Letters to the editor
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Our nation must look within to prevent relapse
I was drawn to David Shribman's column last Sunday ("The Recovery Cometh," April 12 Perspectives). I have been working with persons in recovery from addiction disease for the past four decades. Out of this experience I have come to realize that addiction is a malady not only for those whose addiction is to a chemical.
We are indeed in withdrawal from an addiction to greed and power (control really), and as with all addictions the whole family and community are suffering with those addicted.
When the person directly caught up in addiction enters recovery it is imperative that the whole family follows suit. Without being aware we become part of the problem not the solution. In a real sense we become addicted to addiction. The current crisis in Mexico is one example.
I believe this same thing has occurred to those in the "family" of the "controlaholics" who are currently hitting bottom.
I see the dimensions of this pandemic illness all around us. Even the brutal killing of the police officers appears to be an insane effort of one sick man to maintain his control delusion. I do believe we are hitting bottom and pray that recovery lies ahead.
However, I must caution that recovery as I've witnessed it must be far more than a mere drying out. To truly recover we must go back to rediscover that person from whom we have been running for so many years. We were created in God's image as children of love. Until we recover that person, we are setting ourselves up for yet another relapse.
I pray that we have had enough and are ready and willing for true recovery.
REV. J. DAVID ELSE
Center for Spirituality in 12 Step Recovery
Pleasant Hills
Government's role
Michael Plittman's April 12 letter ("Let's See Self-Sufficiency, Not Meddling") cites a few legitimate examples of overly eager government efforts to intervene in people's personal health habits.
However, he then uses this rather flimsy springboard to dive into the country's financial problems. He refers to efforts to "tilt the field in favor of certain groups" in an attempt to rectify the growing wealth gap in the United States, but he ignores the blatant tax code changes that have tilted that field in favor of the wealthy. Thanks to the lobbying power of wealthy individuals and corporations, most of the tax burden has been shifted to working individuals. Those who live off their interest and gambled in the stock market got to keep more and more of their money, while people who actually labored got less. Do we value work or manipulation more?
He then attempts to blame the mortgage crisis on government regulation. All one has to do is follow the history of banking regulation to see that the opposite is true. Slowly but surely, most of the New Deal regulations on banking and finance, which provided the stability needed, have been undone. The culmination was the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act 10 years ago, by a Republican Congress and a Democratic president too enamored of the "free market" to object. Then the high-flying cowboys of finance had no restraint and took us on this downhill ride. Supported by talk radio chatterers and a lot of others in media, they now decry all attempts to try to impose order.
The government's role is to safeguard the well-being of all citizens. Sometimes that means restraining robbers, including those who use contracts instead of guns.
HOWARD SCHMITT
Green Tree
Defense facts
Referencing your April 12 editorial "The Defense Budget: Obama's Proposal Is a Mixed Bag," please get the facts straight. You state, "The F-22s have yet to fly a mission in Iraq or Afghanistan. ..." The F-22 is an air superiority fighter designed to defeat any opposing fighter in the world; note that the Taliban had no air force and the Iraq Air Force fled the country at the outbreak of hostilities, air superiority already gained.
You state that it is "exciting to fly" implying that it is a military toy. Again it is the most advanced fighter in the world and is desperately needed to replace the F-15 Eagle, first flown in 1972, 37 years ago. Many F-15s have structural problems due to their age. What would you propose the military do? You state that the F-35 is "the next generation beyond the F-22," which is false; the F-35 is primarily a strike aircraft to attack ground targets; in combat it would not stand a chance against the F-22. Deducing that a higher number is a more advanced aircraft is simply untrue.
You applaud slowing of the missile defense program, stating that it is "directed against the so-far inoperative nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran. ..." Many believe, including Russia, that North Korea exploded a nuclear bomb in 2006. Please note the news little more than a week ago that they are working on a delivery system. When do we build our missile defense system -- when the warheads are on their way?
DANA H. FERRY
California, Pa.
Saga of a package
I think I have some insight into why the U.S. Postal Service is running a deficit ("Post Office Nearly Out of Money, Chief Says," March 26). I sent a small package to Wilkes-Barre from the McMurray post office on Tuesday, April 7. Thanks to the delivery confirmation service, I was able to track the package.
That same night it arrived in Pittsburgh. On Wednesday, it was processed at the Southeastern PA center. On the same day it arrived in Philadelphia, where it sat for a day. On Friday, April 10, it was returned to the Southeastern processing center. The same day it was returned to the Philadelphia center. Guess where it was sent on Saturday, the 11th? Yes, back to the Southeastern center for the third time! On Thursday, the 16th, the package was sent from Kentucky to New Jersey. On Friday, the 17th, it was delivered.
The postmaster in Venetia was helpful in trying to get to the bottom of the delivery problem. Thanks to her, I didn't give up hope.
HENRY A. HUFFMAN
Eighty Four
Jarring placement
It was a beautiful Easter Sunday morning, the sun was shining, and I went about my usual routine -- take care of the dogs, make the coffee, get the Sunday paper and sit down on the couch to enjoy some quiet time reading.
As I opened the paper, I found myself in shock to see an article on the front page, on Easter Sunday, dedicated to Richard Poplawski, exploring who he is ("Who Is Richard Poplawski," April 12). Seriously? Are you kidding me? While there are many who would be interested to read the article and learn more about this person, we had just laid three great men to rest who were killed by that other person (note: in my opinion, he is not a man).
Couldn't we show a little respect to Officers Eric Kelly, Paul Sciullo and Stephen Mayhle and put that story elsewhere in the paper?
LAURA HALSEY
Upper St. Clair
The library was the place for chess and life lessons
I work at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, but I'm not writing this as a librarian. I'm writing this as a mom. Last month, my son participated in the chess tournament at the main library in Oakland. It was a wonderful learning experience. His grandmother came in for the tournament, and while the children played chess, we browsed the books, enjoyed cups of coffee and chatted with other chess parents.
At the end of the tournament, the competitors were justifiably proud, but one little boy was very unhappy. He hadn't received a trophy, and he was sitting with his head down on his arms. He wouldn't even acknowledge his certificate of participation. His parents comforted him, and one of the librarians sat down with them and gave the boy a warm, compassionate and heartfelt pep talk. She congratulated him on his hard work and encouraged him to try again at the next tournament. She acknowledged how bitter defeat can be, but reminded him that he had some very formidable competition. It was some of the best advice I've ever heard.
The library's chess tournament was not only a nice way to spend the morning and a good way for my son to practice his chess skills, it was an opportunity to learn an important life lesson.
REBECCA O'CONNELL
Lawrenceville
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First Published April 19, 2009 12:00 am
