General impressions.

I was most impressed with The Advocate's cover story on Gen. Wesley Clark ["General's Orders," February 3]. I had the pleasure of meeting General Clark at a campaign event last fall, and he was articulate, sincere, and determined. He is a man of great courage and compassion, and I think he would be a great president with an inclusive, progressive agenda that would make America a far better country--a stark contrast to the divisive, fear-ridden place that George W. Bush has created.

Judith Squires, Burbank, Calif.

As a liberal grrrl, I would have thought that the last person I'd ever support would be a four-star general who voted for Ronald Reagan. But after several months of listening to Wes Clark address my issues of civil rights and "abortion rights, in hearing his message of inclusion and opportunity, I'm convinced that a Clark presidency could halt and reverse the right wing's assault on our personal freedoms. In Jon Barrett's interview and others, Clark has stressed time and again that gay rights are not negotiable, that civil liberties are not negotiable, that private choices are not negotiable, and that all of the above must be protected if this country is going to honor the promises made in the Constitution. Taking back the rhetoric of patriotism, he calls that "fighting for our country." I call that a candidate to believe in.

Kim Koster, New Orleans, La.

Wow! Wesley Clark wants gays to come out in the military. He's fooling himself if he thinks the military thing would be a piece of cake. It wouldn't. We can't change people overnight. We can't force something on people. I am afraid Clark is saying these things because he wants to be president, and he is using the gay community and making all these remarks about things he has no control over. Let's face the truth. I guarantee if you look, you will find Clark having a change of heart about gays in the military. Clark is a puppet on a string and would not make a good president. You should look at other Democratic candidates!

Patsy Robertson, Atlanta, Ga.

I have been praising Wes Clark as one would the new messiah. But then he said, "Whether you call it marriage or not is up to the church or the synagogue or the mosque. And it's up to the state legislatures." No man running for president would say he thinks that the right of blacks, Jews, or atheists to marry should be decided upon by an individual state. He'd be marked as racist, anti-Semitic, or whatever the case may be, and his political career would end there. No political candidate should feel that such a statement made about gay marriage is acceptable.

Marriage has nothing to do with religion, and religion has nothing to do with marriage. While they often intersect, they are not dependent in any way. Men and women of no particular faith or god can and do join in matrimony. A couple can be joined just as easily and as legally by a Carnival cruise ship captain as they can by a priest. Marriage is not governed by any religious authority for straights and should not be for gays.

Heterosexuals are simply intent on keeping marriage as their own private club. With their secret decoder rings in hand, heterosexuals all claim to be protecting the sanctity of marriage, even while so many of their own have proved they are as committed to marriage as a 7-year-old kid is to piano lessons. Gays a threat to matrimony? It seems straights are doing a fine job of running flint institution into the ground all by themselves.

Anyone who claims to be on oar side needs to support gay marriage. Not unionization but marriage. Supporting gay rights and equality is an all-or-nothing endeavor. A person can't say they're for gay rights except when it comes to marriage or except when it comes to adopting children or except anything. As long as a person still holds an exception, they still hold some prejudice. No matter how open-minded a person claims to be, by keeping this last major piece of equality far from our reach, he ensures gays will never be truly accepted in American society.

Nathan Pitts, San Ramon, Calif.

I must say that General Clark looked about as natural in a V-neck tee and dusting of bronzer on your cover as my ex-girlfriend did in a skirt.

Joanna Stanfield, Nashville, Tenn.