Flying the flag. (you may be right).

I read Meinrad Scherer-Emunds' December Editors' Note ("Does peace have a prayer?"). For him to pull down the flag outside his home because he disagrees with the United States government's policy is, at the very least, hypocritical.

To take his flag down is not just a sign of disagreement with the government, it is also a withdrawal of his support for the women and men who have the courage to serve their country and who willingly face death to defend all of our freedoms, including his.

Why not proudly fly the flag to support the good things the American government does? Why not fly it to show support for the humanitarian relief for which our government spends billions of dollars? Why not fly it in support of his freedom of speech and his freedom of religion?

No. When the going gets tough, instead of advocating for change through the free press while also supporting those in the trenches by flying the symbol of their homeland, Scherer-Emunds pulls that symbol down.

The soldiers fighting in Afghanistan need our prayers, but they also need our simple moral support.

David B. Noller
Traverse City, Mich.

I am horrified at Scherer-Emunds' anti-American editorial--and ashamed. More people died in New York than in Pearl Harbor, and he thinks punishing terrorists is unconscionable? Does he think no response or saying, "be peaceful" will do the trick and save our people from terrorists?

Death of innocents occurs in war, but more people die when you have no protection. Go ahead, sit on your golden better-than-thou pillar while our good soldiers make sure you don't lose your freedom to print trash. You make me ashamed to admit I am a Catholic.

Our flag will fly always.

K. Himmel
Port Huron, Mich.

I found Scherer-Emunds' denunciation of the action against terrorism in Afghanistan by the American and British-led coalition to be extremely disappointing. Evil exists and must be confronted.

As someone who spent years opposing American military action in Vietnam, I find his point of view naive and counterproductive, even self-righteous. Does Scherer-Emunds really believe that love could have worked against Adolf Hitler? Fat chance. What would he have done about Auschwitz? Held a love-in?

We were attacked. President Bush's response was measured, not hasty. This is a just war if ever there was one. Osama bin Laden is a mass murderer being harbored by the Taliban.

Unfortunately, it is not enough to hate evil; one has to destroy it. Or else it will destroy you.

Richard Cummings
Bridgehampton, N. Y.