Anti-war Democrats are repeating history

Recently, I heard a man on the radio say he was a Democrat, but he was ashamed to admit it. I can understand his dilemma.

The Democrats in Congress have done nothing to change the course of the war in Iraq that a strong-willed Republican president is pursuing. All they have done is complain about George W. Bush's "failed policies." They contend the war is lost and say we should admit defeat and pull our troops out of that country.

The Democrats of today are reminiscent of the Northern Democrats during the Civil War. Those Democrats, too, complained about the "failed policies" of the Lincoln administration. They said the South could not be beaten; the North should admit defeat and let the South secede. But a strong-willed Republican president stayed the course, and the North ultimately proved victorious.

It appears history is repeating itself.

RICHARD E. JACKSON
North Fayette

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America's freedoms

In reference to the Sept. 19 article "Anti-War Group Protests Treatment by Pittsburgh Police," I would like to thank those protesters who sued the city for violating their "First Amendment rights to free speech."

We are so fortunate to live in this great country, with a Constitution that really matters and with rights that are safeguarded for all, not just for those who agree with government policies. Thanks for reminding us all of what we are blessed to be able to take for granted. Many people in this world do not have that privilege, and it holds as a reminder as to why some of us are proud to put on some stripes, lace up some boots and preserve these freedoms.

SGT. 1ST CLASS CHIP REICH
West Mifflin
United States Army Reserves

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Patriotic giftwrap

Don't blame the general: The Petraeus report, like the Petraeus plan, is not his. He is just the patriotic giftwrap -- complete with ribbons -- to distract us from the truth. Remember Colin Powell at the United Nations five years ago?

Like the original scheme to "change the face of the Middle East" by invading Iraq and "spreading democracy," this is the work of those brilliant neo-cons through the Project for a New American Century.

When his rubber-stamp Republicans lost in 2006, George W. Bush had to do something. He fired Donald ("you go to war with the Army you have") Rumsfeld, whose job it was to ensure we had the Army we needed.

Then he tasked the neo-conmen to scrape together as many troops as possible by extending tours; shortening rest, re-equiping and training time; keeping people past retirement, etc. They came up with 30,000 more -- still far less that the 300,000 or 400,000 Gen. Eric Shinseki said we would need -- so that they could stretch out the war for 18 months before our Army is completely broken. Thus was born the surge, which is short for Stall Until Replacement for George is Elected.

FRANK L. D'AMICO SR.
Greenfield

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Health care for all

I don't understand why every presidential candidate has to come up with his or her own health-care plan. If they put their brains together to figure out what really would work and what wouldn't, they might just find the right solution.

And let the cable news show hosts and analysts join the workshop. That way, they could be productive instead of divisive. Quality, affordable health care for every American is too important a goal to be sidetracked by partisan venom.

ERIC DUMARS
Point Breeze

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Too soft on Wecht

Ben Wecht wants to know what Post-Gazette readers think about Rob Rogers' editorial cartoon making fun of his father Cyril Wecht ( "A Cartoon Low," Sept. 20). If the Post- Gazette is keeping score, put me down in the column for being too soft on Allegheny County's infamous, bombastic, vindictive, vitriolic, notorious ex-coroner.

Ben Wecht's completely unfounded and bizarre charge that the cartoon indicates anti-Semitic bias on the part of Mr. Rogers and the Post-Gazette only proves that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

ELSE SCHILLER
Penn Hills

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King Cyril

Shame, shame, shame on "One of America's Great Newspapers" for defaming "One of America's Great Citizens." Heaven has its God; our solar system has its sun: and Pittsburgh has Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D.

His Dissecting Majesty must not be lampooned or serve as cartoon fodder. What's next? Public criticism of the mayor, or the governor, or the president?

Sure, it's nice to have a free press, but demigods transcend journalistic norms and good-natured spoofing is verboten. Imagine how silly the PG editors will feel, years from now, when they "Google" Pittsburgh and the first sentence of the first hit begins with "Pittsburgh: The home of Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D ...."

If, on the off chance that Dr. Wecht is convicted on all 84 counts cited in the indictment against him, when he finally goes to trial and is sentenced to 462.25 years in jail, I hope the Post-Gazette will not stoop to using some smarmy cartoon showing him in a striped prison suit with a ball and chain yelling at another convict with the caption: "Don't call me Cy! My name is Dr. Cyril Wecht, M.D., J.D.!"

All kidding aside, I think Dr. Wecht is a brilliant man who is being railroaded by the federal government. It's disheartening that the reputation of one of the world's preeminent forensic scientists is being soiled because of a political feud. I've formed this opinion based on the unbiased reporting in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

ROBERT BILLER
Fombell

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Pointless cartoon

I am sorry to complain about Rob Rogers, who has given me so much pleasure over the years, but I don't know what possessed him to submit, or the Post-Gazette to print, the low caricature of Cyril Wecht (Sept. 17).

I don't know Dr. Wecht personally, but I am a life-long Pittsburgher, and over the years I have known many people who respect him as a teacher, a forensic pathologist and a public servant. I have no idea what point Mr. Rogers was trying to make, unless it was that coroners as a class are morbidly attracted to death, but please do remember that the people you target have families and friends.

To paint a man as a ghoul because he's chosen a job you don't want seems crazy to me.

PATRICIA R. SCHUETZ
Regent Square

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What's the fuss?

Your Sept. 7 article on "Bodies: The Exhibition" at the Carnegie Science Center was informative and very well written by Monica Haynes.

I don't know what the fuss is about. If these bodies, or reproductions of bodies, were on display at a doctors' office, they would be viewed as an excellent visual display for doctors to describe exact locations of medical issues for their patients.

If these cadavers were not Chinese, would there be a controversy? Has the extensive media coverage of recalls of toys, toothpaste and pet foods now been extended to the exhibition of bones? Human rights issues are, of course, important, but let's not overlook the tremendous educational value that this exhibition provides.

While China has recently been receiving much negative publicity, this big country is producing products that American consumers want to buy.

YUEN YEE
Mt. Lebanon

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Where is the world we envisioned?

Growing up in the '60s and '70s, most of us promised to make the world a better place to live. My path took me to Africa and the Peace Corps, where I did my own small part to improve the lives of those that I touched over a period of nearly eight years.

Now decades later I look back and wonder ... what happened to the world we had envisioned? What happened to our leadership? Clearly, never at any other time since World War II has the world and its people been so divided, so intolerant of others' beliefs, so morally insolvent and, yet, so deathly silent.

It has been said that the true character of people shows not when a mistake is made but if or when they acknowledge the mistake and try to make it right. Perhaps if feeding our industrial-military complex and satisfying our fossil-fuel thirst were acknowledged as the prime reasons for why we're fighting, it would be a step in the right direction. Perhaps, when the Bush administration is finally purged, we can make it right and again promote the world we are capable of being.

But for now, to all our children, on behalf of all those who also tried to do their best to make the world a better place to live, I sincerely apologize. Our generation's leaders have deceived Congress, squandered our historical "greatness" and hence each of us has failed to live up to our promise. Please learn from our tragic mistakes and do better for your generation and the world.

WALT OGRODNIK
Upper St. Clair

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