All Americans must join the fight against oil profiteering

I think it is time for America to go to war against the profit-mongering oil companies! It is going to take an all-out effort by everyone. Let the president go to battle on his end by watching for excess profits ("Bush Calls for Probe of Oil Prices," April 26), let the governors and senators establish their "windfall" tax, but the American people also have to join in the fight.

How? Here are a few ideas.

Get rid of car Nos. 2 and 3. Start building houses with no more than two garages. What's with the third and sometimes fourth garage?

Let's start using solar energy to heat our houses and our house water tank.

Stop going out to eat every day. Stay home and have family dinners as we did in the old days.

Bring back the "corner store" where you can walk and pick up bread, milk and other necessities.

Use the Internet to shop at your favorite department store instead of running to the mall every other day.

Outlaw gas-guzzling SUVs!

I bet everyone can think of five or 10 ways that they could save energy. And now is the time to start exercising those ideas. We must fight back, or we are going to be swallowed up by big daddy Exxon. Let's stop complaining and talking about this problem, and let's take action!

KEN GISMONDI
Plum

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Regional reserves

Our esteemed lawmakers, many of whom never miss a chance for face time on the networks, are always preaching the mantra that we're "being gouged" by the big bad oil companies. While this may be true to some extent, I never hear any of these bloviators mention the following: We're forbidden from drilling for oil in Alaska by the environmental lobby, despite the fact that overwhelming evidence shows significant quantities and improved drilling methods.

Further, the Gulf of Mexico is off-limits as well, thanks to the Florida lobby. But Fidel Castro doesn't give a hoot. If he can beg, borrow or steal a few bucks, Cuba will soon be exploring the Gulf.

Utilizing these nearby reserves just might reduce our dependence on Middle East oil, thereby helping increase the pressure on totalitarian-run (read Iran) regimes.

And, the fact that there's not been a refinery built in the United States for almost 30 years means that when the special blends are needed (like right now), there's a capacity shortfall. Less gas available means the price goes up. It's classic supply and demand, despite the fact that there are probably four or five times the number of vehicles on the road as compared with 1976.

HARRY CHODER
Squirrel Hill

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New beginnings

I have been attending Penguins games since 1967, and I am currently a season ticket holder. I am in full support on the organization's effort to secure a new arena for the Penguins and a multiuse facility for the city. I find the way the Penguins organization through Pittsburgh First and other political outlets has promoted this ideal is getting to the point of ridiculous. Penguins fans who own season tickets and avid hockey followers in this city know the Penguins need a new facility to survive and don't need it shoved down our throats every 30 seconds.

I attended the final regular season game, in which Sidney Crosby captured his 100th point as a rookie. It was a thrill to watch, reminding me of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Pierre LaRouche, Jean Pronovost and the late Michele Briere over the 38 years I have attended games at the Civic Arena. This was a time to celebrate the outcoming of a great young star, who has grabbed the torch from Mario "the savior" and is ready to run with it along with teammates Marc-Andre Fleury, Colby Armstrong, Ryan Whitney and maybe in the future Evgeni Malkin.

This franchise has given many thrills to this city over the past 38 years. Perhaps my 7-year-old can say what he saw at that game was the beginning of the long term of the Penguins franchise.

JEFF MAURO
Murrysville

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Oil manipulation

The April 21 lead editorial ("The Next War"), which stated, "Mr. Bush should also bear in mind that the price of oil reached a new high yesterday, for the most part because of his threats against Iran," didn't go far enough!

As a Texas oilman, Mr. Bush is using our country's military resources to permanently increase the profits and position of the oil and energy companies and maintain the permanent war, "national security state." This "robber baron" laissez-faire stance perpetuates the manipulation of the energy market on a national basis much like Enron gamed the system in 2000 and 2001 in California.

I support an investigation into price fixing and gouging ("Bush Calls for Probe of Oil Prices," April 26) -- maybe we need some "trust-busting" a la Teddy Roosevelt to bring us out of the unhealthy industry consolidation and profiteering and reverse the trend to plutocracy.

TOM DONALDSON
Swissvale

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Not fooled

This letter is in response to Ron Kaintz's April 21 letter ("Thanks, Red States"), in which he blames red states for the state of America. The red states saw John Kerry and John Edwards' quasi-socialistic rubbish and said "no sale!" The Democrats were not even able to take Ohio, a state going through layoffs, in the last election. Hardworking people do not want to be regarded as a group of doomed beggars crying out for pity and governmental favors.

I also disagree with Mr. Kaintz's assessment of the state that America is in, although one would have to be a fool to think everything is fine in America and abroad. I voted for President Bush in the last election and certainly think he has faults (and there are many of them).

However Mr. Kaintz's portrayal of him as a liar is the typical refrain from the left. It's the type of refrain that did nothing to help the Democrats in the last election. As for John McCain, his greatest strength is that he is willing to stray from party lines; the downside is that it is usually on the wrong issue, such as the McCain/Feingold censorship and abridgment of free speech act.

Lastly, praise to the red states for seeing through the socialistic agenda of the left and the intellect to see its miserable failure when tried throughout history. They chose a leader who protects the citizens he is sworn to serve, not by permission from other countries, but because it is his duty.

BART DONNELLY
Mount Washington

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PSU pressure

In response to your April 18 editorial about the College Republicans at Penn State University cancelling their "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Game" ("It's No Game: Penn State Republicans Learn a Lesson"): I don't think the students learned a lesson in how democracy works. I think they learned a lesson in public pressure and political correctness.

On a campus of 40,000 students, 150 students -- fewer than half of 1 percent -- complained and yet it draws an immediate response from university President Graham Spanier.

We have created a culture where the minority opinion on an issue often controls. We've succeeded in banning the "n" word, but the "f" bomb is dropped with increasing frequency. We aren't doing so well.

But I have a unique suggestion. Let's put the Ten Commandments on all of our buildings and actually try to live them. Let's encourage everyone, including our newest residents, to wear red, white and blue patriotic clothing.

Can you remember the pride we felt following Sept. 11, 2001? And going out on a limb, how about this: Let's start every class with five minutes of prayer or silent meditation. If we do all that, maybe there will be no need for derogatory words, including your labeling any group as "less-than-politically-correct."

SHERRY HAZUDA
Beechview

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We must use these God-given tools to stop violence and love one another

In response to Patricia Thompson's April 21 letter ("Our Heartache"), I too (many years ago) had to discuss with my children -- all now grown -- heartbreaking subjects relating to friends of theirs who had been murdered. It's been going on a long time, yet it still smarts.

I, too, am a black woman who was raised in Homewood and graduated from Westinghouse High School. Life was wonderful growing up in Homewood. How did we get here?

We had parental guidance. We had teachers who guided. We had neighbors who guided. We indeed were raised in a "village." Those effects we had in place no longer exist.

We have parents now who began that process at too early of an age with no education, no self values and no parental skills; we have absent parents who have no desire to become involved; we have neighborhoods living in too much fear to get involved to save their own neighborhoods. As a result, young men and women who hate themselves and each other so much are destroying themselves and everything around them.

The Lord gave us tools to help ourselves. Those tools, however, include obtaining an education, practicing self-respect, excluding selfish excuses and loving one another. It is we who allow this to continue to occur by not utilizing the "tools." Until we stop, the hatred and killings will continue.

DEBBIE HALEY
Penn Hills