We teach poor values by hurting those who are different

I am outraged that Pennsylvania has joined the ranks of states trying to "protect" marriage by denying benefits to same-sex couples ("Lawmakers Want Constitutional Amendment to Strengthen Pa.'s Ban on Gay Marriage," Jan. 25 Web). A bill has been introduced that would amend the state constitution to explicitly deny benefits to nontraditional couples.

I will never marry someone of the same sex, but I find it unconscionable to say that others cannot. This is a clear case of tyranny of the majority: Because homosexual couples are different from the majority, their rights are at risk simply because they are a small group.

Proponents of "family values" say that giving benefits to same-sex couples weakens society as a whole because it erodes the principles of the nuclear family and makes deviation acceptable. We are not a society of cookie-cutter people, and trying to cut others into the shapes we like would set a far worse example for our children.

SAMUEL SONNE
Squirrel Hill

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Blatantly evil

Regarding Pennsylvania's attempt to "defend" traditional marriage ("Lawmakers Want Constitutional Amendment to Strengthen Pa.'s Ban on Gay Marriage," Jan. 25 Web), I think this paragraph says it all: "The goal, [state legislators] said yesterday, is to pre-empt legal challenges that might result in a court striking down the current law for violating the constitutional guarantee of equal protection for all Pennsylvanians."

Some in the state Legislature want to write a law to overcome constitutional protections, just to satisfy conservative religious and social doctrine! Can no one else see the evil in this?

SHAWN PETERSON
Stowe

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A fan of many

This brouhaha over a Broncos jersey being worn in an area school really hit home ("Broncos Jersey Causes Furor in Beaver Falls Class," Jan. 24; "A Seahawks Jersey for the Teacher," Jan. 25 Sally Kalson column).

My 5-year-old son caused my husband, a die-hard Steelers fan, to hang his head in embarrassment when he sat on Santa's lap at a crowded mall and loudly requested a Carson Palmer Cincinnati Bengals jersey. Mrs. Claus intervened and the jersey appeared under the Christmas tree and was worn to school on numerous occasions. When asked why he wears a Bengals jersey, my son answers that he wears the jersey because he thinks Carson Palmer is a "good quarterback." When asked why he wore the jersey the day after Mr. Palmer was injured in Cincinnati's final game of the season against the Steelers, my son said that he wanted to show Mr. Palmer that he "hopes he gets better."

My son also wears both Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu jerseys. At the age of 5 he appears to appreciate good athletes and good sportsmanship, a lesson some older Steelers fans might want to learn.

SHARON M. BIASCA
Mt. Lebanon

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About this criticism

Letter writer Charles E. Premick ("What Progress?" Jan. 24) criticized Sen. Rick Santorum for an op-ed piece published in the Post-Gazette ("Telling the Whole Story About Iraq," Jan. 18 In Rebuttal"). Let me first point out that the senator was responding to an editorial and, in the limited space provided, believed it most important to correct the inaccuracies circulated by the Post-Gazette's editors.

Second, the questions that Mr. Premick asks -- how does Sen. Santorum define winning the war, what are the terrorists' objectives, what progress have we made -- were all addressed during the senator's speech given at Valley Forge Military Academy, a speech I attended. If the Post-Gazette had accurately reported on the substance of the speech in the first place, Mr. Premick would have the answers he's looking for.

Finally, Mr. Premick is incorrect in his assertion that Sen. Santorum "did not provide one example of an action or incident that deserves reporting." The senator did point out one such instance in the op-ed, and outside of that article, he has spearheaded the effort to communicate the positive stories coming out of Iraq to the American public. Among other things, he has held press conferences with soldiers and military bloggers, spoken about this issue on the Senate floor and entered e-mails he received directly from our troops abroad into the Congressional Record.

If Mr. Premick, or anyone else, has questions about the senator's position on the war in Iraq -- or on any issue for that matter -- they should feel free to access his Website, www.santorum.senate.gov, or call his Washington office at 202-224-6324.

ROBERT TRAYNHAM
Communications Director
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum
Washington, D.C.

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Misspent energy

Regarding the Jan. 26 article "Santorum Denies Ties to 'K Street Project' ": If Sen. Rick Santorum spent half the energy advocating the welfare of his constituents that he spends trying to clear away the smoke created by his shady dealings and pandering misspeaks, this state's interests would be much better served.

Pennsylvania deserves better.

ROB GARDNER
Mt. Lebanon

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Please, move on

Why is letter writer Sean McGuinness still commenting about the 2000 election ("Right-Wing Rhetoric," Jan. 26)? Please let him know that the last presidential election was in 2004, not 2000, and that President Bush did indeed have a majority.

KEVIN BAIRD
Center

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Noticeable silence

Kudos to Ray Rieber for his Jan. 20 letter (and to the PG for printing it) regarding the deafening silence in response to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's racist comment about making his city more black ("No Nagin Outrage?").

Mr. Rieber's comment about the relentless Rogers/Menees anti-Bush bias was a breath of fresh air also. Curiously, that day marked what seemed to be the first editorial cartoon in weeks, by either Tim Menees or Rob Rogers, that didn't refer to the president in a defamatory way.

Maybe we'll see more cartoons depicting different topics than vilifying President Bush. I'll be watching in anticipation.

CAL KANE
Butler

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