Columnist engages in name-calling rather than debate
In his Jan. 23 column about me, Dennis Roddy is outraged at my conclusion that people of different races have, on average, different levels of intelligence, and that Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday should not be a national holiday ("Jared Taylor, a Racist in the Guise of 'Expert.' "). But does he try to explain why he disagrees with these views? Of course not. That would be too difficult.

Instead, he launches into a breathless account -- some of it factual, some not -- of the "racist" company I allegedly keep. Readers learn that I once had a conversation with David Duke, and have been seen with other people Mr. Roddy insists are "racists," "white supremacists," "far-right extremists," etc. This, he suggests, refutes my views on all subjects and disqualifies me from any public podium.

What a convenient way to squelch debate! If someone argues that Dr. King is not the most important figure in American history and therefore should not be the only American to have a holiday in his honor (Washington and Lincoln now have to share Presidents Day), just call him names! This is in the pathetic tradition of all fanatics; it is the favorite tactic of witch hunters, McCarthyites, Bolshevik commissars and thought-police of all kinds.

America needs more debate, not less. It especially needs debate on questions that make people uncomfortable: race and race relations. Mr. Roddy appears to prefer to smear people and shout them down if he disagrees with them rather than debate them. America will certainly have lost its way if his closed-minded tactics ever prevail.

JARED TAYLOR
American Renaissance
Oakton, Va.

Not God's work
I feel slightly sickened reading about people like Michael Marcavage ("In-Your-Face Evangelist Challenges Hate-Crime Law's Limits," Jan. 23). At the same time I imagine his hate, disguised as God's, will help generate recognition that legislation that includes and protects gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is sadly necessary.

When will we stop using those parts of Scripture that justify bigotry and oppression? People used it during the Civil War and in the '60s to justify bigotry against African Americans. (Leviticus 25:44). The Bible is full of verses that treat women as less than men or even possessions (Exodus 21:7 and Leviticus 15:19).

Even moderate bigots can no longer get away with that kind of prejudice without public outcry. Thank God! I will speak up against any person who uses his or her religion to oppress others. It would be sinful not to!

STEVE ORNER
Morningside

Backward approach
The Allegheny Conference on Community Development wants the same outcome for southwestern Pennsylvania's air quality as I believe the Group Against Smog and Pollution does (see Kate St. John's Jan. 25 letter, "Unite for Clean Air"). However, the Allegheny Conference believes the approach that the Environmental Protection Agency has mandated for PM2.5 is ill-conceived, inefficient and not in this region's best interests.

The complicating factor in regulating PM2.5 is that much of the problem in one area originates from emissions in another. Indeed, my colleagues at Carnegie Mellon have conducted an extensive analysis for the EPA and the Department of Energy that concluded that as much as 80 percent of PM2.5 in southwestern Pennsylvania originates from locations outside of our region. Clearly, in order for our region to achieve clean air standards, we have to rely on upwind communities to reduce their emissions.

EPA's intention has been to approach this problem in two parts: a Clean Air Interstate Rule, which would target the major sources of our problems, and designation of local areas as nonattainment regions if they don't meet standards. It makes great sense to approach the problem in the order I've suggested, especially when so much of the local problems are beyond local control.

For reasons that are not clear to me, EPA chose to pursue this in the opposite direction. This not only makes no scientific or economic sense; it also puts a particularly heavy and unequal burden on regions with a large percentage of pollution originating upwind, e.g. southwestern Pennsylvania. This cart-before-the-horse approach to regulation is something we should all oppose.

JARED L. COHON
Board Member
Allegheny Conference on Community Development
President
Carnegie Mellon University
Oakland

Healing power
How uplifting to read about the longevity and effective work of the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute in Diana Nelson Jones' article "Spiritual Healing" (Jan. 16). I was moved but not surprised to read of the "miracles" that resulted from clients turning to God for healing. For more than 20 years, I have relied on prayer as my health-care choice and have found healing in every aspect of my life.

Randall Hoedeman, acting director of PPI, asks a key question: "Might there be a transcendence?" Mary Baker Eddy, 19th-century religious pioneer, would heartily answer in the affirmative. In her book "Science and Health" (one of my favorite books and still a best seller), she acknowledges the ultimate ability of God (mind) to heal. "Mind transcends all other power, and will ultimately supersede all other means in healing."

NANCY ALBERTS
White Oak

What openness?
Although bizarre manipulations of the truth are a buck a barrel these days, last Sunday's story "In Mecca, Diversity and Openness Are the Norm" (Jan. 23) is outstanding. The reality of free speech and honest debate's availability in "Islam's cultural capital" is contained in a sentence (in parentheses) buried halfway through the story: "Openness is not absolute; no non-Muslims are allowed in the city."

In other words, all viewpoints are acceptable as long as they do not include the ideas of Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, Shintos, Scientologists -- any religion or belief other than Islam in fact -- not to mention communism, atheism, agnosticism and the whole of Western philosophy since Plato.

The author, Hassan M. Fattah of The New York Times, might be content with these trifling restrictions on "openness and free thought." Many of us are not.

PATRICK O'GARA
Jeannette

How things change
Two articles caught my eye as I read the paper on Jan. 26. First, on the front page an article said the budget deficit estimate was raised to $427 billion ("Costs of War Add to Deficit"). On Page 2, the Almanac said that on this date 10 years ago the Republicans, after having gained control of both houses of Congress, endorsed in the House of Representatives a balanced-budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I think President Bush is just lucky it was never enacted.

GREGORY DAUBNER
Mt. Lebanon

Shocking choice
On Wednesday morning I sent my 10-year-old son out to get the paper. I was appalled at your choice of a front-page picture ("An American Hostage Pleads for His Life on Videotape," Jan. 26). Those who selected this photo must not have kids. This is not the way I want my son to start his day, seeing a hostage held at gunpoint. Have you no thought of your influence in an innocent person's life?

JULIE ANN SULLIVAN
Peters

As a hunter, I applaud Pennsylvania's deer management
This letter is in reference to the Jan. 16 article by Don Hopey ("Hunters Lament Lack of Deer, But Farmers Beg to Differ").

As an avid Pennsylvania hunter for nearly 30 years, I have spent countless hours in the woods, hunting and spotting deer. I find it hard to believe that anyone who spends more than the first day or two of buck season in the woods would complain about the population of deer in Pennsylvania, buck or doe.

I have noticed very little change in population, and that is mostly in the northern counties where the winters provide little food to keep anything but a limited herd alive. Populated counties, such as Allegheny, are swarming with deer. The quality of the buck has improved immensely and so has the overall health of the herd.

I would be willing to bet that if the hunters who do all the complaining were polled, most of them are strictly rifle hunters who unpack their gear Thanksgiving weekend, hunt one or two days, then pack it all away again before the end of the first week.

Let's face it: The days of seeing herds of 40 undernourished and sickly 100-pound deer are over. It would be a shame to try to bring them back. Gary Alt, who until recently worked as the Game Commission's deer management program director, has done a great thing for the dedicated Pennsylvania deer hunter.

CHARLES J. STAYDUHAR JR.
Lawrenceville