Yet we've had three officers killed in a short time frame, with a couple of common threads in each killing. But the most important, and the one the mayor and his police chief can address now is this: In all cases, the officers were alone. (The officer in the Frankford bar shooting had a partner, but he went around the back and was shot.)

When I was a kid, there were two officers in EVERY red police car. Mayor Rizzo changed all that, citing mobility and intimidation factors as reasons he wanted more police cars, hence one driver in too many of those cars.

Well, it's time to give these brave officers a fighting chance and give them the cover and immediate backup only a partner in every car can provide.

Mike Gibson

Philadelphia

A fine officer lost his life.

But what's really bothering me is that if Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski was wearing a bulletproof vest, he'd be alive today and might have been able to fire back. My heartfelt sympathy for his family. May he rest in peace.

Robert F. Schaffer

Philadelphia

Another senseless cop shooting. Where are Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton now?

Why must they rob and kill? Where are their families? What kind of upbringing did they have?

When we grew up, you respected an officer. They were there to help. These thugs have no respect for anyone. Not even themselves.

Diane L. Veteri, Lindenwold, N.J.

Critiquing the columnists

Re Deborah Leavy's May 1 op-ed:

It must be liberals like her who care about Obama's degree of blackness - we conservatives care only about his degree of redness. In the first half of his one U.S. Senate term, he is the most leftward-voting senator of all.

Black conservatives are dismayed that the first serious black candidate for president isn't someone with a more significant history of political achievement in elected office.

A lightweight candidate who has never managed anything but his campaign doesn't portend well for anyone. As Maureen Dowd said on "This Week," Obama "just wants to be pronounced president."

Georgia Makiver, Lansdowne

In her May 2 op-ed, Christine Flowers either fails to understand Sen. Fumo's intentions, or she means to misrepresent his words.

Fumo wasn't equating same-sex marriage with slavery, but making the point that people voting for something doesn't make it right.

If that "activist" Civil War president hadn't issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and instead had the people vote on the issue, the black minister might not be voting but still picking cotton or serving tea in the big house.

The people are not always right, even if they are in the majority.

Discrimination is discrimination no matter who or what the situation.

Gay people are tax-paying American citizens and should be given the same rights as everyone, including marriage.

Randolph Husava, Philadelphia