Letters to the Editor
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Published Letters: 12 Editor's Choice: 1
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An apology would suffice
[Read the article: Wolfowitz's girlfriend problem]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Can't believe everything you hear in the media, but as is often the case with this administration, if the scandal is even remotely true, you'll wish it wasn't.
The US government allowed a lax/breach of security by Mr. Wolfowitz? Hasn't he caused enough trouble? Wolfowitz leaves his top post after a dismal record and gets unprecedented security clearance for a foreign national? Mindboggling!
If Wolfowitz is seeking redemption, he should just apologize...and stay out of government.
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Its our problem
[Read the article: Killer reflection]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Several factors explain this horror. The "smart and quiet" and "fundamentally foreign" is a shared personality trait of past shooters and characteristic of psychopaths in general.
The deadly combination that explains this was mainly Chos mental illness, school pressures, and alienation from himself and others. But tragically, and mostly, it reflects the utter lack of substantive mental health prevention/intervention strategy at major schools and institutions across the U.S. The practice of neglecting mental health policy, and even shunning it in some cases like the Armed Forces, invites tragedies like this.
Rather than an "Asian thing", "smart but quiet" should be seen as a sign for at-risk students. Not to be treated differently, since their sense of being different is what drives their alienation, but to focus on helping them to not feel shunned, humiliated or forgotten which then turns their alienation into numbness and makes them more likely to kill (to get back at them and kill the pain).
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What the country needs.
[Read the article: Don't worry, be Mike Gravel]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Gore/Gravel in 2008!
If the country wants less BS from career politicians and the opposite of the last 8 years, a Gore/Gravel team would be a complete 180 turnaround.
If voters were somehow graded or promoted based on their ability, after doing extensive research and thinking, to elect the best Democratic nominee for president, Gore and Gravel would win a majority.
Its too bad its a popularity contest and not a serious debate about our future.
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Now more than ever. Run, Al, run!
[Read the article: Don't run, Al. Don't!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]For a someone who says their a Democrat, Ms. Paglia sure sounds unhappy to be one. How can you say you believe in a party and simultaneously have contempt for it? I'm not saying love it or leave it, but the criticisms are trivial at best. Edwards and Obama are hampered by "effete professional-class gender etiquette to attack Hillary as they should"? Hillary is making history and her opponents have to seem respectful of a lady trying to become the first madam president. If the men took their gloves off it would most likely backfire.
And whats up with Ms. Paglia's infatuation with Rosie O'Donnell? If O'Donnell is the loudest, maybe its becauses shes the most ambitious. So what? I'm starting to see Ms. Paglia's brand of feminism involves tearing females down to somehow show off her authenticity as a feminist. Ho-hum.
What Ms. Paglia says about Al Gore takes it to a whole other level of bankruptcy akin to Rush Limbaugh's make-trivial-attacks because its all we have left. Gore's "apocalyptic fundamentalism has fomented an atmosphere of hysteria...going off the deep end at one speech or another" (notice she doesn't give any examples). To draw this conclusion about Al Gore's work is not even worthy of comment. It makes you wonder what country and indeed what planet Ms. Paglia's on. Al Gore address both (country & planet) with more commonsense, passion and intelligence than any of other potential candidate or leader probably in the history of our country.
Oh, I'll start respecting Paris Hilton more now. Thanks for the heads up on that one.
P.S. - I enjoy your articles.
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Don't be fooled
[Read the article: A tragic legacy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As good as this article is, the author gives the president too much credit. Bush can't be clumped into the same category with historical God-fearing leaders who killed and conquered because God told them to. Clearly they were religious fanatics, but at the time they were "Good Christians". I'm not convinced the president operates within the same Manichean worldview of Good vs. Evil. Bush is not that innocent or ignorant.
From the pre-9/11 plan to illegally invade a sovereign country to the gross mishandling of it today involving widespread corruption, ulterior motives exist other than a self-righteous crusader. More like a brillant PR campaign of Good vs. Evil.
It would be encouraging news if what the author wrote were true. That would mean the president can listen to reason and make amends. No, I am sorry to say, this Administration is simply the most politically savvy we've seen run by a bunch of incorrigible criminals.
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A Philanthropist President
[Read the article: Bloomberg's ambitions]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Mayor Bloomberg may seem like a political enigma. Independent of powerful lobbyists and special interests, in sync with Democrats on most progressive issues, and Republican only by name to leap frog over the competition. As an independent self-made Billionaire, President Bloomberg can offer practical solutions to common problems without more of the same bipartisan impasse. He can be just what Americas looking for.
New York has always been a laboratory for new ideas. New Yorkers didn't care that Bloomberg ran as a Republican, as long as he did a good job. Mike Bloomberg delivered many times over becoming one of New York City's most successful Mayors. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Bloomberg championed the Iraq war mainly since 9/11 happened in New York. It was almost expected that he would. But unlike a coached career politician, Bloomberg is more candid and will admit to mistakes to work toward better solutions.
Bloombergs philanthropy (his salary as Mayor is $1) should count for more than his political affiliation/convictions, which is mainly why nothing ever gets done in Washington.