SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Maine wisely declined to affirm homosexuality
Hooray for prolife and traditional family values! I congratulate the voters of Maine -- one of the most liberal states in the Union -- for rejecting the counterfeit and oxymoronic notion "same-sex marriage."
The vote is significant because we are dealing with forced affirmation of homosexuality -- under penalty of law. This is an historic battle for the minds and souls of our children.
Gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which the question has been put to a popular vote.
The time has come for a federal amendment banning homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
GERRY JONES, MINNEAPOLIS
FINANCIAL MELTDOWN
Brought to you by scores of greedy Wall Streeters
Nov. 19 marks the 146th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. What would he say about today's financial meltdown? My guess is that it would sound something like this:
Three score and six years ago, this country's leaders put in place a series of financial reforms designed to repair the damage from the worst financial collapse the United States has ever known -- and to prevent future such collapses.
They succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
Due to their efforts, America's capital markets -- and as a result, America -- enjoyed almost 70 years of economic growth unsurpassed in history, benefiting virtually every U.S. citizen, no matter their background or walk of life.
That prosperity is once again threatened -- indeed, has already been severely damaged -- by Wall Street greed and excess.
There is no way to undo the misery already suffered by millions of Americans, who have lost their homes, jobs and economic security due to Wall Street avarice.
But it is fully within our power to make sure that the sacrifice shall not be in vain.
Let us therefore resolve to redeem this most recent upheaval by rededicating ourselves to the task begun more than three generations ago.
Namely, that we commit to rearranging our economy and financial affairs -- employing all the technological brilliance, resourcefulness and wisdom that we can summon -- so as to render Wall Street not just tamed but obsolete, never able to wreak such havoc again.
One of the key reasons that the '90s were so prosperous was the so-called "Peace Dividend": the defense savings that Western economies -- and particularly the United States -- realized after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union crumbled, effectively ending the Cold War.
That would pale in comparison to "The Wall Street Dividend."
ROSS KAPLAN, MINNEAPOLIS
Cash-for-clunkers
Look again: 58 percent improvement is great
"Is cash-for-clunkers program a clunker for environment?" hid its truly relevant statistic in the middle of the story (Nov. 5). The average miles per gallon for traded-in cars was 15.8, and for new ones 24.9. That is a 58 percent improvement!
This is the true measure of the program's overall environmental worth. The rest of the article just says that the program wasn't perfect and that some people cheated (neither a real surprise).
Yes, government programs can succeed. Analyzing their successes and imperfections leads to improvement; looking only at the imperfections leads to gridlock and despair.
MICHAEL SCHWARTZ, ST. LOUIS PARK
Government largesse
Someone must pay for free-spending ways
I see that the Senate has voted to extend the jobless benefits for many more weeks. Nice idea but where is the money coming from?
There are 78 million baby boomers looking to retire. Social Security will go into the red in just a few years. We are fighting two wars and unemployment is really about 15 percent if you count all those who have given up on finding any job. Our gold certificates on our currency are gone long ago and now our silver coins are also gone, both debased deeply. And yet we throw out money so people will buy homes and cars.
So nice that our government has gobs of money. About our future, let's not talk about that.
KIM M. HUNTER, BROOKLYN PARK
Happy Halloweens
Thanks, kids, for helping her relive them
I appreciated Cathleen Falsani's comments about Halloween and whether it is appropriate for Christians to participate (Oct. 31). I too am a Christian, and I am dismayed when some shun Halloween as demonic. As a child, I never thought of the day as evil; I just loved planning our pilgrimage through the decorated neighborhood with my friends.
As an adult, I love reliving those happy memories by opening my door to a new generation. What amazes me most is that every child was polite and thanked me for my candy.
PAMELA POMMER, BLOOMINGTON
