Letters to the Editor

Re: "Some war dead cremated at facility also handling pets," May 11:

I'm always amazed at the way politicians pander to the irrationality of voters, but refuse to support actions that would actually do some good. In particular, I'm amazed that John McCain found it "very disturbing" that a funeral home in Dover, Del., that cremates fallen soldiers also cremates animals in a separate crematorium.

So what? Does he think the people at the crematorium might confuse the body of a human with a pet? This is the same McCain who is opposed to restoring the GI Bill's benefits to the level provided through the Vietnam War. I guess it's a lot easier to criticize a facility that cremates fallen soldiers than do something useful for the ones who survive.

Frank J. Kampas

Ambler

» READ MORE: fkampas@msn.com

I am both humored and angered each day I see the ad for your Report Card on the Schools, which asks: "How well are local schools educating our children?"

You could save a lot of time by just listing the school districts by the size of the front lawns of their students. You'd find that those students are smart, very motivated children from successful, educated parents, and were genetically predisposed to getting into the college of their choice. Excellence in, excellence out: That's why these schools appear to do a very good job of "educating" their students.

It would behoove your paper to define what "educating" really means. Is it based on test scores? The ability to think? The ability to take students from a low reading/math level and move them to a higher reading/math level?

If it is the latter, some of the

small lawn

school districts actually educate their students much better than the

large lawn

schools. They deserve much more recognition than they get from your published test scores and school activities.

Howard I. Chud, Ed.D.

Warrington

» READ MORE: DrHC13@aol.com

Re: "6 taken off street over violent arrest," May 8:

I'm a bit unsettled by police Commissioner Charles Ramsey's statement that high emotions following the recent killing of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski may have contributed to the vicious videotaped beating of three suspects in a separate shooting incident.

What if there's a bigger crisis, say, a terrorist attack? Would police brutality worsen accordingly? What if our citizens, responding to the beating, let their emotions run high? Aren't we a bit more mature than that?

Tsee Lee

Philadelphia

Re: "Life on the lam ends for Liczbinski suspect," May 9:

I can understand that many police officers and citizens are relieved that Eric Floyd, a suspect in the murder of police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, was captured.

But I do not understand why a leading newspaper refers to the presumed killer as living like a rat or a cockroach. This type of language is unnecessary (and likely scientifically inaccurate: I doubt that cockroaches relieve themselves in a bucket). It also contributes to the growing polarization between African Americans and law-enforcement officials.

Susan A. White

Bryn Mawr

» READ MORE: swhite@brynmawr.edu

How ironic that Michael Smerconish's May 11 commentary, "Eight Belles a victim of exploitation," should feature a gruesome picture of the poor filly suffering, with her ankles broken.

Exploitation, indeed. Shame on you, Inquirer.

Terese Du Pont

Wayne

She Stoops to Conquer

is the title of a wonderful play by Oliver Goldsmith. It is also what comes to mind with Hillary Clinton's embarrassingly transparent attempt to buy votes by moving in league with John McCain to support a gas-tax holiday.

Nobody knows better than she that this idea is bad for the environment because it will only incentivize our reckless use of fossil fuels. Nobody knows better than she that this tax cut will not be paid for by a windfall profit tax on oil companies but, rather, by our great-grandchildren.

Sally Gardner Reed

Philadelphia