TUESDAY'S LETTERS: Against Koppel's Mercenary Army, E&P 'Tacky and Vulgar', Lukewarm Support for PNI Deal

By: E&P Staff In today's letters, responses to Ted Koppel's suggestion that America should enlist an army of mercenaries, a vote of lukewarm support for McClatchy's PNI deal, and a reader who thinks we shouldn't have republished Brangelina baby name suggestions.


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PNI Deal Couldn't Make Philly Paper Worse

How can [McClatchy's Philly Inquirer deal] hurt? The paper's been bleeding for years! or is it decades now?

Besides the solid good ideas presented, they gotta change the editorial board to one less off-the-charts PC.

Mike Pupis
Newtown Square, Pa.


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E&P 'Tacky and Vulgar'

Why would someone come up with the name "Snake Pitt" or "Homewrecker" for Brad and Angelina's baby? No matter what you think of the parents, nothing about this situation is the baby's fault. I think people must be extremely jealous to make up such tacky and even vulgar names for an innocent baby. And I think your publication is tacky and vulgar to repeat such names.

Pamela Hinds
Coleman, Tex.


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Against Koppel's 'Mercenary Army'

I am at a loss for words because I can't believe what Koppel said, so I'll just quote an old military general:

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address, January 17, 1961

Jason Combs
Cincinnati, Ohio



A global business infrastructure with governments paid to play the role of a storefront. Globalization will use a business model similar to Alexander the Great, Caesar, Genghis Kahn, Attila the Hun, Napoleon, or Hitler. The only thing new is the history you haven?t learned or the history you can not see happening again.

Kevin Good



Hmmm ... Isn't a mercenary army what brought down the Roman Empire????

Michael Levy


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Making Excuses

Does [Greg Mitchell's column on media mea culpas] really surprise you? Since the 60's the liberal minded people have been pushing a politically correct agenda that it?s never anybody?s fault.

Murderers should not be executed because they had a bad upbringing either because they had no parents or their parents abused them so they should be excused of hacking to death a couple of people. Child molesters they aren?t so bad. It?s just they were abused as kids now they are acting out. It?s not their fault it is really society?s fault. Kids acting up and shooting in school. Well they aren?t really bad kids it?s those darn video games get them all worked up and convince them to kill or they have ADHD. Now that we have this marvelous free society that tells us it?s never anyone?s fault why should we apologize?

Also you must cut George Bush some slack. He was neglected as a child because his dad was so busy being president. It?s not his fault he was pressured to follow in his daddy?s footsteps. And, after all, if he is not that smart it is really the fault of all his teachers for socially promoting him instead of keeping him back to learn. Of course had he been kept back then it would have been the fault of his teachers too for hurting his fragile ego.

Dave Horchak