Letters to the Editor

Welcome to the dark side

While reading "Nice work, sir, but the economy tops terror" (Sunday), I could not help but wonder what might be going through the minds of those in Oslo who had bestowed a Nobel Peace Prize upon President Obama. I concluded that the notion of George W. Bush - "the torturer" - being supplanted by Obama - "the assassin" - did not enter into their calculation. Nor has it apparently presented a quandary for those ardent Bush critics who appear giddy that "capture and interrogate" has been eclipsed by "target and exterminate."

The irony is that in the context of the killings of Anwar al-Awlaki and Osama bin Laden, the decision to subject three individuals to medically supervised waterboarding appears positively benign. If anything, Bush is to be commended for his restraint in the interest of gathering actionable intelligence. As for Obama and his supporters, welcome to the dark side. You are now in the vanguard.

Mark Furlong, North Coventry, mfur01@comcast.net

Outlaw drone warfare

The international community must act rapidly to declare drone warfare immoral and illegal. The world outlawed mustard gas and other forms of chemical warfare, as well as biological warfare. It must do the same with drone warfare. To have people sitting comfortably in some facility in one country aiming deadly drones at targets thousands of miles away is worse than bomber pilots dropping their deadly cargo from tens of thousands of feet in the air. It is impossible to be 100 percent sure of the target, no matter what the military tells the public.

Kenneth Veith, Philadelphia, warren.veith@verizon.net

Stinkbugs as metaphor

As I read Anthony Wood's excellent prose about stinkbugs ("Stinkbugs now bring appetite; crops suffer," Sunday), I was struck by certain phrases that seemed to indicate that there was something more beneath the surface: "coming out of the woodwork"; "nationwide economic threat"; "off-putting to all life forms"; "wily, resourceful, and destructive"; "few natural predators"; "can enter a house through the tiniest of cracks, and. . .like to squeeze into ultrathin spaces with as many friends as they can." What a metaphorical description of the current Republican presidential hopefuls.

Jules Slatko, Holland

False claims on drilling oversight

Rep. Greg Vitali's letter "Budget cuts hurt drilling oversight" (Sept. 25) ignored the fact that it was the Rendell administration's budget cuts that resulted in 97 furloughs at the Department of Environmental Protection. Gov. Corbett managed to close a $4.2 billion deficit left by the Rendell administration without making layoffs at the DEP.

As Vitali must know, the oil and gas program is funded by permit fees and not general funds. In fact, the DEP substantially increased the well permit fee and more than doubled the staff charged with overseeing this industry, so his claim of budget cuts hurting drilling oversight is simply false.

Vitali's constant resorting to unnamed sources lacks credibility. Through our reorganization, the program will be even more efficient and effective. As we reorganize, we will be thoroughly evaluating our oil and gas program needs and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure effective enforcement of the law.

Further, the governor's vision of the impact fee he recently announced stands to deliver tens of millions of dollars to the DEP over the next decade for us to dedicate not just to enforcement, but to application of all aspects of the oil and gas program. And the governor's initiative will actually ensure that the funds do come to the DEP for that purpose, instead of going to the general fund and being diverted away.

Mike Krancer, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Harrisburg

Harangue against Mormonism

As a Christian minister, I am embarrassed by the Rev. Robert Jeffress' spiritual arrogance and his harangue against Mormonism ("The Mormon issue is back in GOP race," Monday). Although a Mormon's understanding of Jesus may not in all respects be mine, more often than not Mormons demonstrate an exemplary morality, devotion to family life, stewardship of their resources, and commitment to public service. When it comes to a U.S. president, those characteristics, in keeping with the requisite intelligence and experience, trump any disagreement I may have with the way Jesus is portrayed in the Book of Mormon. It is the candidate who claims that God told him to run for president who scares me.

Rev. Jack M. Maxwell, Berwyn, Jmmaxwell1@comcast.net