How sad. Thursday's front-page story ("Victims upset at Bush's praise of ex-con") highlights the admirable, bipartisan effort to rehabilitate ex-offenders. But one person takes offense at the selected offender. It's hard for her; she was the embezzler's victim. She's understandably angry. Her bitterness is sadly obvious. For until we practice forgiveness, bitterness will remain. But bitterness only damages those of us who withhold forgiveness.

I want to teach my children better than that. I want to teach them how to forgive. And I hope to teach them that forgiveness is always appropriate, even when painful, personal circumstances tempt to cloud our thinking.

Ann R. Albin
Loveland

Bush needs to learn to do homework

Whether invading a country or selecting a "poster child" for a compassionate conservative campaign, it's important to do one's homework. It looks like President Bush failed again when he praised a supposedly rehabilitated convicted embezzler as a "good soul" and an "inspirational person" on his visit Monday. He learned only later that she doesn't qualify as rehabilitated as she hasn't paid a cent of the court-ordered restitution to her victims. Speaking as a social worker, it's extremely difficult to know when a con artist is rehabilitated since their stock in trade is fooling people.

If Mr. Bush had done his homework properly before invading Iraq, he would not need this extensive "compassionate conservative" gig now. We must learn from this to do our own homework and see if there is follow-through with what he is proposing. In the past our president has praised the military, honored veterans and valued the environment, only to return to the White House to cut funds from essential programs and gut protective regulations.

Ann M. Black
Sharonville

Talbert House owes us an apology

In light of the substantial amounts of public funding the Talbert House receives, its officials shouldn't be allowed to hide behind the excuse of client confidentiality for failing to explain - to the Bush administration and the public at large - why they could apparently do no better than non-restitution paying embezzler Tami Jordan as their choice of client to trot out as a success story.

Perhaps if Talbert spokesperson Teri Nau is unable or unwilling to let us in on the "other part to the story" she intriguingly hints at in your June 25 article, perhaps she could persuade the supposedly reformed Ms. Jordan herself to do the right thing and come up with an explanation - but it seems she's not talking.

If the White House could apologize to the victims, at the very least the Talbert House might publicly do the same.

Emily Adams
Mount Airy

Saddam, bin Laden were enemies

In response to the letter "Links between Iraq, al-Qaida are clear" (June 20), the writer said there is a tie between al-Qaida and the now-defunct Saddam Hussein regime.

The 9-11 commission said there is no connection. President Bush and Dick Cheney keep saying there is a tie.

The commission requested that the administration provide proof. As is the standard procedure for this administration, there has been only attacks on the commission, and no evidence.

From everything I have seen in all media, before our assault on Iraq, the only "connection" between Iraq and al-Qaida was a camp in the Kurdish area. Saddam could not get to or control this area because of the "no fly zone." Again from what I have seen on the subject, if Saddam could have, he would have destroyed the camp.

The only tie that either Saddam or Osama bin Laden wanted with the other was a short rope around the other's neck, and to throw said "other" off a high bridge. There was no love lost between them.

Grover Syck
Hamilton

Columnist right on whites, basketball

The bold affirmation: "Yes, NBA needs more white stars" (June 21) by syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. has the "ballast of thoughtful reflection." And, although I can't prove it, I had been convinced, long before Larry Bird said it out loud, that the appeal of mainstream sports would be enriched with an enhanced infusion of white stars. Because an enhanced presence of gifted majority athletes would give "that sustaining segment" of the viewing and paying American public a greater sense of inclusion and triumph in the "pursuit of happiness."

My conviction, though, would be persuasive only if, at core, diversity is believed to embody affirmative intrinsic value that is roundly embraced.

Richard Harris
Walnut Hills