Letters to the editor

Food for thought

Thank you for printing Jim Carlisle's "Recipe for disaster" (Dec. 25). His letter is a masterpiece of reality about the Senate's Christmas present to the American people.

To describe this letter as extraordinary is an understatement, as the Churchill paraphrase to relate the end-all of this bill could not have been stated any better. It should be sent to all congressmen and senators and disseminated around the country.

Carlisle scored one great big bull's-eye with this shot.

FRANK HUGHES

Palm Harbor

Tech-savvy elves?

As Santa retires to the North Pole for his vacation and begins preparing for his Christmas 2010 visit, I would like to take this opportunity to submit my Christmas wish early to give ample time for preparations:

Would it be possible to incorporate a pager system for all of us who wait in line at the mall to get a picture taken with Santa?

I have two boys who are 2 and 3 and don't quite comprehend standing in line. I think they would prefer to run laps in the mall.

By next Christmas, they may be able to understand, but I suspect there will be other smaller children there, too. I know pagers only work within a certain range, so perhaps chairs could be set up while we wait for their big photo opportunity and maybe even help boost business for some merchants.

SARAH ELLIOTT

Riverview

Expected more

I was very disappointed in the article in the Faith and Values section, "Top ten religion stories of 2009" (Dec. 26). I would expect a more pertinent story on real faith and values, especially the day after Christmas.

I am sure one of your reporters could have dug up something that would have been more enjoyable and worth reading on a nice Saturday morning. Instead, I saw an article laden with controversy and scandal that is more appropriate for grocery-store tabloids.

Let the late-night talks shows have the goofy top-10 lists, and preserve the Faith and Values section for stories that actually have "faith and value."

TOM MCDONOUGH

Plant City

Boarding questions

When are we going to stop taking seniors and young moms with infants off the airport lines to have a more thorough body search when we allow people without passports, luggage and one-way tickets to board without any check?

Who is teaching and checking the security guards?

BARBARA KEALEY

Trinity

About guns

Two years ago the Trib printed a letter I wrote about my family being kidnapped just before Christmas ("Two masked men and a memorable Christmas lesson," Dec. 25, 2007).

Now I am writing again about guns.

According to the newspaper, the gun rights lobbyists are pushing to include in the health care reform bill a ban on the collection of gun ownership data. I am alarmed, as every citizen should be.

Gun control has no place in this legislation.

JOAN BANCEL

Sun City Center