Poverty is not what caused these tragic deaths

I was quite shocked and very much offended at Jibril Abdul-Hafeez's and the Rev. William Curtis' comments at the funeral for the five victims of the recent tragic fire ("Tearful Good-Bye for 5 Lost 'Angels,' " June 17). No, sirs, these children did not die from poverty. These children did not die from anything the city did or failed to do.

Quite simply, these children died because their biological mothers made a decision to leave seven young children unsupervised, according to police ("Children Untended as Deadly Fire Swept City Home," June 19). Police are investigating whether they went to a bar. The mothers were not victims of a lack of child care, poverty or anything more than a woefully inadequate sense of maternal responsibility.

The Rev. Curtis asked, "What does it matter? ... Who cares what happened and how it happened and when it happened?"

I, for one, will tell you, sir. I did not know these children; do not know their mothers or their families. I do, however, know this: These children deserved better, as all children do. These children deserved parents dedicated to their health, safety and well-being. I will not allow you to use them as pawns to promote your own agendas. These children were victims of parental neglect and nothing more. Your attempts at minimizing this fact are both insulting and disrespectful to their memory.

GEORGE KANAKIS
Point Breeze

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Traffic champs

The true champions at Oakmont ("Oakmont Appears the Winner After Final Putt," June 18) were the police acting in traffic control, led most notably by the Pennsylvania state troopers. The flow was smoother than one can imagine, tournament or not. Well done and thank you.

NORMAN E. KOEHLER III
Harmar

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Re: grade inflation

In response to the article about grade inflation ("In High Schools, A 'B' Is New 'C,' " June 3) and to Ruth Ann Dailey's bluster about overachievement in schools leading to a rise in narcissism ("Inflating Grades a Way to Spoil Children," June 7), I reply with a resounding "duh."

Of course this new generation is exhibiting traits of self-confidence; they were raised by the "me generation," as in you, my child, are an extension of me and my own ego and we taught you to compete for what matters most to our generation, one-upsmanship.

Relative grade inflation is a fact, but so is increased competition for college admissions. All parties in the education business have exploited this fact for their own self-serving agendas. High schools justify their grade inflation or rarely, deflation, practices to distinguish their institution from their neighbors'. College admissions committees use the inflated numbers to enhance their selectivity ratings and justify rejecting more applicants. The College Board sells AP courses to schools eager to make the "Top High Schools" list. Even teachers give away grades to enhance their ratings on "Rate My Teacher" or similar Web sites.

The game is rigged and the kids know it. Education is more about the institutions and their marketing agendas than it is about liberating minds and stressing collective problem-solving skills essential to dealing with the world messes they will soon be inheriting. To suggest deflating grades or promoting punitive grading practices is not a solution.

CINDY TILSON
Sewickley

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A safety issue

If only the issue were as straightforward as "freedom of choice" and what our Founding Fathers established, as Ken Sneddon states in his letter ("Free to Choose," June 11). He would have employees "exchange your complaints for the local classified section."

We only need to recall why smoking is not permitted on airplanes any longer to see the inadequacy of this argument. It was not merely complaints from nonsmokers that drove the regulation. The flight attendants union had a far greater impact, arguing that its members were trapped in a metal cylinder with clouds of smoke and no choice of avoiding the dangers. Research into secondhand smoke was emerging and bolstered their position. The government did not so much "take away the freedom of choice" for smokers as it did to establish safer working conditions for the airlines' employees.

The current medical/scientific findings seem to be in agreement that the danger of secondhand smoke is real and potentially deadly. We didn't complain about the government taking away our "right to free choice" when asbestos and lead-based paint were determined to be health risks. A dishwasher, busboy, waitress, bartender or cook should have the same expectation of a safe work environment as anyone on a production line or in an office. Unions were formed and fought for this right. Employers are bound by other regulations regarding workers.

The local classified section is only a remedy when used by a person exercising his or her "freedom of choice."

RICK BEHRING
Richland

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An untrue slogan

Is Pennsylvania looking for a new slogan? "The State of Independence" will no longer make sense if Pennsylvania passes the smoking ban that many are trying to force on us.

What's wrong with choice? The choice of bar/restaurant owners to decide if they want their establishments to be smoking or nonsmoking. The choice of customers to decide which place they want to spend their money. Smoking designations can be clearly posted so the choice can be made.

Like my choice not to attend another Pirates game at PNC Park since they're denying me my few feet along the river in an open-air stadium behind the center-field bleachers. And now they permit dogs to attend certain games. How much does Fido spend at the concession stand?

No, it's not about choice, it's about control -- control by people who feel they have to make anything they want a law, to force everyone to abide by it. Independence, my butt.

SUE CHRONISTER
McDonald

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WHO on DDT

I'd like to respond to the letters "Carson's Legacy" (June 10) and "DDT Consequences" (June 13).

Both letter writers seem to mistakenly believe that using DDT to prevent the spread of malaria is banned when in fact it is not. DDT is banned for agricultural uses, not disease prevention. In fact, even the World Health Organization recognizes the important role DDT plays in preventing malaria and other diseases spread by mosquitoes.

However, WHO recommends that DDT be used only indoors, so that the harmful environmental impact is lessened.

MICHAEL THOMAS
South Side

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Liked the photo

As a gay senior citizen, I never thought I'd see the day when a photo would be published such as the one that appeared in Friday's Post-Gazette (Page A-7) of the two men celebrating in Boston ("Massachusetts Vote Supports Legal Status of Same-Sex Marriage in State," June 15). Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

BARRY L. RALPH
Observatory Hill

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We won't support expanding SCHIP to these levels

A recent publication by Families USA claims that communities will benefit economically if Congress adds $50 billion in spending for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP ("Kids' Health Care May Get Boost," June 8). I wish the world worked that way. If it did, why stop at $50 billion? Congress could send the states $500 billion and we would all be even richer.

The world doesn't work that way for one simple reason: The money must come from somewhere. Every dollar Congress gives the states is a dollar taken from the American people. Spending $50 billion on government-run health care means people have $50 billion less to spend on other things, like private health insurance.

Instead of adding money to state economies, programs like SCHIP often replace private insurance with government assistance. The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that as many as 50 percent of Americans newly enrolled in SCHIP had been insured privately. A recent study published by the independent National Bureau of Economic Research put the "crowd-out" rate as high as 60 percent.

Some in Congress actually intend to replace private insurance with government assistance. Some have even said publicly that expanding SCHIP is just a step toward a universal government-run system. They now propose to spend a total of $75 billion on SCHIP to cover children in families earning up to $82,600 annually. This would make 71 percent of American children eligible for public assistance.

SCHIP is an important tool for helping low-income children, but it is not the best way to help middle- and upper-income children. The Bush administration supports reauthorizing SCHIP and has proposed adding $5 billion to SCHIP, for a total of $34 billion, but it will not support a government takeover of the health-care marketplace that has given this country the best health care in the world.

GORDON R. WOODROW
Regional Director
Region III
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Philadelphia

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