Letters to the Editor about Jeff Jacoby's Web exclusive columnPage 13 of 13 -- Senator Kennedy has a long history of standing up for American values -- equality, social justice, and a sane, multilateral foreign policy. President Bush's refusal to take any sort of responsibility for his failed policies, or to change course altogether now that his justification for the war, WMDs, has disappeared, is leading our nation to ruin. I'm grateful that we have patriots like Senator Kennedy who stand for truth and accountability, in direct opposition to President Bush and his administration.
Christopher J. Curtis Montpelier, Vt.
AS THIS administration's star sinks further into the ignominy it deserves, it seems Jeff Jacoby's columns become increasingly shrill. He would call Ted Kennedy a traitor for speaking the truth about despicable acts carried out under this administration's "Operation Iraqi Freedom'' -- such a name being a slander if ever there was one. To my mind, and the minds of an increasing number of Americans, the traitors in this country are those who lead us into imperialist wars, reward their corporate cronies, plunge us and the next several generations into debt to pursue their ill-founded, specious agenda, put our health and the environment at risk with relaxed pollution standards which benefit those companies friendly to the administration, routinely deceive the public, and diminish our international stature to the point where we are no longer the shining "city on the hill,'' but perceived by many in the world to be the biggest threat to global peace and stability. Senator Kennedy has always had the courage to speak what he perceives to be wrong about this country simply because he loves this country so very much. Thankfully, his words will live on when those of others will be long forgotten. J.G. HAYES Stoneham
I appreciate that The Boston Globe presents viewpoints from the right so that its readers will receive a balanced perspective, but Jeff Jacoby appears to be imbalanced when he attacks Ted Kennedy's loyalty to our nation. As Americans, we need to live and act in a manner commensurate with the standards and ideals we promote. Anything less reveals us to be hypocrites. So, when a few bad troops mistreat Iraqi prisoners, and there is evidence that their orders may have come down from civilian leadership, it is appropriate for Ted Kennedy to express his frustration at the lowering of American standards. Who better than a national leader to express the frustration of so many Americans? I believe Senator Kennedy is voicing his support of American ideals. He knows that the actions some troops have taken in Iraq do not meet those ideals and this jeopardizes the safety of the majority of the troops and the United States as a whole. What is more American then using your right to free speech to demand better of our government? Maybe the reason that Mr. Jacoby has not heard a negative outcry regarding Senator Kennedy's remarks is because he is the one who out of touch with what it means to be American. Andy Thompson Natick
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