As president of the union that represents Philadelphia's 2,400 firefighters and fire-service paramedics (of all sizes, shapes, colors and creeds, by the way), I couldn't agree more. There's no black or white way to save lives. But there is a fast way, and there's a safe way, too. In a year where the city has already closed seven fire companies, and is threatening to cut even more, don't we have more important things to fight about?

I have an idea - how we assemble a diverse group of firefighters and paramedics, and have them work out the best way do promotions - after all, our lives depend on quality supervision, too. Firefighters do incredible things every day to save lives. Surely we can develop a fair plan for promotions.

In the meantime, let's hope that the Fire Department keeps enough neighborhood fire companies open so that the ladders in Ms. Wilkinson's cartoon (black or white) don't get there too late and they are assisted by a fire engine with water. That's my preference. Citizens please be aware that we will always be there for you no matter what.

Bill Gault, President

Local 22, Philadelphia Firefighters

and Medics, Philadelphia

Your July 6 editorial characterizing the ruling in Ricci v. DeStefano couldn't be more ridiculous when it calls the issue of jobs and race volatile.

For decades, society has bent over backwards by means of affirmative action, quotas and legislation to bring certain communities into the mainstream. What can possibly be in the content of a firefighters' exam that hinders minorities from excelling?

How many more generations of citizens will have to tolerate lower standards for those who can't pass a test?

If social promotion in our schools is unacceptable, then so it should be for adults in the workplace.

MaryAnn F. Swift, Erdenheim

I was pleased to hear of the Supreme Court's ruling in Ricci v. DeStefano, the landmark decision preventing New Haven from throwing out test results because someone did not like the racial makeup of those with the highest scores.

New Haven hired Industrial/Organizational Solutions to put together and administer the test for captain and lieutenant. They interviewed active captains and lieutenants, rode with them during their shifts, and oversampled minority firefighters as they were putting together the test.

The test was written below a 10th-grade reading level, and everyone was made aware of the training manuals and department procedures where the questions would be coming from. Almost 50 percent of the white firefighters who took the test didn't pass.

I don't see how anyone could claim racial bias in this case. Apparently neither could the Supreme Court.

And, by the way, in the court's written opinion, they admonished the lower court's (read that Sonia Sotomayor's) cavalier handling of such an important and intricate case. She voted to dismiss the firefighters' case in a paragraph. This will certainly bolster her critics' claim that she judges on empathy rather than points of law.

Jim Taylor, Bensalem