Don't promote violence

I object strongly to the recent Dilbert cartoon that promotes violence for money among the "hobos."

I have followed the Dilbert cartoons as they have poked fun at the pointy-hair boss, the secretary, the engineer, and the office worker that works hardest at not working. I worked in the engineering department for the first five years before retiring after 31 years. I have worked with and around people that I can relate these characters to. I have seen cartoons that mirror what goes on in real life.

I have been a volunteer at the St. Mary's soup kitchen three days a week since 1997. I am acquainted with a large number of homeless people. Some of these people choose to live this type of existence. Others don't have a choice. In either case, to show two homeless people, one with a bottle ready to fight for money, is just wrong.

If any one wants to see what life is really like among the homeless, I invite them to come down to the soup kitchen. They can volunteer to help, or just eat a nutritious and delicious meal. We serve dinner between 5 and 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But please do not promote violence for money among the less fortunate amongst us. As the economy worsens, who knows who will be needing help.

Bill Root, Albany

The responsibility of parents

In regards to the article about a skateboarder at the concert, this is no place for a skateboard or bicycle and the rules are to protect the innocent. It sounds as if the mother hasn't taught her son to respect others around him and share the parks and sidewalks. Now the boy is in trouble and she blames somebody else.

The mother really is part of the problem as more of our youths defy authority and disregard and disrespect others that they share the world with. How many times do you sit at a stop light and have to listen to a teenager's boom box blaring in the next car?

My example is minor but just the tip of the iceberg. The parents have failed their children. Respect others and treat others the way you want to be treated.

Michael Felde, Albany

Ignore this anti-Obama book

Jerome Corsi's latest effort at political hackery, the book just out purporting to reveal Mr. Obama as a stealth liberal, does not deserve the free press it is getting from the mainstream media.

This is the same guy who was involved with the Swift Boat lies, who wrote that George Bush is trying to remove the borders with Mexico and Canada to create a "super world state" of some sort, who claims that oil is inexhaustible, and that our own government was behind the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11.

The Obama campaign has already released a detailed rebuttal 41 pages long discrediting this latest smear by Corsi and Dick Cheney's former aide Mary Matilin, and John McCain is continuing his stance that political smears and lies are "just humor."

If we are to have a free country and a free press, we need the watchdog, not the lap dog, not the cheerleader for the political slanderers and muckrakers.

McCain needs to be held to account, as do the Republicans, for this smarmy type of campaigning, and the rebuttal issued by the Obama campaign should be front page news.

When pigs fly, you say? It seems to me these swine are already well on the wing, thanks to the mainstream press.

David Collins, Brownsville

Apples, oranges and affairs

Mitch Schelle's letter (Mailbag Aug. 15) compares recent media attention of Democratic Sen. John Edwards' extra-marital affair with the lack of media attention to alleged "many illicit affairs" of Republican Sen. John McCain during the 1970s.

That's comparing apples to oranges.

If McCain's affairs existed way back in 1970, that is old, very old, news and he wasn't running for president.

The fact that the media slept on the Edwards scandal for over a year and only came out with it when the National Enquirer broke the the news and they knew they had to address it, shows bias.

Sadly, our politicians in both parties have used poor judgment at times.

Now we have two very different, but good, men running for president.

Choose the one that best reflects your values, but support the winner as our leader, because he will be the people's choice.

Maryland M. Johnson, Lebanon

MAILBAG GUIDELINES: Letters must bear the writer's full name and address, but we'll omit the street address in the paper. Please include a daytime telephone number. Letters should be as brief as possible and are subject to editing and abridgement.