Letters: Reacting to Gaza

HYPOCRITICAL people here and in Europe condemn Israel for the (small) number of civilians killed in the war with Hamas.

How about those 300,000 civilians killed in Dresden and Hamburg during World War II? Americans and their allies didn't blink when that tragedy occurred. I was born in the U.S., but was then in the Hamburg area as a little boy.

War always kills civilians. Nothing can ever be done about that. Be realistic.

P.S. I'm Catholic, not Jewish.

John Stuhr, Philadelphia

If you had a friend who was committing suicide, would you try to stop him or help him?

Israel has ignored pleas by our last four presidents asking Israel, in order to gain true peace with their neighbors, to stop building settlements on Palestinian territory.

Why are U.S. taxpayers continuing to provide billions of dollars to Israel to be used for their own destruction?

Why aren't American Jews who agree with my views forcefully speaking out in order to save Israel from destroying itself?

Sal Ferraro, Havertown

Libraries: A bad idea

I realize that the city budget is in bad shape, but I can't fathom why they wanted to close 11 libraries, which is a saving of 4 cents on a dollar over the next five years. Such a mind-numbing idea should never have been considered.

And taking money from the feds to create three new "learning centers" is equally muddle-headed - a library is the original learning center.

I implore you, Mayor Nutter, be the public servant the city hired you to be.

Listen to the mothers who fear the streets for their little ones (your administration has done a commendable job on crime, don't commit this one), and listen to the children who use the libraries.

Kevin W. Boyd, Wilmington, Del.