Why aren't liberals making a bigger fuss?
Recently on his MSNBC talk radio show, commentator Ed Schultz called conservative commentator Laura Ingraham a "right-wing slut." No matter what she said that caused him to be so vile, there was no excuse for it. He has since apologized on the air, and agreed to a one-week suspension, without pay. That is not enough.
Where are the liberal journalists who would be screaming for a resignation had it been someone from FOX News that made such a slanderous statement about a liberal commentator? Where are they?
Frank Herrelko Jr.
Richmond.
Israel must face the modern facts
Regarding your editorial "Indefensible": If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes Israel's borders are indefensible he has two options. He can continue his ineffective strategy of trying to intimidate the Arabs into accepting the Israeli notion that might makes right, or he can develop a practical proposal that enhances Israeli security, is in compliance with international law, and is capable of gaining the support of the international community.
Netanyahu is mistaken when he refers to "pre-1967 boundaries." When Israel invaded its neighbors in 1967, the borders did not change. Borders can be changed only through international agreement. Israel has the same legal boundaries today as in 1949.
Netanyahu is also mistaken when he asserts Jerusalem shall never be divided. Jerusalem is not now, never has been and never will be a part of the modern state of Israel. It may become an international zone, as proposed in one of the original partition plans. This would allow Jerusalem to be the capital of both Israel and Palestine.
Fortunately, Israel does not have to become a pariah state in order to survive. Unfortunately, the rigid ideology of Netanyahu might prevent Israel from accepting opportunities to protect itself from itself.
Richmond.
Remembering WWII's turning point
Robin Beres' Commentary column, "Personal military histories are too important to forget," opened a window on the past. Her Aunt Kay's letter describing war-torn Germany is now a treasured part of her family's history.
I recently ran across an account I wrote in England in 1943:
"September 1943: When four years ago Neville Chamberlain broadcast that this country was now at war with Germany, he said that he was preparing for a three-year war. However, four years have passed since that day. We received tremendous blows in the first two years of the war. We lost France, our last hold on the Continent and watched almost all of Europe fall to Hitler's aggression.
"In 1941, German bombers came over here nightly. We hid in air raid shelters while death came whistling down. Russia was attacked with the Germans advancing like an avalanche that couldn't be stopped.
"Then came Pearl Harbor. Great was our peril. In the Atlantic the U-Boats were a grave menace, the Mediterranean was closed to our shipping, and in the Pacific it was the Japanese who ruled the waves.
"But then came the turning point. The output of the Allied nations grew. Vast armies came into being. New ships were launched and planes were built by the thousands.
"In North Africa, where the enemy had advanced as far as Egypt, we started an all-out offensive to clear the North African continent of the Axis. In Russia, huge strips of land were recaptured. We were dealing smashing blows to the lurking U-Boats. And we gained superiority in the air. . .
"In the Pacific, Japan is slowly losing some of her outer bases. As soon as Germany is out of the war, the whole effort of the Allies will be concentrated on achieving victory on that front…"
Frances Nunnally.
Richmond.
House bill will hurt women and business
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
The House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would deny tax credits to small-business owners who offer private insurance plans if those plans cover any abortion-related service. This includes the plans for women who might need an abortion to prevent severe and permanent damage to their health. H.R. 3, in addition to being an unprecedented attack on women's health, is an all-out attack against the backbone of every community — small business.
Small business creates most of the jobs in America. I see proof of this in Virginia's Southside. The area is making a comeback because of the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners.
Yet if H.R. 3, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, becomes law, small-business owners will be deprived of the small-business health care tax credit if the insurance they provide their employees covers even one abortion-related service. The impact of this is that their taxes will be raised. The only way a small-business owner could get the tax credit would be to switch to a different plan, which is time consuming, may yield less coverage and may even be more expensive.
This bill does nothing to create jobs or fix our economy. Congress should not be pursuing some narrow social agenda that hurts women and penalizes small business.
Mary K. Martin.
Hopewell.
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