`Foreign Born' Gives Wrong Connotations

The article ``Texas, Seeking Budget Cut, to Deport Foreign Inmates,'' Dec. 5, illustrates a problem that many news reports on immigration have: the failure to clearly distinguish between illegal immigrants and all other classes of immigrants. The article uses the terms ``foreign born'' and ``not citizen'' as synonyms for ``illegal immigrants.''

Being ``foreign born'' does not mean that one is an illegal immigrant. Many ``foreign born'' immigrants are now naturalized US citizens who immigrated legally to the US. Similarly, there are many legal residents of the US who are not citizens. The anti-immigrant sentiments among the general populace that fails to recognize that legal immigrants can remain noncitizens, put these law-abiding, tax-paying contributors to our society at risk of losing their rights. Mary Bothwell, Pasadena, Calif.

Republicans: Grow up

We were appalled at Sen. Bob Dole's lack of integrity in his recent display of support for Sen. Jesse Helms. Neither he nor Mr. Helms has any place questioning President Clinton's position as commander in chief. Not only is it destructive to this country and its government to not recognize and accept the rightful positions of authority but also it illustrates a real lack of professionalism and maturity on the part of the Republican Party.

After listening to the bellicose rhetoric from the Republican Party with regard to North Korea recently, we believe that the likelihood of our country being involved in more than one military engagement at this time would be much higher had the Republicans been in the White House.

What exactly is the point of Mr. Helms whining about old complaints? Both of us are civil engineers, and we can say that Mr. Dole's and Mr. Helms's behavior would not last one day in a professional office. It is unfortunate that what should be one of the most respected institutions of our country should set such an example.

Senator Dole's unwillingness to adequately monitor the professionalism of the members of his party in Congress shows that not only is he not qualified to be president of the United States but he is also not qualified to be Senate majority leader. The recent election doesn't give the Republican Party license to be destructive to our government. Heidi and Rod Moritz, Gresham, Ore.

Blaming one, and not the other

The cartoon ``I'll get her Phil, Cover Me,'' Nov. 15, is similar to the comments a letter writer made on nuclear waste. Solutions based on only one-half of the basic causes of a problem are misleading.

Newt Gingrich should be saying ``I'll get them, Phil, cover me.'' Mr. Gingrich ought to know that it takes two to produce a baby. To saddle the blame on the unwed mother makes no sense at all. Howard B. Anderson, Hancock, Mich.

Lessons learned from the A-bomb

The opinion-page articles ``Looking Back 50 Years at the Atomic Bomb,'' Nov. 21, offered opposing views of the A-bomb. I believe that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had an overall beneficial effect on the world beyond the hastening of the end of World Word II. It demonstrated for the whole world just how terrible these weapons are. Had these two examples not been demonstrated there would have been a strong push to engage in full-scale nuclear war in Korea and again in Vietnam.

I believe that if we and the Soviets had not had the examples of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we would have pushed each other into a nuclear war, not realizing how dreadful such action would be. William D. Lion, Columbus, Ind.