Letters: Hypocritical Sarah Palin & Mike Huckabee defend Juan Williams, not Helen Thomas

IFIND it hypocritical of Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee to rush to defend Juan Williams' First Amendment rights in saying when he sees a passenger in Muslim garb on a plane, he gets nervous.

I don't recall either one rushing to the defense of Helen Thomas when she was forced to retire as a White House reporter when she put her foot in her mouth with a comment regarded as anti-Semitic.

And Palin believes Williams should be able to exercise his First Amendment right, but believes Muslims shouldn't exercise theirs to build a mosque in Lower Manhattan?

Joseph Timlin, Conshohocken

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Re school spokesman Fernando Gallard's comment about school cafeterias not having enough cleaning supplies:

Some have to buy bleach and yellow plastic gloves when they clean. Why doesn't the district supply these items when they are needed?

Cafeteria workers also have to prep food and check the food and milk deliveries each day, prep after-school program meals and sometimes have to keep kids under control too along with cleaning duties?

Edward Dubin, Philadelphia

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As a longtime vegetarian and recent college graduate, I enjoyed your Oct. 14 article "Meatless Eating is Hot on Philadelphia College Campuses."

The growing interest in meat-free fare, especially among today's compassionate youth, should come as no surprise: Choosing plant-based foods is one of the best ways to reduce our environmental footprint and animal suffering, and improve health. Kudos to Bon Appetit and Ed's for working with students to meet the demand for more healthful and humane foods.

Max Fischlowitz-Roberts

Compassion Over Killing

Washington, D.C.

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Why all the outrage by the right wing over sharia law? It punishes homosexuality by death. Right in line with the rest of the Grand Old Party's views.

Michael O'Toole, Philadelphia