Good for P&G for recognizing that this sort of discrimination gives this otherwise fair city a black eye. I will be paying more attention to the brands we use and make special effort to support P&G. That's one of the effects of calling a boycott over discrimination - decent people support companies who are not discriminatory. It is a human rights issue, no special rights involved.

Julieanne Hensley Price Hill

Other plans also hurt Ky. teachers

One very important fact that has not been mentioned in regard to the high cost of health insurance for Kentucky teachers is that employees of the state's public universities, as well as employees of many Kentucky cities, have their own low-cost health insurance plans; but these employees are only insured by those plans while they are working. Once they retire, they are pushed out of those plans and into the state health insurance program that serves both active and retired teachers.

Thus, while they are young, working, healthy and cheap to insure, these university and city workers don't have to pay the high rates that teachers have to pay. But when they are older, retired, more likely to be sick, and expensive to insure, they are moved into the teachers' health insurance plan, which drives up rates for all teachers, working and retired.

This is certainly not fair to the teachers that have to pay higher rates for their entire careers as well as during their retirements to support these retirees from other plans.

Fred Bassett Fort Mitchell

Do more deaths avenge atrocities?

One of the human rights atrocities that made Saddam Hussein so despicable was the gassing of the Kurds in which 5,000 people died and 7,000 were injured. In contrast, the U.S. war to "liberate" Iraq from Saddam has killed more than 16,000 Iraqi civilians and 1,000 U.S. soldiers, and seriously injured or maimed thousands more.

Before Americans vote in November for the next president, they should look into the consequences of our military action in Iraq. The "Eyes Wide Open" exhibit at Xavier University would be a good place to start.

Greg Hladky Westwood

Don't forget injured veterans, either

Regarding the letter "Bush deceived us with war in Iraq" (Sept. 21): I agree with everything, but not to forget about the over 7,000 men and women injured in Iraq that will eventually be duped about benefits as they try to live with missing arms, legs, and other body parts. They will be fighting our government for the rest of their lives - another war for the injured.

Brenda Miller Finneytown

Theft of lawn signs bipartisan larceny

It looks as if there is bipartisan petty larceny going on in the Cincinnati area this election season. An Enquirer reader wrote a few days ago complaining about the theft of her Bush/Cheney signs. In our neighborhood, it is the Kerry/Edwards signs that are disappearing. Our family lost three over a period of a few days during the Labor Day weekend.

It is very sad that we Americans are so polarized that we communicate by stealing each other's political yard signs. I hope that we can at least agree to respect the right to free speech that our Constitution guarantees to all of us - Republicans and Democrats alike.

Peggy Somoza Finneytown

Candidates too obsessed with past

The presidential campaigns are getting way out of line. The candidates need to stop bashing each other about things that happened in the past and work on what they would do in the future. They should be more concerned with the people rather than what they have done in the past, or what their opponent did or didn't do. They need to understand that they need to do what the people want because the people control their jobs.

Ellen Barnes Cleves