The Bush administration has done much damage

The day after 9/11, Le Monde, a French newspaper, declared: "We are all Americans now." Recently, a poster at a demonstration in London read: "We are all Hezbollah now."

Over the past five years, George W. Bush and his administration have done more than any other president to ostracize the United States and bring its honorable name into disrepute throughout the world. In the blink of an eye, he squandered all of the worldwide support and sympathy the United States was offered after 9/11.

His war of choice in Iraq has cost thousands of American lives and billions of dollars, while the working and middle classes sacrifice their brave children and struggle to pay for health care and utilities. His secret, unchecked detention centers in unknown locations and his Guantanamo prison hold people in perpetuity, without any sense of the rule of law or due process upon which our country was founded.

He shifts the reasoning of the Iraq war from weapons of mass destruction to bringing democracy to the Middle East, while he fails to challenge an unelected "president" in Pakistan who makes territorial treaties with those who harbor terrorists. He decries the lack of freedom in the Middle East, while he fails to challenge Saudi Arabia for its treatment of women as second-class citizens.

On "Meet the Press," Rick Santorum said he thinks Mr. Bush has "been a terrific president." Remember that when you vote on Nov. 7.

DOUG McKECHNIE
Swisshelm Park

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Values and respect

According to Rob Rogers' Sept. 10 cartoon, "When Americans are sacred stiff they vote Republican."

I am a former independent voter who registered as a Republican because I found that more and more, the Republicans were the candidates for whom I voted. I voted for George W. Bush because I believed him to be a man of integrity who was willing to stand up for what he thought was right, regardless of opinion polls. I voted for Rick Santorum because he valued the same things I hold dear: God and country.

I will continue to vote for those I believe are men of principle, men whose primary goal is to uphold the Constitution, not cater to the politically correct whims of the moment.

I will not be voting for those who are more concerned with rhetoric than action. I will not be voting for those who try to bribe me to vote for them by dangling promises of financial benefits in front of me (such as raising the minimum wage or lowering taxes). And I will not be voting for those who think we can hide from the dangers of this world.

I believe that those who are truly afraid are those who want to hide their heads in the sand and hope, that by attempting to placate enemies who wish to destroy us, we will be assured of safety.

I vote for people I respect. And I'm not afraid to say so.

LAURIE DHONAU
Bradford Woods

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His stands stink

This is to respond to Jack Kelly's Sept. 10 column, "A Diamond in the Muck: Santorum Speaks His Mind While Casey Waffles." The column praises Sen. Rick Santorum for his firm stand on the issues and quotes others who praise Mr. Santorum because "he stands for things," even though these same people disagree with the senator on some issues.

Because of this, Mr. Kelly concludes that Sen. Santorum "may not win his uphill race, but he deserves to." By this kind of logic, and taking a recent page from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and President Bush, people should have voted for Adolf Hitler because "he stood for things" and was to be admired for "his unwillingness to placate dissenters."

There is no doubt that Sen. Santorum "stands for things," but just as I would have opposed Hitler for his positions, I oppose Mr. Santorum for his votes and positions on virtually every major issue -- Iraq, Social Security, tax policy, education, support for big oil, minimum wage and Iran, which he would make into another Iraq, whereby he would send other fathers and mothers to die while he and his children remain safely in Virginia.

It is time for a major change of direction in Washington before it is too late. I will do my best in the November election to remove President Bush's clone in Pennsylvania.

ROBERT D. ARBUCKLE
Apollo

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9/11's impact

Sunday's article about life after 9/11 ("For Most, 9/11 Didn't Change Very Much," Sept. 10) forgets to even mention the effect that the disaster had on those young at the time. Maybe 9/11 did not influence the life of America's older generations, but the life of younger Americans was definitely distorted.

I was in seventh-grade at the time of 9/11, and I know for a fact that my life and the lives of students around me were greatly changed.

Every day in school, students are reminded in some way or another of the attacks on the World Trade Center. In today's classroom, children are taught more about Islamic culture than ever before. The Quran is studied in depth, and the history of the region is more important now than ever before. Today's teen knows where Iraq and Afghanistan are on a map, a question that if asked seven years ago would have had students clueless. And many students take their obligation toward country and religion much more seriously.

Teens today are volunteering in their community more than in any other era in American history, and their political involvement has increased as well. For example, voter turnout in the 18-to-24-year-old bracket was 47 percent, its highest percentage since the early '90s.

To say that life after 9/11 is the same as before is a valid statement only for older America. Life for the young and future generations has been significantly altered.

MATT WILLIAMS
Franklin Park

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What causes crime

Regarding the Aug. 28 editorial "Cops Cut: Homeland Security Should Begin at Home": The editorial asks, "If crime is up, why is federal funding for local law enforcement down?"

When the 100,000 cops on the street program was introduced, it carried with it a five-year reduction to zero in the amount the government would fund for each new police officer. The tax-and-spend Democrats knew then what you won't see now. Local law enforcement is best placed in the hands of local government.

The cops on the street program was seed money to grow law enforcement, not a permanent handout. The editorial went on to blame the loss of infusion of federal funds as a cause of crime. Lack of federal funds causes crime pretty much the same way a pencil causes misspelled words. Perhaps a closer look at this issue would lead you to a more worthy cause-and-effect relationship regarding crime.

Crime reduction is easy. Keep the bad guys in jail. Revolving door justice and bleeding heart liberals do little to stem the tide, and portraying predators as victims of circumstances is equally specious.

JOHN F. DeLALLO JR.
Johnstown

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Every American deserves care from a system that's fair, effective

This is a personal story. A few weeks ago I was hit with vertigo and nausea and ended up in a local emergency room around 11 p.m. Over the next 10 hours, the ER doc came in to talk to me; a nurse drew blood and started an IV solution; then when vertigo was largely gone, I was taken for an MRI. Finally, my doc came back to briefly discuss my case, write a prescription and discharge me.

If without insurance, $6,311 is the bill I would have had to pay. Were I one of those hard-working Americans without health insurance or $6,000 in savings, I probably would have had to put the charge on my credit card. No wonder the vast majority of personal bankruptcies in the United States are triggered by overwhelming medical debts.

Fortunately, I have to pay only $156, thanks to Medicare and the discounts it negotiates. I am sorry that Medicare is part of the most expensive and bureaucratic health-care system in the industrialized world. But, hey! The system employs a lot of people, and a few profit greatly.

I thank all of you for the taxes you pay that saved me $6,155, but feel a little guilty. So if you want to go out this fall and elect a federal or state administration that will provide all of us with an efficient, less expensive, modern health-care system, it's all right with me.

BRIAN RAMSEY
Shadyside

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Blaming uninsured

In his Sept. 8 newsletter, U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy included this statement: "A recent U.S. Census Bureau report claimed that 46.6 million Americans do not have health insurance. However, the majority of the 'uninsured' can either afford insurance, voluntarily do not carry coverage or are eligible for existing government programs such as Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)."

Mr. Murphy is absolutely correct that there are 46.6 million uninsured Americans. However, blaming the uninsured for this predicament, the majority of whom would love to have his health-care plan, is beyond the pale.

Many of the 46.6 million are children and infants and single parents. Almost everyone pays far more for health insurance than only a few years ago, and most people are paying dearly for housing, utilities and food on top of that. It certainly is a struggle for many, many people.

I fear Mr. Murphy has lost touch with the working people of southwestern Pennsylvania.

GARY E. KAMINSKI
Elizabeth Township

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