Iraq was never ours to lose

Re: “Bush orders pause in Iraq troop reductions,” April 11

I believe Gen. David Petraeus when he says that the gains of the recent U.S. military surge in Iraq are easily reversible. But after six years of involvement and massive American assistance, we should admit that the Iraqi government is a political failure.

It has failed to inspire the Iraqi people to fight in support of it, and it has also failed to develop its own internal security capabilities. Various political factions have thus far not seen fit to renounce terrorism as their instrument of choice. Such political troubles cannot ultimately be resolved by military means.

America has already given more than its fair share of support to this failing political system. I, as one American, would not feel ashamed if Iraq collapsed into chaos and anarchy as a result of our withdrawal. We must not fall back to a “who-lost-China?” syndrome because Iraq is not ours to lose. Arabs must find solutions to Arab problems and live with the consequences of their decisions.

Lawrence K. Marsh

Gaithersburg

Income gap doesn’t tell whole story

Re: “Local divide between richest and poorest grows,” April 10

Using the income gap between rich and poor as an indicator of how bad off the poor are is a seriously flawed misuse of demographic data. Large gaps can show areas with greater wealth rather than indicating the poor there are poorer. The better school systems, public amenities and employment opportunities of wealthy areas are shared by all residents, regardless of income level.

Pointing out that the wealthiest benefit most from an expanding economy is also meaningless. Of course they do, because it is their investments that are responsible for the expansion. To imply that the bottom 20 percent of our local residents are worse off here than if they lived in a rural Mississippi county with a lower income gap is just plain stupidity.

Even dumber than those who, after defining the poverty level as the bottom 20 percent, complain that 20 percent live in poverty.

Lester Via

Springfield

Gate jumpers petition pontiff for help

Re: “Hispanics ask the pope for help on immigration policies,” April 11

I read this article and could not believe my own eyes. People who claim to be righteous, who clearly know right from wrong, want their religious leader to help them get out of the consequences of their own actions. Why don’t we ask the pope to release all the rapists and murderers from prison next?

If illegal immigrants want their suffering to go away, here’s a novel idea: Go back to where you came from, apply to come here legally and then get in line like everyone else.

Carlos M. Aguayo

Wheaton

Lawsuits are a small price to pay

Re: “Legalizing gay marriage will spark lawsuits against churches,” April 7

It is always difficult to read columns by homophobic people who try to figure out another way to get people to oppose gay marriage. Roger Severino has found a new one: Don’t allow gay marriage because it will produce lawsuits.

My first thought was to laugh, but then I realized people take this nonsense literally.

Ending discrimination of any kind always creates some problems for those who will fight to keep it legal. The lawsuits that may come will be fought out through our legal system and eventually get a constitutional reading by the Supreme Court, which will determine who may be exempt from a particular law.

But the public good accomplished by lawsuits — whether they were for ending Jim Crow, providing accessibility to individuals with handicaps, giving women their rights, or ending discrimination against gays and lesbians — are more than worth the cost.

Peter D. Rosenstein

Washington