I found the answer to Cincinnati's race relation problems. Recently, my wife and I attended the Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago concert at Riverbend Music Center. Much to our delight, the two legendary bands assembled on the stage at the same time. We found this concert to be the most dynamic concert we have ever been to.

All in attendance were on one accord. The racial harmony made us believe there is hope and love here in Cincinnati. To see these two bands express their award-winning talents on a shared stage and have a very diverse crowd receive them so righteously was something to behold. All in attendance were so moved that you would not know there has been such racial tension in Cincinnati. If only we could bottle that moment and use it when necessary to distill racial tensions as they arise, the city would be a better place.

Joe and Rhonda Williams, Bond Hill

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Will Red Cross act over Johnson death?

First, the beheading (on tape and all over the Internet) of Nick Berg in Iraq in May, and now, the beheading (again, on tape and all over the Internet) of Paul Johnson Jr. in Saudi Arabia.

Does the International Red Cross have any plans to determine whether these two incidents were "acceptable forms of treatment of prisoners," to the same extent as it has been doing with the incidents at Abu Gharaib Prison and elsewhere in Iraq and Afghanistan by the coalition forces?

Dan Nebert, Wyoming

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Freedom Center will be inspiring

Regarding the article "Museum's first job: Explain what it is" (June 13): The Freedom Center got me thinking. At first I thought I would not be interested in visiting The Freedom Center Museum, nor would I want to take my children there. Being Caucasian, just the possibility that some of my ancestors could have been slave owners sickens me. Slaves were treated worse than animals, and I'm ashamed of my race for subjecting other human beings to that. I felt apprehensive about letting my children learn about such atrocities.

But then I started thinking about how much my children could learn about the perseverance of the human spirit. How much African Americans had to overcome is very inspiring.

Regina Bowman, Batavia

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9/11 similar to Pearl Harbor

When reading theheadline "9-11 air defense was chaotic" (June 18) regarding the chaotic military response to 9/11. I could only think of the similarities of Pearl Harbor.

Donald Jackson, Montgomery

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Media won't report Iraq success

Regarding the letter "How did the Iraq war go horribly wrong?" (June 17): The fundamental reasons for the pre-emptive attack on Iraq are still valid: Intelligence reports of stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and programs to produce them, and to bring freedom to a suffering nation who had these weapons used against their own people.

Now, why all the resistance? Look to the mainstream media and all the adverse reporting of the war and the dissemination of negative comments from here and abroad, which emboldened our enemies - inspiring small pockets of resistance to kill our brave military and civilian freedom workers. There was no reporting of our successes, - improved economy, health care, education, infrastructure - but the president is still on track to bring freedom to Iraq.

Ralph Patsfall, Columbia Township

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Cheney misguided on war intelligence

The mystery of Dick Cheney is finally solved. I have wondered how he can continue to claim an al Qaida connection to Iraq, when virtually everyone else has faced the truth.

Now that the bi-partisan 9/11 commission has reported that Saddam Hussein and al Qaida did not conspire to plan attacks on the United States; the truth must be obvious to even the most rabid administration apologists.

The explanation for Cheney's inability to face reality came to me at the Kroger checkout line last Sunday. There in a tabloid headline was the explanation: "Cheney is a robot." He was programmed prior to the invasion of Iraq to recite apologies for this mistaken war. Apparently, his creators have been too busy to correct his programming as the truth emerged.

Daniel Ticotsky, Hyde Park