Your May 5 article, ("War Protesters Frustrated by Apathy") raises many important questions. What is wrong with America? Why aren't there more people in the streets screaming about the continuation of this never-ending war in Iraq? Why is there no longer front-page or TV coverage?

People continue their lives as they do every day. They are upset about the economy and rightly so. But they don't seem to realize that the war is part of the reason our economy is so bad. If there were a draft would there still be a war? How many people are willing to send their children to fight in a war for oil?

We have lost 4,076 soldiers. Tens of thousands injured. Do we think about these brave soldiers and their families every day? They are the only ones who have made sacrifices for all of this. Do we have to wait for a new president to do the right thing and bring peace to America?

For every second we are in Iraq we spend about $5,000. A lot of people could be fed with that money and also receive necessary health care. Our soldiers could be home with their families and live their lives without stop-loss and multiple deployments.

Ending this war and bringing our soldiers home should be in all our hearts and on our lips. It is the right thing to do. It is the moral thing to do.

LISA SKEERS
Murrysville

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Our foolish endeavor in Iraq is playing a large part in the current crisis at the gas pump. Saddam Hussein was illegally flooding the market with oil to keep his government in power, thus helping to keep the prices down. Because of the bungled invasion of Iraq and our inability to keep the oil flowing regularly, Iraqi oil production is only now approaching reported pre-invasion levels.

My question is -- since we now control what is estimated to be the third-largest known source of oil, why is the United States paying both $120 per barrel and footing the entire reconstruction bill for Iraq? What good is propping up a puppet government if we can't at least get some cheap oil?

PATRICK CONNELL
Castle Shannon

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Charles Krauthammer's pillorying of Rev. Wright for his rants and Barack Obama for his reluctance to renounce Mr. Wright earlier does, indeed, raise some questions ("Obama's Renunciation of Rev. Wright Raises a Lot of Questions," May 3).

Reading the 1990 "Audacity of Hope" sermon by Mr. Wright prompts this question: How is it possible that the man who delivered that sermon also gave voice to the obsessions for which he is currently demonized? Could it be that Mr. Wright is a conflicted human whose own sense of hope was eclipsed by destructive urges growing partially out of his experiences as an African American?

In Mr. Obama's first response to Mr. Wright's harangues he afforded Mr. Wright the benefit of the doubt and suggested that these alarming pronouncements were not representative of the whole person. In denouncing Mr. Wright's inflammatory words but demurring at that time to renounce the man himself, Mr. Obama showed compassion toward the complex human being who 18 years earlier had delivered a sermon that had profoundly affected Mr. Obama's life.

Eight years ago George Bush arrived on the political scene brandishing the flag of compassionate conservatism but then sold the nation on a war against a "demon" named Saddam Hussein which has cost the lives of more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers, well over a half-trillion dollars and hundreds of thousands of dead and homeless Iraqis. How many more ephemeral demons must we buy from the Krauthammers of this world?

Compassion is not a slogan; it is a reasoned, humane way of living. Is not compassion precisely what is being systematically eliminated from our society?

DAVID SIMPSON
Beaver Falls

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It is high time for Democrats to make the decision on seating the delegates from Michigan and Florida. The only fair way to do this is to divide them evenly between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Mrs. Clinton wants not to do this because she won Florida and Michigan (where Mr. Obama was not on the ballot).

Both candidates agreed not to campaign in those states and that the votes wouldn't count because Florida and Michigan did not follow party rules by moving up the dates of their primary elections.

The Clintons work in the grey area; they think they are above the rules. Although Mr Obama's name was on the Florida ballot, not many voters turned out because they were told their votes would not count.

It is time we get behind the candidate who will be the nominee. Quoting our beloved former Steelers coach Chuck Noll, "You take the best available player." It is now time to back the candidate to lead the Democratic Party, and that is Barack Obama!

DEB MLINAR
Penn Hills

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The Democratic primaries have evolved into a Shakespearean tragedy with the superdelegates assuming the role of Hamlet. Like Hamlet, these individuals seem incapable of turning words into actions. It is time, superdelegates, to "suit the action to the word, the word to the action." Unless you act now to end this drama, John McCain, like Fortinbras, will stand center stage in November amidst the debris that was once the Democratic Party.

RONNA L. EDELSTEIN
Oakland

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Deborah Fidel's shameful essay ("Appeasing Killers," May 7 Midweek Perspectives) attacking former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is utter nonsense.

Mr. Carter's well-documented work in the Middle East has been mainly in monitoring elections in order to encourage the growth of representative government. It is interesting that this did not rate even a single word from Ms. Fidel.

Since Mr. Carter currently holds no elected or appointed position in our federal government, his discussions with representatives of foreign governments or political groups do not constitute negotiations that obligate the U.S. government in any way. Mr. Carter's long commitment to peaceful resolution of conflict and human rights has been recognized internationally. In comparison, Ms. Fidel's vicious statements simply demonstrate her own extremism.

FREDERICK LANNI
Squirrel Hill

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In reference to Deborah Fidel's recent column ("Appeasing Killers," May 7), I wanted to write a short note to express my gratitude that somebody published a rebuttal to Dan Simpson's recent column concerning President Carter ("Jimmy Carter, Peacemaker, Realist," April 23 Midweek Perspectives).

I was disappointed that Mr. Simpson implied that President Carter violated a policy of President Bush and Israel in meeting with Hamas, when, in fact, he must be aware that he violated long-standing diplomatic policies of our nation as well as our laws.

I do not imagine that the State Department will revoke President Carter's passport as the political ramifications would be prohibitive, but I would like some declaration made of condemnation for the former president's undermining of U.S. foreign policy.

Some think that we have given Israel carte blanche in her dealings with her neighbors, but I think that at times we have imposed restraints on her that supported our own political stance with the Soviet Union at the expense of Israel's security, and at the expense of her blood as well.

The very least that we could do is to not give her enemies, sworn constitutionally to her destruction, a validity that they have not earned. President Carter must be aware, of course, that the United States and Israel can never agree to the terms that he found acceptable.

What the former president has delivered amounts to nothing more than a diplomatic poison pill, with a result that can only hope to impugn the character of both the United States and Israel and the relationship between them.

WAYNE MULLER
Ross

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For years my wife (who has asthma) would get on me to quit smoking. "Look at these walls, close the closet door, the clothes all stink from smoke, you stink."

I had a clever response: "Only sissies quit. Did John Wayne, Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen or Humphrey Bogart quit?" They were my heroes -- they would light up in a minute. Yeah, I know, they all died of cancer. But lung cancer happens to other people, not me.

In about a week I have an appointment at the Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside. It's for a biopsy on my left lung. I'm trying to think of something clever to say if the biopsy is positive. So far, can't think of anything.

If young people read this ... don't smoke! If you do, quit!

As for adults, be a sissy.

ROBERT SHARP
Beechview

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