Letters to the Editor

I'm feeling particularly stupid today. Why? We bought our house 9 years ago and, being the conservative (scared?) guy that I am, we locked into a boring 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage.

Shame on me for wanting to know whether our payments would be manageable. We could have taken one of those "fun" interest-only loans or an adjustable with a ridiculous starting rate.

I should have known that if I couldn't handle the payments, somebody would bail me out.

I recognize there is a lot of pain out there, but, hard as I try, it is difficult to feel much sympathy.

J.W. Jones

Solebury Township

Re: "Impeach Cheney now," Dec. 27:

Although I believe that Vice President Cheney is guilty not only of "high crimes and misdemeanors," but actual felonies as well, attempts to impeach him are unwise. The debate would be too distracting and remove any hope that Congress could actually pass meaningful legislation. Further, since his term will be completed in a little more than 12 months, this process would be meaningless.

What is really needed is a Democratic president, and a Congress willing to treat the Republicans with the same contempt shown to them prior to this year. Then, a Democratic attorney general could indict, try and, I hope, convict Cheney so that he will deservedly spend his remaining years in prison.

David C. Harrison

Philadelphia

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Wonder why kids today don't have any respect for anyone? Just take a walk through any store and listen to how some parents talk to their kids. I'm not against disciplining children, but when you use expletives to call them, what do you expect?

Children grow up with very little self-respect because of how their low-life parents treated them.

How could you expect children to have respect for others when their parents make them feel like dirt? Treat kids with respect and they may grow up to be better people.

Rus Slawter

Philadelphia

Re: "Daughter, mother at Clinton stop," Dec. 22:

What is strikingly startling is the complete absence of any candidate from either party who is making closing arguments to boys and men equivalent to Hillary Clinton's outreach to girls and women.

Given that women already are gender superior in areas of education, reproductive rights, family - particularly divorce, paternity fraud, custody, child-support, alimony and single parenthood - and soon will be superior in work and pay, there is no dearth of issues for men.

What there is a dearth of is "presidential timber" candidates willing to defy P.C. ideology and demand equal treatment for boys and men in all areas of life.

Gordon E. Finley

Professor of psychology

Florida International University

Miami

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A recent article reported that Philadelphia will get a $12 million boost to $25.2 million in federal funds in 2008 to fund the city's homeless programs.

But buried near the end of the article was that "the number of homeless living in Center City shot up to 621 - a level not seen in a decade." The article also said Philadelphia's shelters "house 2,800 people on any given night."

Now, let us take that $25.2 million, split it evenly among all these homeless (621 plus 2,800), and each one will receive a direct payout of $7,366 - not a bad sum with which to find some decent housing, while bypassing the entrenched bureaucracy.

Leo Iwaskiw

Philadelphia

Ron Paul, a Republican presidential candidate, broke the record for donations collected in one day - more than $6 million on Dec. 16.

This is a substantial news story that should have been given substantial press. For some reason Paul is being ignored intentionally by most media outlets.

His message of true freedom and true liberty is one that every American needs to hear!

Ken Frank 3d

Williamstown