Cold War thinking is no help in fighting terrorists
This is in reply to the July 22 letter from reader Robert J. Bahl ("Take the Fight to Those Who Want to Destroy Us") with regard to radical Islamists.
I am glad people with his way of thinking were not in charge of our national defense during the Cold War. We would have had a nuclear exchange in the '60s. Just substitute communists for Islamists and you can see where his thinking can lead.
He apparently learned nothing from the way the Cold War was won. You don't win people over to your way of thinking by killing and maiming them. You do respond to attacks, but don't pick fights where there is no bone of contention, as in Iraq.
The present administration took the right tack when invading Afghanistan in response to 9/11. The pointless invasion of Iraq has served to weaken our military, strengthen our enemies and water down our presence on the one front where we had shown success.
As the bulk of our military are worn down in Iraq, the Taliban and al-Qaida are resurgent in Afghanistan as that country slips back into chaos and a bumper crop of poppies are produced for narco/warlords.
This current military adventure has lasted longer than World War II.
RICH WEITZMAN
Plum
Illegal is illegal
In response to your July 14 article "Illegal Immigrants May Lose Services":
Kudos to Prince William County, Va., for taking a stand on this issue. More local governments should follow its lead.
Why is it when local governments want to enforce the immigration laws we have now, they are hindered at every turn? They are only doing what they were elected to do -- enforce the law.
Why are our national leaders afraid to do this? They cite financial hardship as one of the reasons. For whom? The CEOs of companies that hire illegals, or for themselves for all the special-interest money they would lose?
I think the majority of this nation's population just wants our leaders to enforce the immigration laws we have now. We do not need, or want, new laws that won't be enforced, either. If our national leaders are afraid to do this, let the local governments willing to enforce existing laws do it.
Remember, there is no degree of illegality. You enter this country either legally or illegally. If you enter illegally, you are breaking the law -- period. Illegal means you have to pay the price for your actions.
To our national leaders, enforce the laws we have now.
ROBERT KAMINSKI
Freedom
Why not downsize?
A sidebar box on Page A-9 of the July 18 Post-Gazette listed 10 bills requiring action by the Pennsylvania Legislature after the $27.3 billion state budget had been signed by Gov. Ed Rendell (after "two weeks of marathon negotiations and late sessions").
The list included infrastructure and slots-funded programs, a ban on smoking in public places and workplaces, a new state school code for reassigning Duquesne students, the cleaning of hazardous work sites and the creation of a Jonas Salk Legacy Fund for building biotech labs.
Conspicuously absent from the list was the overriding problem facing the Legislature, the downsizing of itself. If our nation's largest and most expensive Legislature were reduced by half, the tax dollars saved would underwrite the Jonas Falk Legacy Fund. The savings would also support the Keystone Fund for libraries and the conservation of parks and open spaces in the commonwealth. And it might just keep Rep. Bill DeWeese's foot out of his mouth.
RICHARD F. GREGORY
Oakmont
The AMA's focus
It's a shame that Betsy M. Snook, the executive director of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, is set on pitting doctors against nurses ("Doctors v. Nurses, Cont'd., July 18 Midweek Perspectives) while the American Medical Association is focused on what is most important, ensuring patients have access to high quality health care. Physicians strongly believe in the team approach to health care and feel that each member of the medical team plays a vital role in the care of patients.
In our continuing efforts to improve health care, the AMA has developed principles for the operation of store-based clinics and called for a closer look at possible conflicts of interest that can affect patient care. The AMA was founded 160 years ago to promote the highest standards of medical care in this country, and that high standard of care must be the norm whether patient care is received at a doctor's office or at a store-based clinic.
We remain committed to improving the quality and safety of patient care, and we will continue working to ensure that any facility that provides health care is operating in the best interest of the patient.
EDWARD L. LANGSTON, M.D.
Board Chair
American Medical Association
Chicago
Casey signs on
Thanks to Sen. Bob Casey for co-sponsoring the only bill that can adequately control global warming emissions (S. 309, the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act). In doing so on July 19, Sen. Casey joined 19 of his colleagues in the Senate.
I urge readers now to contact his fellow Pennsylvanian, Sen. Arlen Specter, to also co-sponsor S. 309.
ALLISON TOBEY
Swissvale
Wear the uniform
I feel so sorry for the poor employees at Macy's who are being told that they have to wear black clothing while at work ("Macy's Dressed Down on Code," July 19). The employees are taking legal action against Macy's for this horrific requirement that takes away their individuality.
Today, I am going to storm into my 16-year-old daughter's Chic-fil-A restaurant and demand that she not have to wear the standard uniform to work.
And oh, by the way, when I taught high school at a local school, I had to wear a tie to work. I should have filed legal action against my school district for forcing me to wear something I didn't want to wear.
Note to Macy's employees: Get over it. If your boss makes you wear a uniform, you wear it. Be thankful you have a job.
STEPHEN ARCH
Clinton
Moonda sentence
The "mercy" granted to Donna Moonda is commendable ("Moonda Gets Life in Husband's Murder, July 19). "Life" is a tough sentence, but may allow her to mature as a person.
As for me, I am grateful also that those who would have carried out a death sentence will not, for now, be made murderers.
M. SAGE
Swissvale
The PG is misinformed on missile defense
It is regretablethat a great newspaper like the Post-Gazette has used misinformation about the U.S. missile defense program to advance its editorial opinion ("Arms Grace," July 22).
First, to tell your readers that missile defense technology "doesn't work" is ridiculous and not truthful. As of this month, we have intercepted and destroyed 28 target warheads in 36 tests since 2001, an excellent record. In spite of the huge amount of information available, you have ignored the fact that there is no "one size fits all" missile defense technology: Threat missiles of different types and ranges require different types of interceptors and radars, and the Department of Defense is developing the technologies required to meet the wide array of ballistic missiles now proliferating throughout the world.
I have no idea where you came up with the figure of "$240 billion in contracts." The annual budget for all missile defense development, testing and deployment averages about $8 billion each year. The total amount of projected funding for the entire ballistic missile defense program is about $100 billion. In economic terms -- not including the millions of lives these defenses can save -- missile defense costs less than 3 percent of the Pentagon's annual budget but would save trillions of dollars in losses if even a single missile with a nuclear warhead exploded over a large American city like New York, Chicago -- or Pittsburgh.
Calling deployment of 10 long-range interceptor missiles and a radar in Europe to protect that continent and the United States against a missile launched from Iran "crazy and unnecessary," the Post-Gazette calls for the United States to "put the missile system on pause and talk to the Russians." U.S. and Russian diplomats and military experts have met numerous times to discuss the missile defense issue and will meet again in a well-publicized meeting at the end of this month. The proposed deployment of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland wouldn't begin until 2011 or be completed until 2013. What is there to "pause"?
RICK LEHNER
Director of Public Affairs
U.S. Missile Defense Agency
Washington, D.C.
First Published: July 26, 2007, 12:30 a.m.
