PUBLIC FORUM : APPALLED BY RESPONSE.

Re Daily News Line phone survey of March 30:

The question asked was, ``Does the U.S. have a responsibility to halt `genocide' in Kosovo?'' Of 441 phone responses, 28 percent said yes, while an unbelievable 72 percent said no.

I'm appalled. The halting of mass murder of innocent people is the responsibility of the United States and all of mankind.

Would 72 percent of those people say it wasn't our responsibility to stop Adolf Hitler either?

- Richard Stiles 

Santa Clarita 

Bomber's reprieve

I wonder if the Clinton administration and all of those that screamed the B-2 bomber was too expensive would like to have all 132 B-2s to call on now. I'll bet the families of the three captured servicemen wouldn't find the B-2's price tag too high at this point either.

- Paul Burt

Lancaster

Save Tesla Museum

This letter is about the NATO U.S. bombing in Yugoslavia/Serbia. It's not about the reasons for this action.

I understand that NATO may bomb the Yugoslav government buildings in Belgrade. If so, then the Tesla Museum there may be in danger of destruction. Nikola Tesla (1863-1943) contributed much to the U.S. and world science. He was a Serbian-American, naturalized American, and after World War II, his ashes and his effects were sent to Yugoslavia.

Destroying or even damaging this museum in Belgrade may so enrage the Serbians in the world that peace may be impaired.

I have written Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and the United Nations secretary-general to, hopefully, see to it that this museum and its most valuable artifacts are not lost to human history. Hopefully, American bombs will spare this museum.

- Dr. Edson Andre Johnson

Sunland

Bomb Belgrade to bits

A good way to stop President Slobodan Milosevic from committing more ``ethnic cleansing'' of his Albanian citizens and burning the villages of Kosovo to the ground is to give him six hours' notice that if he doesn't stop the burning and killing that NATO will give the population of Belgrade 48 hours to evacuate and then incinerate Belgrade with sustained bombing.

Perhaps then the people of Yugoslavia will look for a new leader.

I suggest giving him six hours' notice so that he doesn't have time to transport the Albanian men to Belgrade as ``human shields.''

- Robert A. Felburg

Costa Mesa

Stealthy no more

I have reached the conclusion that our government is again being stealthful about necessary data concerning a major event.

Isn't it interesting that the aircraft built and touted as the scientific community's answer to enemy radar, the F-117 fighter aircraft, known as the stealth fighter, was downed under combat conditions and that the government hasn't taken the time to advise us that this mishap was because of mechanical problems or, perhaps, pilot error?

Is it possible that the multi-multimillion-dollar investment in this aircraft has a fatal flaw and that flaw is that it is not impervious to all radar? If this is true, then I should like to suggest a name change to that of ``partially stealth F-117 aircraft.''

- Paul Cooper

Chatsworth

Clinton putts away

History has a way of repeating itself. First, ``Nero fiddled while Rome burned.'' Now, ``Bill putts while Kosovo burns.''

Clinton's foreign policy leaves a lot to be desired. First, he had Monica's ``assistance'' when he discussed the deployment of our troops to Bosnia on the phone with a member of Congress. Now, he plays golf while the American public watches on TV pathetic scenes of homeless little children sleeping on the ground, out of sheer exhaustion while fleeing Kosovo.

Whatever happened to Clinton's unique concern about ``the children''? Nothing seems to shame him. What sorry examples he sets, repeatedly, of presidential leadership.

- Margaret Michaels

Reseda

Make diploma count

As a student at Van Nuys High School I know about graduation requirements first-hand. Current graduation requirements are a joke.

The improvements being made will bring the LAUSD closer to properly preparing its students for college. These new requirements and standards will drastically increase the number of college-bound students out of our school district. And by raising expectations, more students will try and succeed.

I just wish that these requirements included foreign language credits that are required for admittance into the UC system. I'm glad that the district is finally addressing this problem and I look forward to them looking at the other problems in our district.

- Maria Grunwald

Van Nuys

Italians do remember

Re ``Short memories,'' March 29 by Edmond Jones, saying Italians were quick to forget what the U.S. did for them during WWII:

In my three visits to Italy, traveling from Sicily to Milan and speaking to the people, I found that the people of Italy have very vivid memories of what the U.S. did for them during WWII.

The bloodshed of U.S. soldiers, many of whom were of Italian descent, will never be forgotten by the Italian people who love the U.S. and consider themselves as very staunch allies.

What I cannot understand is what all the above has to do with an American pilot hotdogging his jet in a ski area at an illegal altitude, killing 20 people, most of whom were not Italians.

What I find to be short here is the inability of Jones to weigh the situation in its proper prospective. If Jones had a relative sitting in that gondola, I am sure his thinking would have been different.

- Al Dimaggio

North Hollywood

Penalize the guilty

Finally. A politician who makes sense. Councilman Hal Bernson would penalize only the property owners who don't comply with brush clearance laws.

Wouldn't the same philosophy work with dog owners: Penalize the owners who let their dogs roam and not the ones who keep their dogs fenced or leashed?

- Charlene T. Vincent

Chatsworth

Speeding bus drivers

Re ``Dozens hurt in crash of bus, truck on I-15'' (Daily News, March 31):

Well, here we go again. For anyone who has driven to Vegas or Laughlin, it is something you have seen many times - that big bus going like a bat out of hell.

I will admit to going 75 and 80 mph on that stretch of highway but it really scares me when the tour buses are running me off the road. The real shame of this accident is that it involved small children.

When are the state police or bus companies going to clamp down on the speeds these drivers are going on our highways?

- Jim Avery

Burbank