Your correspondents complaining about the diversion of the torch run from The Embarcadero fail to understand that for some people in today’s world, protesting means disrupting or shutting down an event and getting arrested in the process. The Bay Area is full of such zealots.

San Francisco does not have sufficient police to stop such “civil disobedience” and allow the torch run to go unimpeded over a six-mile course. Mayor Newson spared us of multiple acts of violence, the arrest of several hundred protesters with the usual charges of police brutality and general mayhem. I am gratified that he did. There is no question that the protesters were able to get their views broadcast to the world. However, some did not get the opportunity directly to subject others to their rage.

James W. Haas

San Francisco

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Social Security repair

You can’t repair a government mandated Ponzi scheme known as Social Security (“Three steps to Social Security Repair,” Viewpoints, April 11). Social Security taxes current workers and directly transfers the tax money to retirees. Ponzi schemes take money from late investors sending it to early investors maintaining the appearance of a hot investment return.

Social Security has no insurance or trust fund. It does have IOU’s from when Congress spent overpayments. Privatization fell apart when it was realized that there would be no money to transfer to retirees because the “trust fund” was empty.

Save Social Security by cutting new applicants with a baseline of those now 50 when they reach retirement age. Cut off benefits for retirees receiving other retirement income above the monthly payment. Disconnect Social Security from inflation and readjust the contributions needed to cover retiree benefits.

Stop forcing workers to support Ponzi scheme retirees.

Ron Getty

San Francisco

Clinton defending Clinton

It does not surprise me that former President William Jefferson Clinton would defend his wife’s lies regarding her trip to Tuzla, Bosnia. Lying comes as natural as breathing to Mr. Clinton, so it is only natural that he would defend his wife’s “misstatements.” His defense was also chock-full of lies, such as suggesting that Senator Clinton made these comments at the end of an exhausting day (She actually made the comments in the morning).

By the way, if she is prone to making misstatements when she is sleep-deprived, what will she be prone to say when woken up at 3 a.m. by an urgent phone call?

Finally, what kind of mother knowingly takes their child into a war zone?

Richard Beleson

San Francisco

McCain running mate

I am beginning to come around to the view that Sen. McCain will be the best choice for president. Hillary is just unfit as a human being to be in any position of authority. Sen. Obama is the great unknown. So, by default, it is John McCain.

Now who should he consider for VP? My choice is former member of Congress J.C. Watts (by the way J.C. stands for Julius Caesar). Mr. Watts is currently a minister and is just one very dynamic person, not to mention he was a heck of a quarterback at the University of Oklahoma. I believe that both racially and in terms of economic views Mr. Watts is the perfect running mate for Mr. McCain.

What do you think?

Richard Herman

Long Island

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