PUBLIC FORUM : DOES A LEADER'S PRIVATE LIFE REALLY MATTER?

Regarding events brought to the public's attention over President Clinton and the White House intern:

I'm shocked at the number of people expressing the opinion that it doesn't matter as long as he's doing his job.

If it doesn't interfere with job performance, would it matter if it were a Supreme Court justice, your U.S. senator or governor? What about your local government representatives or mayor of your city? If the police or fire chief, or rank and file of those departments engaged in such behavior at their workplace, but still responded to their calls, would it matter?

What about teachers in colleges, high schools or elementary schools, as long as they still do their job, what would be wrong with these activities on school premises? If your pastor participated in such behavior at your church, but delivered a good sermon on Sunday, would it matter?

Somewhere along the line it would matter, so why not all the way to the White House?

- Linda Murad Acton

While the recent, alleged presidential gaffe is nothing new to the perpetual conflict between human sexual biology and fidelity in marriage, rarely does an event so mobilize discourse.

It could be argued that the Clinton melodrama has caused more people to debate accepted societal concepts, such as morality, character, justice, friendship, fidelity and trust, than just about any historical event of the last 25 years, sad as that may be.

In my view, while President Clinton might be guilty of egoistic mental cruelty to his wife and daughter, and if, even under oath, he avoids the complete truth, the context does not warrant resignation or impeachment, any more than does being caught lying under oath about a sexual fantasy that might needlessly hurt your wife.

The concept of justice has no application. The American people are smart enough to know this. What we'd hope for, I think, is that Bill Clinton apologizes to his wife and daughter, and then actually studies the Bible he carries in and out of church with that big smile on his face.

- Jeff M. Everson Woodland Hills

I have recently heard several apologists use the phrase ``He is, after all, only human.''

Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, etc., were, after all, only human.

In my opinion, the apologists should change their phrase to read, ``Because I agree with his political beliefs, he is, after all, only a human.''

- Ronald Ulbrich Woodland Hills

Re the alleged misconduct of our president:

Since when did selfishness and bad behavior become the focus of this country and the topic of everyone's conversations? Our country has now become obsessed with the ``did he or didn't he'' situation with various women.

This entire matter, whether true or untrue, has brought our country to a complete standstill. This scandal overshadowed the pope's monumental visit with Fidel Castro, as well as many other truly newsworthy events.

Our country has rampant crime, illiteracy, hunger, homeless people, abandoned children and a multitude of problems, which we should all focus more on instead of this nonsense. Sex should not be a spectator sport and the public and the media have now made it so. Everyone is coming out of the woodwork with their own disgusting story.

I truly believe we foster this kind of bad behavior by giving it our time, if people were not afforded millions of dollars for ``their story'' or be on the cover of the National Enquirer or be the guest on ``Oprah'' - in essence - if we didn't watch the program or buy the book and/or magazines, there would be no financial gain and no notoriety and these spoiled children would have to learn to deal with their problems in private without our having to hear all the sordid details.

Now, can we all get back to doing what is right for America and for Americans?

- Melissa Bruzzese Sherman Oaks

Beasley praised

I would like to thank Daily News outgoing publisher Larry Beasley for his years of hard work and dedication to the San Fernando Valley. He was instrumental in creating a world-class newspaper with a hometown touch.

Under his guidance, the Daily News has become one of the Valley's best assets. If someone had a problem of any kind with the paper, it seemed he was always there to personally respond.

Larry is a kind, gracious and caring individual; someone who is always ready to help. His constant support to the community, its events, and organizations and his participation therein, will be sorely missed. I hope that he will continue to participate with the community.

- Lee Kanon Alpert Northridge

Bar smoking ban

The excuse our lawmakers give for trying to repeal the smoking ban in bars is that business has been hurt. But the law-abiding bars are the only ones hurting because the scofflaw bar owners lure the smokers away.

If all bars honored the ban, people would return to their prior hangouts and business would return to normal. The patrons have reasons other than smoking as to why they frequent bars, and once everyone gets used to the idea of smoke-free watering holes, more people will use them. Nonsmokers of California, unite. We voted to ban smoking in bars and must not allow self-seeking lawmakers to reverse what we started.

- Daniel Matonak Canoga Park

I know it is disconcerting to people like Ronald O. Richards (Public Forum, Feb. 2) to become aware that this is a free country.

It is time people started to fight back. The bottom line is this: If there is a demand for nonsmoking bars, and I believe there is, the market will provide it.

- Sean O'Heathirn Panorama City

Rail transit needed

Stopping rail construction now inevitably will result in truncated rapid-transit rail lines that will serve inner city residents only.

All major cities in the world have transit systems that extend well into the suburbs to be successful. To stop the rail transit with truncated lines, and rely entirely on a bus saturation of the region, would be an urban and transportation debacle.

- Sheldon H. Walter Van Nuys

Punishing Saddam

Ever since the Gulf War of 1991, our goal has been to keep weapons of mass destruction out of Iraq's hands. Nothing wrong with that. But how?

Sanctions and diplomacy have not accomplished this. Would an air strike? Not likely. Although air power is more refined today, the lessons of World War II have not been repealed: Air strikes alone cannot destroy an enemy's ability to wage war.

Unless we plan to bomb Iraq back to the Stone Age, an insane prospect, the only way to ensure that we have rooted out all of Iraq's worst weapons is to follow up with a full-scale invasion. Without this, we will merely dent Iraq's capabilities, which will resume once our bombs stop falling. So how about it: Anyone truly up for a repeat of 1991, but by ourselves this time?

The Gulf War was a unified, multinational effort, designed to push Iraq out of Kuwait. That unity, plus that limited purpose, made that war relatively easy - so easy, in fact, that we have deluded ourselves into thinking Iraq is a pushover. That's lunacy. To attack Iraq in such a way as to wipe out its worst weapons would require the sort of assault that would bring out all the fighting force of people defending their homes - an element missing the last time, because we did not march on Baghdad.

Consider our likely casualties. The last time we fought an unpopular war - unpopular because we did not defeat the Viet Cong swiftly and with little loss, as we had convinced ourselves we would - this nation was torn apart. And preemptively attacking Iraq without the clear support of that nation's neighbors makes distant America look arrogant at best.

So think it through, friends. Consider all the costs very carefully before you start waving flags and tying yellow ribbons around trees. Our power to effect our will is not infinite. It could be a very long, miserable affair.

Thomas E. Braun Littlerock

Scrap freeway diamond lanes

There is a very simple and inexpensive way to increase the flow of traffic on freeways during rush hour - but it is so simple that Caltrans bureaucrats have ignored it.

The best way to speed up all traffic on freeways is to remove the diamond lanes. They were only put there by the Caltrans brain trust to punish drivers who could not make arrangements to get into car pools - but it never worked.

You will notice that on every freeway the diamond lane goes to waste. While the traffic is jammed on every other lane, there's an almost empty diamond lane - a tribute to the bureaucrats who want to punish people who cannot make the changes they demand.

Furthermore, diamond lanes are difficult to enter and exit - and very difficult to know in advance whether your exit is one where you can get off the diamond lane.

Opening up the diamond lanes to everyone would be the most economical and best answer to our tremendous gridlock problems during rush hours - but since the answer is so simple and inexpensive, don't look for Caltrans officials to take this easy way out.

This would prove that the brain trust who devised these diamond lanes were wrong in the first place - and this would be more of a tragedy than the gridlock.

Let your representatives know how you feel about this.

Frank Drewe Glendale