TO THE EDITOR:

It seems that many supporters of the efforts in Iraq are beginning to be influenced by the barrage of negativity by the Bush haters and liberal pundits in control of the national media.

With the deepest sympathy for our lost troops and their families, my advice to those who supported President Bush after 9-11 is not to lose sight of the goal of freedom for the vast majority of the Iraq people, and that it is not immoral to hope for them to someday enjoy freedom and happiness we so much take for granted here in America. They should not be influenced by the Democrat presidential wannabes who have taken a stance to support their selfish agendas.

The Bush haters and the liberal media will never change, but that is no reason to be namby-pambys and forget the heroic troops in Iraq.

David G. Rinck, West Harrison, Ind.

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We don't need this 'progress' in Iraq

So Steve Chabot returns from Iraq claiming that progress is being made ["Chabot reports progress in Iraq," Nov. 11]. How much could he see, and how much progress is being made? It is six months after the United States conquered Iraq, and yet it remains necessary for Chabot and his fellow congressmen to stay in Jordan and fly in and out of Iraq each day. Meanwhile, American soldiers are being killed in greater and greater numbers every day.

Frank Newbauer, North Avondale

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Check out the truth as reported by troops

In time of war there is often mention of the "fog of war." This term is used to define the uncertainty of situations and outcomes of missions. It should also be used here on the home front to define the information that the American public digests.

Case in point: Pvt. Jessica Lynch. Is she a real hero? She did serve in combat along with countless others. She was wounded, taken prisoner and rescued. In the beginning her story made her out to be the Audie Murphy of our generation. Subsequent stories argue that she never fired her weapon.

If you want to know what is happening in Iraq, log on to sftt.org. The voice of the grunt is there - e-mail directly from the front. Nothing is sanitized.

Matt Hueneman, Mount Adams

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Get over it; you lose soldiers in wartime

I get so tired of hearing these people cry when we lose a soldier or two, and also on television and the newspaper. We're in a war and that is what we have to expect.

Robert E. Hathorn, Anderson Township

---There's nothing wrong with flag on balcony

Since when should the American flag fly only from a pole ["Yes, show the flag - but with due respect, Nov. 10]? I have a book showing many proper ways to fly the flag. There is nothing wrong with the flag flying from a balcony. The union should be uppermost and to the left

Not everyone has a flagpole.

We should be thankful that a young college student wants to fly Old Glory.

Paul R. Siebel, Norwood

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Why isn't priest being prosecuted?

Remember hearing the quote from Jesus, "What so ever you do unto the least of these, my little ones, you do unto me." If that is true, why does the Catholic Church just transfer the offenders?

Now we are told the pastor of a neighborhood church used funds for his personal use ["Priest resigns over misspent money," Nov. 5]. A layman would be charged, prosecuted and forced to repay the money, a priest is allowed to retire.

Lois Walsh, Groesbeck

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Let's try to focus on the good in others

How many times have we heard this in our life? This doesn't say much for the "good news."

Just recently my wife passed away very suddenly, late at night. Both the Delhi police and fire department responded, but unfortunately too late. They contacted a priest from a neighboring church, a Father Christopher Armstrong of St Antoninus Church in Covedale, whom we hadn't met, to minister both to my wife and me accordingly.

We have all been made aware of the bad priests, but very seldom do we hear of the good deeds that most of them perform, even to complete strangers.

Now, more than ever, I firmly believe that if we would stress the good that we find in others, rather than the bad, our world would be much better as it pertains to religion, race relations and to politics first, to name a few categories.

Bob O'Brien, Delhi Township

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Huggins, Goin key to Bearcats' rise

Thank goodness for Bob Huggins and Bob Goin in the Bearcats basketball program.

They are the university's key to the Big East Athletic Conference, which raises UC's prominence, along with academics ["The big time beckons as UC joins Big East," Nov. 5].

Ted Gardner, Hyde Park

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Why didn't bands march for veterans?

I believe every taxpayer in Cincinnati deserves an explanation from each band director of every Cincinnati Public School music program as to why no band could be provided for the veterans' parade on Nov. 9 in Cheviot.

What a mess would we all be in were it not for our veterans.

Dottie Soper, Maineville

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Plan for your future: support COMPASS

Community COMPASS is at a crossroads. During the past two years, citizens and stakeholders in Hamilton County have shared their individual dreams and built a collective vision. With the help of these stakeholders we have completed the initial product of Community COMPASS, "The Vision for Hamilton's County's Future." It identifies what matters most to our community and what we want to create together for our county.

Implementation of Community COMPASS - acting on what matters - requires a shift in our way of life. Sustainable progress will require a shift to a greater sense of citizen responsibility - a culture of accountability. We need to become the change we want to see.

Collectively, we have created the conditions we now face. By choosing accountability, we are affirming that we (the citizens of Hamilton County) are active participants, not spectators; that we are responsible for our government, our safety, our neighborhoods and our schools.

We hope all Hamilton County residents will become partners in the meaningful change that was identified in Community COMPASS. All residents of Hamilton County are encouraged to share their voices in declaring commitment to change. The best way to do this is at the upcoming Board of County Commissioners' public hearing on Community COMPASS on Wednesday, Nov. 19. The hearing begins at 7 p.m. at the Drake Conference Center, Galbraith Road.

It is our hope that all Hamilton County citizens accept this invitation to be vehicles of change - to be an important part of implementing "The Vision for Hamilton County's future."

Hal Franke, Chair, Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission

Liz Blume, Chair, Hamilton County Planning Partnership

Gwen McFarlin, Vice-chair, Hamilton County Planning Partnership

Jim Wuenker/Jacquelyn McCray, Co-chairs, Community COMPASS Steering Committee

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Negative campaign not the way to win

Congratulations to George Lang for his victory in the West Chester Township Trustee race ["New trustee planning to stir things," Nov. 6]. His victory sends a message to others that a campaign will fail when its focus is personal attacks against a candidate's friends, the home addresses of his campaign contributors, his business success, or the community in which he chooses to raise his family. Alan Young, West Chester

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Bush has stood up for the most innocent

I would like to commend President Bush on his signing of the partial-birth abortion ban into law ["Abortion ban signed, but challenges await," Nov. 6]. This has been a plague in our society for too many years. There is nothing more precious than life, the most innocent of life. No infant should ever have to pay the ultimate price for the irresponsibility of a parent, man or woman.

I am glad to see the bi-partisanship in the Congress and the Senate to put an end to this American Holocaust. We can never become a sovereign nation until we value the most innocent of life. We pride ourselves on helping those in need throughout the world. Now, this administration, led by President Bush, has taken the first step in protecting those who cannot protect themselves. When one vows to protect the most innocent of life and does so through actions and not just words, that person has become a truly great American!

Scott Wells, Independence, Ky.

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Fetuses, too, deserve 'full dignity and worth'

I would like to make a response to Jane Eisner's column, "Abortion requires making a choice," Nov. 5. She refers to partial-birth abortion as being "undeniably gruesome." This is an understatement of how cruel it really is to the baby. To think it shouldn't be banned because of some people's religious values is ridiculous. Something so violent and cruel should be against everyone's values. She is right when she states, "Our lives should have the full dignity and worth." But then so should the babies'.

Shirley Trauth, Fort Thomas

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Partial-birth abortion not the way described

Jane Eisner ("Abortion requires making a choice," Nov. 5) tries to be the voice of reason in the partial-birth abortion debate, but her piece is full of error. She starts by saying partial-birth abortion is the term detractors of the procedure use for an intact dilation and extraction abortion. Partial-birth abortion is too sanitized. This detractor of the procedure avoids euphemisms and calls it sucking out the brains of a baby during birth.

She calls it "rarely used," yet one abortion facility in New Jersey has done 1,500 in one year along. Pick up the phone and you can get an appointment for a purely elective third-trimester abortion within minutes. That's not rare.

She says that neither side of the partial-birth abortion debate wants you to hear that it requires making "an ethical decision." Hasn't she noticed that making an ethical decision is exactly what our nation has just struggled through?

The overwhelming majority of ethical decision-making Americans supports the partial-birth abortion ban. They believe it's not only ethical but imperative to deny women the right to choose to evacuate the skull contents of their child after the doctor has already delivered the lower extremities, torso, shoulders and upper extremities, also known as partial-birth abortion.

Lois Talbert, Fort Wright

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New development is a loss for region

After reading about the proposed demolition of a mobile home park in Crescent Springs in order to build an "outdoor lifestyle mall" I am truly saddened and frustrated ["Developer: Mobile home will go," Nov. 13]. Having grown up in the Northern Kentucky area my entire life, I grow bitterer year after year with the endless destruction of green space in order to make way for new homes, office buildings and commercial retail space.

While the mobile home park is already a semi-developed area, it is at least quiet, wooded and tucked-away. I don't look forward to the increased traffic and congestion that will ensue once this so-called, state-of-the-art "outdoor lifestyle mall" takes its place. There is no reason this area needs yet another retail area to compete with the dozens of others in the area already struggling to stay afloat!

Instead of supporting unfettered development in order to increase their tax revenues, the cities of Northern Kentucky should be working to preserve the dwindling green space that we have left. Otherwise, five or 10 years from now, it will be a question of "What do we do with these empty retail spaces and office buildings?"

Jessica Powell, Ludlow