Letters:

Michael Smerconish ("A tiny group of city residents commits most of violent crimes," Currents, last Sunday) has the right idea, but the wrong math.

He is certainly right that targeting the hard core of serious, repeat offenders is a worthwhile strategy. Unfortunately, his assertion that 0.14 percent of the city's people are committing most of the crime misses the mark.

Studies in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Philadelphia estimate that 6 percent of the population commits 60 percent of the crime. In Philadelphia, this would mean finding nearly 87,000 prison and jail spaces, more than are available in the whole of Pennsylvania. With the city jail population close to 10,000 inmates and already overcrowded, the taxpayer burden for Smerconish's poor arithmetic would be considerable.

With public support, the courts could ease the burden by releasing nonviolent drug offenders and freeing prison space for the serious, violent offenders that plague neighborhoods and violently challenge police officers, and in doing so create capacity for the length of sentences they deserve.

In the meantime, the Police Department has the right approach in targeting crime hot spots in violent neighborhoods, as this will not just disrupt the criminality of violent, repeat offenders (the 6 percent), but also reduce the 40 percent of crime committed by opportunists.

Jerry Ratcliffe

Professor
Dept. of Criminal Justice
Temple University
Philadelphia

Re: Thomas E. Ricks' article "Simply put, U.S. cannot pull out of the Mideast" (Currents, last Sunday):

During the Q & A time after Ricks' speech Feb. 21 at the Free Library, an audience member asked him how he felt personally about the war. Ricks answered: "War is psychotic."

Yet this esteemed military historian currently advocates for a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq. I have a hard time seeing how Ricks thinks that continuance of a psychotic war is the best America can do. The psychosis needs to be healed, not encouraged.

Kip Leitner

Philadelphia

Re: "Eight is great, but eight is enough," Wednesday:

Why don't these women, with their need to be needed and their desire for a full house - become school teachers, and make more of a contribution to their communities than prolonging their chromosomal lines? In a busy school system, a teacher's classroom is never empty, and her impact can be far-reaching.

Clearly, when a family can support many children, one can argue that it is not society's right to judge. However, in a case like Nadya Suleman's, where she needs government support to care for her brood, I question her maturity and sense of responsibility.

Who ever said that we were entitled to everything we want - whether that be a private jet or eight more children?

Bonnie Warren

Plymouth Meeting

The Philadelphia Art Museum is cutting staff, the Philadelphia Orchestra is having financial troubles, and libraries are closing. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Phillies both raised ticket prices and continue to enjoy sold-out crowds.

I think that says a lot about society's values, and it's a shame that there isn't a better balance.

Anthony Preziosi

West Deptford
a_preziosi@yahoo.com

Rick Santorum's column about Rep. Nancy Pelosi and the pope is another example of his cafeteria Catholicism ("In praise of Catholic priests who dare to teach and enforce," Thursday). He chooses certain issues to get indignant about, and plays dumb about others.

In this piece, about when life begins, Pelosi "chirps" while the pope "educates" - a fair portrayal of differing viewpoints? On this topic, Santorum sides with the church without question or doubt. On the other hand, we are still waiting, years down the road, for Santorum's high-horse condemnation of George Bush for pursuing the Iraq war - another issue the pope was unequivocally and vociferously against. Where is his faith on that issue?

I guess Santorum figures it's OK to kill people who are already born.

Neil Greenberg

Elkins Park
Sullykong@aol.com.