With a quick flick of the pen near the end of Steve Andreasen's Opinion Exchange article ("Are candidates looking simply to end the war or win it?" Feb. 18), "winning" the war in Iraq is equated with "defeating radical Islam."
This is the same type of transference that has oversimplified the issue since the run-up to the war. Saddam Hussein, whose removal from power was once offered as the objective of the war, was never a part of "radical Islam"; the civil war between the Sunni and the Shia which raged through 2005-06 was not a part of "radical Islam"; Al-Qaida was not in any significant way a presence in Iraq before we invaded and is there now only because we are. We need to stop allowing this oversimplified analysis to frame the choices Americans have for president.
LAWRENCE WILLIAMS, EDINA
Biofuels including ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions I rarely agree with Katherine Kersten (actually, it hasn't happened yet), and I certainly don't agree with her Feb. 13 column on ethanol. But she poses an important question: Is ethanol a "miracle cure" or "snake oil"? Of course, the answer is neither. As with most complex issues, the truth lies someplace in between.
There is no shortage of ethanol critics, and we certainly have some well known critics here at the University of Minnesota. But for those who believe that we need to greatly reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels (clearly Kersten doesn't based on her recent as well as earlier columns), I suggest that a more in-depth exploration of the issue is worth the effort.
First, we need to cut our current use of fossil-based transportation fuels in half through conservation. This will likely require a tax on fossil carbon. Not popular, but necessary. If we pay twice as much per gallon, but use half the gallons our energy bill is the same.
Second, biofuels including ethanol made from corn and cellulosic materials can make a significant contribution toward replacing the remaining one half, while maintaining enough land resource for our food supply. We need to replace the subsidy for ethanol with an incentive that rewards biofuels that reduce GHG emissions. With such incentives we can produce ethanol from corn resulting in over 100 percent reduction in GHG emissions compared to gasoline with the same energy content, a true carbon negative biofuel. Biofuels made from cellulose may be even better.
PROF. VANCE MOREY, BIOPRODUCTS AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, ST. PAUL
Is GOP aligning itself with torture? Bravo to the U.S. Senate for voting to ban waterboarding and other forms of torture by the CIA. Shame on Sen. Norm Coleman for voting against the ban, and shame on President Bush for threatening a veto. Since when did the party with the moral compass become the pro-torture lobby?
KEITH PICKERING, WATERTOWN
Maybe bad judgment doesn't deserve bailout By their own admission, Tina Oestreich and her husband "didn't know what they were buying" and are now stuck with an ARM loan that will inflate 115 percent in 18 months ("When 'good' mortgages go bad," Feb. 17). "Unless we get some help," says Tina, "we're not going to make it."
I wonder what sort of help she's referring to. A bailout compliments of the federal government? This hardly seems fair to those of us who did the research and decided not to get swept up in the home-buying craze that led to the current mortgage crisis.
Oestreich and her husband already received help in the form of an 18-month window during which they should sell their home and find an apartment. They'll be getting off lucky compared to some, and in the future I would advise them to read the fine print.
THOMAS BONNETT, ST. PAUL
Teaching tolerance about Tourette Syndrome Hats off to the Star Tribune for sharing the real life story of Duncan and Connor ("A boy and a puppet take on intolerance," Feb. 13). It is refreshing to read a story where Tourette syndrome (TS) is portrayed with accuracy and empathy.
The Tourette Syndrome Association of Minnesota (TSA-MN) was proud to be a part of the PACER puppet show at Duncan's school. We appreciate the creative and generous people who brought Connor into "being"! With Connor as a resource, we envision more opportunities to collaborate with PACER to spread awareness of Tourette Syndrome, which affects 1 in 2,000 individuals. Although there is no cure for TS, it is not contagious or life-threatening. For those living with this challenging disorder, understanding and tolerance are very important. For education, support groups and information for individuals and families affected by TS in Minnesota, contact TSA-MN at 651-646-0099 or online at www.tsa-mn.org.
MAUREEN KENNEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TSA-MN, ST. PAUL
