The Trouble With The Left

To the Editor:

To the dear kind gentleman who was distressed that I did not mention the war on terror in my letter of July 25 — there was no mention of the war on terror in my letter because the letter to which I was referring did not mention the war on terror. (This is Letters to the Editors, 101, lesson #2. See “Proud of Her Illogic,” July 31, for lesson #1)

As for the war on terror’s connection to Iraq, The Bipartisan September 11 Commission created to study the 9/11 attacks found no connection to that attack with Iraq. Thomas H. Kean (Republican), the panel’s chairman, said, “What our staff statement found is there is no credible evidence that we can discover, after a long investigation, that Iraq and Saddam Hussein in any way were part of the attack on the United States.”

President Bush commented, “This administration never said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated between Saddam and al Qaeda. We did say there were numerous contacts between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda.”

So, while the war in Iraq has gotten rid of a certified thug and may actually someday bring democracy to the beleaguered Iraqi people, no one in authority actually believes there was an Iraq connection to the 9/11 attacks. (Unless, of course, the gentleman in question is actually has authority over someone or something of which I am not aware.)

As for the victims of 9/11, I hope that it will give him some peace to know that, occasionally, I have read the names of the victims, as he so gently suggested I do. Actually, I have done so much more than occasionally read the names of the victims. Starting soon after the 9/11 tragedy The New York Times began writing short sketches of 2,749 victims. More than a hundred reporters worked on the Portraits of Grief, as they came to be known, with the last one published in March 2003.

And, since the kind gentleman in question apparently doesn’t read the Times (and, curiously, appears to be proud of his lack of current knowledge) and the Times is the only place these biographies appeared, I think it would be nice if he just occasionally read them.

(http://www.nytimes.com/specials/national/portraits/A.html)

If he actually gets time to read any of the Portraits, I suggest he access Chris Blackwell’s entry. He was a regional paramedic and worked with the Newtown Ambulance Corps, where my husband, Kenneth, is a volunteer EMT.

Knowing someone who perished in the 9/11 tragedy makes it more personal.

I read every single one, and yes, this bleeding heart liberal grieved for every victim and every family. And maybe that’s the real trouble with the left — we care, but someone has to.

Laura E. Lerman

55 Main Street, Newtown                                              August 5, 2008