Public professions of bigotry against religious and ethnic groups are ugly, but clearly not too ugly for state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican from Butler County ("Resolution Derailed by One Lawmaker's Anti-Muslim Remark," June 19).

Mr. Metcalfe, whose style of rhetoric includes endless repetition of the sci-fi epithet "alien invaders" whenever he purports to discuss immigration, has so far generally appeared to limit himself to expressions of ethnic bigotry.

Last week, though, Mr. Metcalfe expanded his hate-mongering to include religious intolerance. He opposed allowing the House to recognize the Harrisburg convention of an organization whose mission is to "... increase faith and harmony and introduce various humanitarian, social and religious services." Mr. Metcalfe's reason for denying the group House recognition? They're not Christian!

Butler County doesn't need the Taliban -- we've got Daryl! The group in question happens to be Muslim, but if you're Jewish American or Hindu American or, I guess, Unitarian American, consider yourself on notice: Daryl Metcalfe's logic is likely to put your religion in his bigoted crosshairs next.

Butler County should be ashamed to be "represented" by the likes of Mr. Metcalfe.

REID JOYCE
Valencia

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I read with dismay state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's remarks on the floor of the House opposing recognition of a Muslim convention because Muslims "do not recognize Jesus Christ as God."

Neither do Jews. Or Hindus. Or any number of other religions. Would Mr. Metcalfe deny other believers what he so clearly values in his own life? To put it another way, how would he feel if Christians were so treated in the General Assembly?

A thorough reading of our Constitution will remind Mr. Metcalfe that our nation was founded on many principles -- not least freedom of worship. Not every country has this freedom -- nor the separation of church and state that enables all of us, regardless of religion, to contribute to the greater good.

Should Mr. Metcalfe apologize, I'm sure it would do more than his constituency good.

DARYL CROSS
Friendship

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Regarding the story about Butler County legislator Daryl Metcalfe as the lone legislator opposing the state House resolution to recognize the 60th annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community: Is this news?

What would be news would be Rep. Metcalfe supporting any legislation not in direct agreement with his personal views, orientation or education.

It might have been a worthy expense to have given this state representative a civics lesson or a world cultures refresher course, or even an American history multiple-choice test prior to his taking office.

I can only hope that his bigotry and closed-mindedness on various legislation, in addition to this example, are not truly representative of his Butler County constituency.

N.C. FOLEY
Perry Hilltop

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I am appalled by state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's despicable anti-Muslim remark made on the floor of the state House.

Rep. Metcalfe needs to be reminded that one of the key founding principles of our great nation is the separation of church and state. Americans are not required to worship Jesus, nor any other god. Our freedom to worship however we choose is what allows Mr. Metcalfe to fervently believe in Jesus as God. But his job requires him to leave that highly personal belief at home or in church.

The choice of religion is up to each individual person and government has no legitimate role whatsoever in endorsing one religion over another.

Unfortunately, Mr. Metcalfe's comment indicates, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wishes for the state government to promote the belief in Jesus as God, and to punish those who do not share in his specific beliefs. These pernicious viewpoints have no place in government and anyone who holds them is not fit to serve the people of this great state.

ROB HENNING
Squirrel Hill

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Anyone needing an eyeful of America's warped values need look no further than the June 19 Post-Gazette. Buried on page A5 are a couple of column inches alerting the careful reader that $10 billion proposed by the Senate will be taken back out of the federal budget ("War-Funding Accord," National Briefs).

This money was slated for "heating subsidies for the poor, wildfire fighting, road and bridge repair and help for the Gulf Coast." At the top of the front page was the woeful tale of a multi-millionaire golfer's knee problems, with full-color illustrations.

I guess this perspective makes sense in a city with so few poor and elderly needing heat in the winter and hardly any bridges or roads needing repair. Besides, when was the last time anyone heard of a bridge collapse in a major American city?

As for those folks on the Gulf Coast struggling to put their lives and communities back together, they should have worked hard enough to make the PGA cut like Tiger Woods, instead of expecting a helping hand from a nation constantly crowing about Christian values.

Thanks again for the great journalism. I'll sleep better knowing that Tiger Woods will probably be raking it in again in the near future. As for the rest of us, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the story of our demise in the back pages.

SCOTT SMITH
Point Breeze

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Surely the Post-Gazette editorial "Coming Collision" (June 18) was meant to be ironic.

Apparently Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe, is a tyrant whose rule has wreaked "disaster" on the economy and instability that is "increasingly catastrophic in its impact on the southern African region." The "suffering people" of Zimbabwe cannot remove him because he has rigged the election process and "instructed the country's army to work for his victory." Some world leaders want to "send a U.N. human rights representative and election observers to Zimbabwe." The Post-Gazette calls these "truly pointless gestures."

The Post-Gazette solution is clear, tough and unambiguous: "The countries of southern Africa would be justified in taking decisive military action to get rid of Mr. Mugabe." Furthermore: "It is hard to imagine the Zimbabweans would resist them."

The only thing missing in the editorial is when to dust off the "Mission Accomplished!" banners.

DAVID D. HARTZELL
Saxonburg

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Sen. Barack Obama claims to be a new-style politician. His cynical decision to be the first major-party presidential nominee in decades to decline public campaign financing ("Obama Says No to Public Financing," June 20) brings to mind Pete Townshend's lyric: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

LEE MOSES
Squirrel Hill

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A letter to my black men:

My granddaughter's dad, Brandon Alton, was killed tonight (June 19). He was shot in Mount Washington at a bar. The bullet hit directly in his heart. He has stepped into eternity and our hearts are grieved.

His life was not taken by a racist cop or an unlikely accident. He was killed by a misguided man who somehow thought that this was the way to settle a dispute.

Our men of color kill each other with no remorse and we are left in fear to grieve. When will this stop? How many have to die? This young man was a leader who was working to end the feud between Beltzhoover and St. Clair Village.

Why must another child grow up with no father? Why did we get free from slavery and oppression to start killing each other? Why is the biggest threat to a black man another black man? I can only weep as I share his mother's pain. Nothing can restore the love that we have lost. Nothing can stop our tears.

Young men, please, learn your history, learn what we have overcome. The streets are an all-too-familiar gravesite. We want you to live. You have no right to take what you cannot return. You have taken a father from two children, you have taken a son from two parents, you have taken someone's brother. As a people, we cannot survive if we continue to self-destruct.

I cry tonight for all of us, I cry for you.

ANTIONETTE JONES
Spring Garden

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