9/11 changed us forever; have we forgotten that?

Sept. 11, 2007: I awoke this morning with memories of six years ago -- of the news I heard on the radio as I drove to work, news that made me pull off the road, stunned, grab my phone and call my wife. I suddenly worried for the safety of my children as they sat in a classroom. The fear of not knowing what's next, and where.

I dressed this morning in a patriotic shirt and used my "We will never forget 9/11" tie pin and wore my "United We Stand" bracelet. While dressing, a number of feelings accompanied my memories, including pride. While driving to work, I noticed only a few flags displayed, and I seemed to be the only one in red, white and blue.

I don't feel 9/11 should be celebrated as a holiday; however, I do believe it should be openly remembered. That day touched us all. It has forever changed our world. Thousands of innocent lives were lost, including heroes we will never get to thank. As a result of 9/11, lives are still being lost and our freedoms are questionable. I understand the arguments against showing the videos of the planes hitting the towers. Some feel it only breeds anger. I say show it; we have the right to be angry.

I will never forget. Each year on 9/11, I'll have the same memories. I'll fly the flag and wear my red, white and blue. I'll show my patriotism as a way to thank our heroes and remember those lost. How about you? Have you forgotten?

DAN DURSO
Greensburg

War immorality

So Dave Majernik believes the Republican Party stands for higher moral values ("Our High Standards," Sept. 5 letters). My first comment is that belief that high moral standards are somehow more manifest in a person because of his or her political affiliation is both supremely arrogant and embarrassingly simple-minded.

More important, I challenge you, Mr. Majernik, and the high-moral-standard Republicans you praise, to put up or shut up. The Iraq war is probably the single-largest moral failure in our history, and yet you and our elected Republican leaders remain totally silent.

Since you name names, I will also, in the person of U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, who I consider typical of most Republican legislators. Mr. Murphy has remained totally uncritical as the war has gone from bad to worse and as the goals have changed from protecting us from weapons of mass destruction, to bringing democracy, to now achieving any measure of security at all. Obviously he feels every decision George W. Bush has made so far has been right, so we must trust him to keep making the right decisions.

Mr. Bush has used this collective, uncritical silence from Republicans as support for his ruinous policies that bring only continued death and destruction on all sides. Maybe, just maybe, George Bush might start to rethink his policies if you noble Republicans would invoke your high moral standards to speak out against the gross immorality of the war.

Or do the standards you wave in our faces not apply to a Republican president?

BRIAN RAMPOLLA
Whitehall

Stop this president

We must stop this Republican war from continuing to sacrifice our young people in what is now only a political attempt on the part of President Bush to pass the buck to the Democrats. It is his war, and he is still trying to scare us. The man is delusional and has continuously tried to build his own power at the expense of young Americans' blood. Stop him now.

This president is the worst in American history and has not ever upheld his oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution but has continuously tried to rewrite it in the image of the fundamentalist Christians' literalist interpretation of the Bible. It is time for the Democrats to stop him with all the forces at their command: cut funds, raise impeachment charges against him and his vice president and let Americans know they are behind the troops by getting them out of the horrible situation this administration has put them in.

DAVID GORDON
Moon

Crossing the line

In the 18th Congressional District, we have a hard-working, moderate Republican congressman, Tim Murphy. It is a year until his re-election, but it has become apparent that those in the far-left have targeted him for defeat already.

I understand that at the Labor Day Parade, where he walked with the unions, there was a plane overhead with a streamer calling for his defeat. There have been protests at his office by groups, all legal, but now they have protested in front of his home, and last Sunday, they put fliers on many cars in church parking lots, which is unethical.

I think it is time for the people of the 18th District to wake up and know what is being done to their congressman. He is there for most events, works hard for his constituents, and though he may not vote the way some people want, he should be treated with some courtesy.

MILDRED PFEIFER
Bethel Park

The writer is a member of the Bethel Park Republican Committee.

Candid and cool

Mary O'Hara was an outstanding journalist and so deserving of being the first woman named to the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Press ("Mary O'Hara Lauffer: Society Editor, Columnist for Pittsburgh Press," Sept. 1 news obituary).

I especially remember one article Mary wrote many years ago when she was society editor and I was doing publicity for the Pittsburgh Junior League. The officers of the league suggested I invite Mary to lunch at our newly redecorated headquarters in Kaufmann's. They were sure the luncheon would result in a glowing newspaper account of our beautiful headquarters and fine organization. Instead Mary wrote in her wonderfully satirical style about the homogeneous group of women with pageboy hairdos, velvet head bands and circle pins. She significantly observed that the league had no black members. The "powers that be" in the league went ballistic. This was not what they wanted to read! They forbade me to send future press releases to Mary.

The article actually was a superb piece of journalism. The league was what it was and Mary called it as she saw it. Her candidness was her mark.

Mary and I remained friends, and since we both were living in South Carolina, I enjoyed visits with her over recent years. Mary's mind remained sharp and it was always fun to be with her. I finally told her what a stir she once caused in the Junior League. She laughed and said, "Oh, Betsy, I made a lot of people mad at me over the years."

Mary was a pioneer in the field of women journalists, but I will always remember her for being really cool, even at age 93.

BETSY KUNKLE
Damariscotta, Maine

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