evolution ("Academic Freedom at Stake"). The sad fact that a debate exists demonstrates the widespread anti-religious paranoia of our not-so diversity-embracing government-run schools.

Too bad the senator was afraid to fully confront the eternally egocentric scientific/atheist community. Why not teach the truth? Only two things are for sure: 1) Human beings don't fully understand the universe and 2) the more we learn, the stranger it gets.

There are two possible explanations. Our unbelievably interrelated and perfectly operating universe was created with some form of intelligence, or it was incredibly good luck.

I realize intelligent design can not be scientifically proven. Then again, neither can the latest revolutionary physics, string theory. It mathematically proves the existence of seven unknown dimensions and suggests the big bang may have been caused when our universe bumped into a parallel universe. Is this science? It can't be tested.

Sometimes things that seem obvious to you may oppose popular opinion, but that doesn't mean you're wrong. Ask Galileo.

DEAN DeGREGORIO
North Strabane

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About theories

Sen. Rick Santorum argues that intelligent design (ID), is a theory that deserves to be taught in public schools as an alternative to the theory of evolution ("Academic Freedom at Stake," Dec. 25). His position raises two questions, namely, just what is a theory and what theories deserve to be taught in the public school system?

A theory is an explanation that can account for a broad range of observations and which has predictive power as well. Moreover, a theory must be testable, which ID is not. If over the years, evidence mounts that Darwin's theory is false at its core, and if an alternative theory explains even more observations, then natural selection should be scrapped. But this is not likely, since the theory of natural selection has survived thousands of tests over 140 years and can accommodate needed modifications.

Intelligent design, which popped up less than 20 years ago, is not yet ready to be taught as a theory. On this point even an advocate for the ID movement agrees. In the words of Paul West, senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, "It's much too soon to require anyone to teach [intelligent design] in high school." In the interim, let ID remain in the hands of parents and preachers, where it belongs.

WALTER GOLDBURG
Squirrel Hill

The writer is professor of physics emeritus, University of Pittsburgh.

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Minds open wide

In our modern world filled with reality television and conspicuous consumption, it is a breath of fresh air, to open up a newspaper and read opinions on how we were created and, most importantly why we are here ("Nobody Knows" by Nash Khatri, Dec. 23 letter). These questions have been in existence for a perpetual amount of time, with theories both rational and irrational becoming nascent. These theories, though singular in nature, bring about a plethora of ideas and questions, including but not limited to life and death, our reason for being and the discussion of one's soul.

As a Christian, I felt it was my duty to explore possible explanations and philosophies, with the goal of furthering my knowledge. Since a deceased has not come back to enlighten us, I have determined that as mere mortals, we are all equals on the subject, in so far as no one has a definite answer.

I will continue to dedicate time to reasoning about the aforementioned, possibly till I can not reason any more. Perhaps, if I am aware of my departure, I will utter something close to our noble Socrates, "The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways -- I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows."

STEPHEN SIKON
Greenfield

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ISO: a real mayor

After 12 years of hare-brained schemes and backroom deals ... after 12 years of business decay and population loss ... Mayor Tom Murphy claims he will not run again ("Murphy Won't Seek 4th Term," Dec. 22). Let us all hope that this is the one promise Tom Murphy will keep!

Wanted: A leader with the intelligence, energy and ability to correct the problems of the past, recognize the potential for the future and deal with the politics, people and circumstances of the present. No clones need apply!

Hello! Is there anyone left who meets our needs?

NEIL COHEN
Morningside