Spare a thought for the violence of Hamas

It is greatly disturbing to much of the world that Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip so heavily.

Yet it is quite all right for Hamas to lob rockets into Israel while men, women and children there scurry for shelter almost daily to prevent becoming a casualty, having their lives disrupted, being afraid, hoping for an end to the barrage. That just isn't news. Heaven forbid that Israel should fight back and kill off some Hamas patriots -- patriots, that is, until the bombs begin to fall and they run like crazy for succor in Egypt.

Shame on Hamas leaders as they scurry underground in fear, to talk some young kid into strapping on bombs to become a martyr for their cause. They themselves would never do such a dumb thing, but they talk a young man or woman into it.

But the larger shame is that if they left Israel alone there'd be no rockets and therefore no bombings, no confrontations, no crying over the dead and wounded, no fear as shelter was sought. But it appears that the Hamas leaders hate Israel so much that her very presence is more than they can stand.

So we have disruption instead of accord, war rather than peace, destroyed lives in place of happy lives. What a shame, what a waste, what stupidity to hate so very much that it is all-consuming.

EDWIN J. BORREBACH
Bradford Woods

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Complicit in attacks

Israeli Air Force attacks on the occupied Gaza Strip have killed hundreds of people and injured hundreds more. These Israeli attacks come on top of a brutal siege of the Gaza Strip, which has created a humanitarian catastrophe of dire proportions for Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinian residents by restricting the provision of food, fuel, medicine, electricity and other necessities of life.

While the scope of civilian casualties in the attacks is not yet clear, it is unmistakable that Israel carried out these attacks with F-16 fighter jets and missiles provided by the taxpayers of this country.

From 2001 to 2006, according to the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, the United States transferred to Israel more than $200 million worth of spare parts to fly its fleet of F-16s. In July 2008, the United States gave Israel 186 million gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel. Last year, the United States signed a $1.3 billion contract with Raytheon to transfer to Israel thousands of TOW, Hellfire, and "bunker buster" missiles.

In short, Israel's lethal attack today on the Gaza Strip could not have happened without the active military and political support of the United States. Therefore, we need to take action to protest this attack and demand an immediate cease-fire.

ANTHONY CAPOBIANCO
Bethel Park

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That union mentality

Since letter writer K.R. Vector peruses the addresses of letter writers to the Post-Gazette who are critical of unions ("It's Time for the 'Haves' to Take a Big Pay Cut," Dec. 24), I will not let him wait till the bottom to see mine. It's McKees Rocks, sir -- a blue-collar, hard-working, not-wealthy section of this fine area.

I grew up on the North Side right next to Federal Street. My family was blue-collar, and yes, union. That was then, this is now. I work hard for a minimal wage and have health problems. The union mentality is killing me. The Port Authority's union just won a lucrative contract beyond what they already had.

I can only dream of such benefits. Instead of being grateful that they can make a living that can sustain them comfortably, they were going to shut down a city and force people like me who can barely live on their wages out of jobs. We, the poor people of this region, are nothing but chess pieces to that union.

The economy is in the toilet tank, sir! People are losing homes, jobs and the Port Authority is talking about once again raising its fares and cutting its service. I wish Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato had stood firm and broke that union's back.

TONI STAAB
McKees Rocks

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Holiday fun

I read with great fascination the Dec. 20 Saturday Diary by Ann Belser titled "It Takes a Village." Anyone who has interacted with government and its processes could relate to the fact that all too often our vocational pursuits become a microcosm of respite hours.

Ms. Belser has accurately chronicled the evolution of urban growth during her preparation for the holiday display. Hopefully, the train man, the green grocer and the residents can sustain the civility at least until Dick Clark drops the ball at midnight tonight.

DENNIS K.E. PITTMAN
McKeesport
The writer is the McKeesport city administrator and the former chair of the Forest Hills Zoning Board.

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Prostate treatment

As a urologist in Pittsburgh, practicing at UPMC, West Penn and St. Clair hospitals, I read with interest your article on the treatment options for prostate cancer ("Tailored for men," Health & Science, Dec. 24).

You are to be commended for your review of the treatment options available. However, you (likely inadvertently) may have misled your readers by quoting a patient who stated that "the most sure way to cure it is, of course, removal." This is, in fact, not correct.

In properly selected patients, the survival rates with the various interventions that you reviewed are essentially equal. The choice of therapy, as Dr. Miller correctly pointed out, can "become a philosophical/psychological decision." This decision is most commonly based on the different side effects of the various interventions.

I would recommend that you publish a clarification, as you may have unknowingly directed men making this important decision toward a therapy that they might not otherwise have chosen based on a misunderstanding generated by your article.

JAY HERMAN, M.D.
Shadyside

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Too much smoke

I read with great disappointment that all seven Pennsylvania casinos plan to double the amount of floor space that allows smoking from 25 percent to 50 percent ("Casinos Look to Expand Space for Smoking," Dec. 17).

Even 25 percent is too much! Do casino owners forget that second-hand smoke contains 60 carcinogens? Or that second-hand smoke is responsible for nearly 2,000 deaths a year in Pennsylvania?

How can they in good conscience double the number of their employees who will be exposed to known carcinogens?

Pennsylvania only just recently celebrated a major win for the health of all residents by enacting clean indoor air legislation. Thousands of employees now enjoy working in an environment free of second-hand smoke, and Pennsylvania is finally starting to shed its nickname of the "Ashtray of the Northeast."

It is unfortunate that in this holiday season casino owners will be giving their employees the gift of poor health in the hopes of increased profits. Is exposure to smoke and subsequently poor health a holiday gift that you would want to receive? 1 don't think so!

MARINA POSVAR
Park Place
The writer is an American Cancer Society volunteer.

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Bailouts should target the people

When will our government and business leaders learn? An economy can only prosper when the people at the bottom are made solvent. One does not build a roaring fire by lighting a match on the top log of a pile.

Giving billions to banks who don't lend and to car manufacturers who cannot sell will not create prosperity. How can anyone buy a car, even a fuel-efficient one, in the face of rising unemployment when credit is largely unavailable or unaffordable? Bailouts to ignite business will fizzle out very quickly in this climate.

Let's face it: The real function of bailouts is to keep an industry afloat and unemployment in check, hoping that somehow the economy will turn around before the money runs out. People have to realize that aid for the banks was not to facilitate consumer lending, but to avoid a devastating loss of confidence in the entire banking system after Lehman Bros. failed. It's basically damage control, folks. The mess is worse than you know.

We cannot expect business to do the right thing by investing its own resources because recent history has demonstrated that it has a limited perspective -- making profits quickly and easily with minimal expense or social responsibility. The answer to this dilemma is nothing short of common sense: People have to be employed in some other fashion to stimulate growth.

As much as I mistrust the government in anything it touches, the time for federal spending for the people is now. We need those government projects for our infrastructure to create employment and start the process of economic viability.

FRANK J. PIATEK
New Castle

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