Letters: An irony that's etched in stone

AS AN African-American, I find it ironic that Barack Obama would win the Democratic nomination the same week he visited Mount Rushmore.

He must have had mixed feelings seeing the sculptures of Washington and Jefferson, who owned slaves and yet declared all men are created equal. Days later, Obama spoke before thousands of people of nearly every race as the first African-American to win a major party endorsement for the president.

Stuart M. Burgh Jr., Philadelphia

But will it work for oil?

When the steel industry violated the wage and price guidelines and sharply raised steel prices in 1962, President Kennedy, visibly angry, went on TV and condemned the action. Shortly after, prices came down.

This demonstrates how a strong president can deal with those who only care about power and profits.

Tom O'Neill, Philadelphia