America is not to blame for others' barbaric actions

In reference to "Doctors With Bombs" (July 11 column): When terrible things happen anywhere in the world, your readers can count on Dan Simpson to blame America and Israel.

Why not instead hold responsible the leaders in dictatorships for teaching hate in their schools and promoting violence toward those who are different? According to Mr. Simpson, it is America's fault when terrorist acts of unspeakable horror are committed by people demeaned and incited by their own countries' cruel governments and even by middle-class people in free European countries.

To follow that line of thinking to its extreme, even doctors who engage in plots of mass murder for political reasons should be absolved because America made them angry. As the sub-headline summarized it: "The attacks in Britain were bungled, but we're creating an awful lot of enemies."

America did not create the belief that human life is worthless; rather, our principles represent the opposite. One would believe that doctors from other countries working in England would have applied their considerable intelligence to enhancing life, not advancing death. Further, one would expect a journalist and former diplomat of Mr. Simpson's level of education and experience to condemn such outrage.

With the tremendous suffering in the world -- caused by cruelty, greed and hatred -- resulting in starvation, human trafficking, beheading, slavery, the phenomenon o f child soldiers and genocide, your associate editor consistently blames America and Israel, two of the world's shining lights of freedom, decency and humanitarianism.

ANDREA CHESTER
Squirrel Hill

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The Putin way

In regard to your coverage of the state of the nation and the Bush administration: I've been feeling a little blue and oppressed this summer. Vladimir Putin has succeeded in exporting his totalitarian form of government to our shores here in the United States. The Bush junta rules.

Eating cake can't be too far behind.

Thanks for your time; maybe there's a little pick-me-up in 2008.

ROBERT L. RICK
Penn Hills

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Bush's gratitude

I would like to make a couple of observations about the perceptions of the two main political parties with regard to their respective presidents.

The Democratic Party is known as the party of handouts, while the Republican Party is known as the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do it on your own" party.

Yet if we look at Bill Clinton, who came from very meager resources, he did come up on his own. On the other hand, George W. Bush has had a life of handouts including the 2000 election. At least, however, he is grateful for all of his many handouts and pays back with handouts to others in need like himself, such as Halliburton in the form of no-bid contracts, and criminals like Scooter Libby. Very nice.

JEFF HARRIS
Squirrel Hill

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Show me the facts

I am writing in regard to your July 5 editorial "Meeting in Maine: Bush and Putin Loosen Up Along the Coast." Specifically I question the factual provenance of the following unsupported statement: "Mr. Bush's attachment to the missile defense system is influenced by the dozens of U.S. contractors and subcontractors that will profit from its construction."

Dating back to the time of the U.S./China spy plane collision, the Post-Gazette editorial page has made it its policy to salt its commentary with unsupported remarks of questionable merit as actual fact. In the tone of the writing, the context of the delivery and the blatant disregard for what a reasonable reader would expect as supporting information, the editors provide themselves with an environment where hearsay can be misrepresented as fact.

When challenged, the editors assert the role of an editorial page as a place where they can express their opinions on matters of the day. What they expertly do, with comments such as the above, is purposely blur the line between fact and opinion in an effort to gain influence over the opinions of their readership.

Readers need to remember that this influential technique is actively in play, and I would challenge that those readers willing to believe broad and unsupported axioms as fact might be a little closed-minded or intellectually dishonest.

SEAN C. HOFFMANN
Shaler

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Send for Cheney

Al-Qaida has recovered, and is as strong as before Sept. 11. Osama bin Laden is still loose.

Revoke all of Dick Cheney's deferments. Send him to fight.

TERENCE MARCELLE
Forest Hills

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For the last time

When Rick Miller wrote asking why either the upper or lower deck of the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge cannot be used to carry the "T" across the Allegheny River ("Better Light-Rail Way," July 11), all I could do was shake my head and wonder how many more times this tired old question will be asked.

For the benefit of Mr. Miller and others wondering the same -- it's because the tracks on the upper deck are at a different width than those used by the "T" and because the lower deck is structurally deficient and would require extensive rehabilitation. I know this because, as a transit advocate, I have followed this project long and closely.

Mr. Miller (along with all the other inquiring minds) can easily find this information simply by searching at Google.com on the phrases "North Shore Connector" and "Fort Wayne." Of course, those opposed to the project or, perhaps, simply too intellectually lazy, continue to float this dead issue. Shame on the Post-Gazette for indulging them.

REID P. MEYER
Squirrel Hill

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PG not a shill

On July 3 the Post Gazette published a letter criticizing the paper for being a shill for the Democratic Party because of two articles regarding presidential hopefuls: Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani.

In the letter, Mr. Tim Hannan criticized the PG because Mr. Obama and Mr. Giuliani were both in Pittsburgh for the same reason: to raise money for their campaigns ("Two Candidates, Two Different Treatments in the PG").

Because the PG hyped Mr. Obama's presence in the city, the paper is automatically a "shill" for the Democrats and its journalism nothing but "shameful," an outrageous statement.

Yes, the paper has a slight liberal slant, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a "shill" for the party. I've seen the PG criticize Democrats on various matters, from the governor's agenda for the state to how the Democrats are running Congress. The PG has long been a supporter of Republican Sen. Arlen Specter and even endorsed conservative Republican Rep. Tim Murphy for Congress in 2004.

I've seen cartoonist Rob Rogers draw cartoons that make Democrats look foolish, such as Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl whom Rogers portrays as "The Boy Mayor." If this paper was a "shill" for the party, none of this stuff would've ever gotten published.

To call this paper a "shill" for the Democrats is outrageous. The PG calls the news as it happens, and it criticizes both parties when one is in the wrong. That's why I think it's the best piece of journalism in Pittsburgh.

BRADLEY MINOSKI
North Huntingdon

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Care for the caregivers who assist at home

We are writing in response to your July 10 editorial, "Family Value: Home Health-Care Workers Deserve a Decent Wage."

We are home health caregivers at TRIPIL Services. We are stunned by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision about workers like us. How can a Supreme Court justice, such as Stephen Breyer, understand so little about what caregivers do but feel comfortable enough with that lack of knowledge to make such a critical decision?

One of us has a client who is a quadriplegic, requiring a good bit of assistance. The other cares for a senior who needs assistance with everyday activities such as bathing, dressing and using the bathroom.

Our job is to be sure that whatever their level of need, our clients maintain their dignity and independence. We shop, cook and clean. We help with important paperwork, and make sure prescription medication is taken. We pay attention to our clients' everyday needs and make sure they are met. Otherwise, their health and quality of life might deteriorate.

In the course of performing this work, we give peace of mind to family members and save the taxpayers millions of dollars that would be spent on nursing homes.

Yet we're not entitled to minimum wage?

We hope that everyone concerned about seniors, people with disabilities and the caregivers who support them will be by our side as we seek to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act and get justice out of the clutches of these justices.

JOE WINDER
Perryopolis

LEANNA MARTIN
Lemont Furnace, Fayette County

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