Letters to the Editor

OPINION:

Everyman patriotism

Since when in America do presidential candidates have their own brand of patriotism (“Attack! Dem race gets uglier,” Web, April 21)? While patriotism is an important trait Americans look for in any presidential candidate, it is understood that any presidential candidate should share the historic, time-tested values toward this country that have molded our national sense of pride and national will for over two centuries. For any presidential candidate to have the audacity to assert “his own brand of patriotism” — as another Washington newspaper recently asserted that Barack Obama is doing — is an insult to the American people. Especially to those Americans who have served in the military to defend our patriotic beliefs and values.

The author John Haynes Holmes once wrote that “Priests are no more necessary to religion than politicians to patriotism.” It is not for presidential candidates to assert, divine or define the patriotism of the American people. It is the right and duty of all the American people to define and assert the patriotism of this nation.

We see this daily in flags on car windshields; flowers on veterans’ graves; flags fluttering from the back of motorcycles and fire trucks; folks singing the national anthem at ball games; Fourth of July parades in towns, villages and cities across America; senior citizens making gift boxes for troops in harm’s way; bags on doorsteps for pickup by charitable organizations; barn raisings, bake sales and fundraisers of every size and description; and many others acts of kindness, love of country and belief in America that occur numerous times daily throughout this nation.

We do not need presidential candidates to “assert their brand of patriotism.” The American people are quite capable of defining our patriotism and do so successfully and articulately each and every day.

Any candidate for president of the United States should remember this fact, heed its message and encourage its continuation into the 21st century and beyond.

FLETCHER R. HALL

Potomac

Same old Metro

Nice article by Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican (“Time to end Metro’s gravy train,” Op-Ed, Monday). I was employed with the D.C. Transit Authority back in 1966-7 in the accounting department. They were doing then what they are doing now: justifying rate increases and more money. The comments that Mr. Coburn made were true. These people are not profit-oriented. Until a private enterprise takes over, the system will remain the same — “Just shovel the money in!”

RENNY GAZY

Middle River

Questions for Obama

As usual, Thomas Sowell is right on point in “Random events” (Commentary, Thursday). The question I have is: Is the Rev. Jeremiah A.Wright Jr. Barack Obama’s alter ego?

Is this a planned strategy between the two men, as in good cop, bad cop? Do we have a cabal going on here where Mr. Obama directs his remarks to those lofty liberal elites and the reverend directs his to those who can easily be convinced they have been mortally wounded and must seek their revenge at this moment in history, that may never occur again?

There is much to learn about Mr. Obama. We had best take the time to pursue all the gaps well before we reach November. In this precarious time in our history, second-guessing is just not an option.

MARY L. ROSE

Great Mills

Backwards on the Middle East

The Op-Ed “A remembrance” (Tuesday) attempts to place all the blame for the violence in the Middle East on Israel’s enemies and none on Israel. In fact, the opposite is true. The entire world, except for Israel’s puppets in Washington, recognizes the root cause for this violence to be Israel’s occupation and oppression of the Palestinians. There can be no peace in the region until this occupation is ended.

Unfortunately, Israel doesn’t want peace and the Palestinians don’t have the power to bring about peace. Israel prefers to continue stealing more Palestinian land and water in the West Bank while maintaining their war crimes and deadly siege in the Gaza Strip. Also, Israel will never return the Golan Heights to Syria because they receive one-third of their water from there.

Israel also covets the water source of the Litani River in southern Lebanon. That is why they have twice invaded Lebanon in the last 25 years, only to be driven out by a Hezbollah militia. In summary, it is Israel that is the dangerous, warmongering threat to its neighbors, not the other way around, in spite of what the Israel lobby tells us.

RAY GORDON

Baltimore

Coexistence

I was glad to read Sherri Muzher’s article about her Palestinian heritage (“Palestine before and after,” Commentary, May 4). Indeed, not all Arabs are the same culturally. However, the existence of a unique Palestinian heritage in no way negates Israel’s right to exist. The Jews also have a unique identity and have been a distinct nation for four millennia. Also, according to the Bible, the Jewish nation originated in Palestine.

There are already 22 Arab states, occupying over 6 million square miles. Israel occupies 7,886 square miles — that”s about 0.1 percent of the region. I cannot see anything wrong with the existence of one Jewish state, especially since it was created and sanctioned by the United Nations. However, its existence certainly seems to bother the Arabs. Sixty years after Israel’s rebirth, 20 of the 22 Arab nations still refuse to recognize it.

If there were an ethnic cleansing of Palestine, there would not be 1.5 million Arabs living in Israel right now. They comprise 20 percent of the population, and many of them own land and houses. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages. Arabs are represented in the Knesset. Many Palestinians attend Hebrew University. Many are treated in free Israeli clinics.

Furthermore, how can Gazan children on the way to school be stoned by Israeli settlers, when the Israelis abandoned their settlements and left Gaza three years ago? The mess in Gaza can only be blamed on Hamas.

JEFFREY P. JAROSZ

Parkville