I’ve had no exposure to Islam until this past decade, but have had an abiding interest since meeting a couple of Muslim colleagues. Muslims do embrace the natural law of Aristotle, which reflects the best of Western culture, and they do worship the one God of Abraham of the Old Testament. They reject the Christian Triune God, but do accept Jesus Christ as a great teacher, prophet, and miracle worker and they pay great homage to his blessed mother, the Virgin Mary. Pillars of Islam do include well-defined habits of prayer and fasting, which are the backbone of traditional religious practice. Muslims adhere to a very strong family tradition with a marked emphasis on modesty, sometimes excessive in certain cultures, but nevertheless an essential ingredient for carnal probity. They rightfully abhor the pornography so prevalent in Western society and the subtly salacious sex education thrust on our children.

I have always assumed that this tax was for the upkeep and improvement of the area. Having lived here for more than three years, I am appalled at the lack of attention that is being paid.

My father was a quiet, unassuming man who lived a decent, upright life. He volunteered to serve his country during World War II and then came home to share almost 60 years of marriage with the woman who was his helpmate in raising three daughters in a Christian home.

Unfortunately, none of these good people attempted to answer the question I asked: If we assume the news media are biased toward liberals, why is that the case?

A few weeks ago, local artist Glenn A. Crider was honored by having four of his unique, handcrafted nutcrackers depicted on secular-themed holiday stamps.

What other explanation can there be for stating, “A guy with an MBA from Harvard knows the difference between black ink and red ink”?

For more than 25 years, Wargo has been teaching students the art of playing in an orchestra through the public school system But what is really exceptional is how many kids he taught during this time. Every Tuesday he would rush from place to place, from the school where he taught, to downtown Richmond, where he would teach some more—this time with a much higher-skilled group, the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Sinfonietta or Camerata. And then it was off to the symphony to rehearse for the next concert.

Our gasoline costs now have dropped 66 percent and are still falling. Would the speculators please stand up and be recognized for their outstanding performance under fire?B.J. Braughton. Henrico.

The 1963 President Transition Act authorizes services and facilities for the president-elect as well the vice president-elect. That includes federal funds for staff, personnel training, office space, travel, and communication during the transition period.

Do we value sports entertainment above paying our bills and feeding our children? I like sports like anyone else, but what have we come to in this country when an athlete, who would play a sport for free if he had to, is pulling down this appalling salary for playing a game?Greg Lumpkin. Chesterfield.

Maybe with less “go along to get along” we would not have had Sarbanes-Oxley, McCain-Feingold, or the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailouts, to name just a few fiascos.

The “free market fundamentals” are ceasing to exist so that “mama and papa government” can think and care for us. The Constitution, in its Preamble, says that the government is to “promote” the general welfare—not “provide” for it, which marks the difference between our form of government and the socialist/communist forms of government. Charles Kindleberger, in his book, Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises, puts it succinctly, “markets work well on the whole . . . but . . . occasionally markets will be overwhelmed and need help.“ Now here’s the catch: “The dilemma, of course, is that if markets know in advance that help is forthcoming under generous dispensations, they break down more frequently and function less effectively.“

There is no such thing as a uniform grading system at any level. My entire life has been associated with teaching, and I spent 30 years in a classroom. I also read AP Biology papers for seven years.

At present there is no demand in the U.S. to drill for oil. OPEC is delighted. Whatever the price is for oil, $1 per gallon or $140, OPEC makes tons of money.

Nothing has changed in human nature since the 1930s. As the historian pointed out, “the distribution of liquor was turned over to a whole group of criminal entrepreneurs.“