Letters
The call for impeachment: some reactions
Your editorial "The Best Defense" (Dec. 9) was convincing until we saw what transpired. You admonished those defending the president before the Judiciary Committee not to attack Mr. Hyde. They didn't. Not to attack Kenneth Starr. They didn't. Not to attack the process. They didn't. To address the facts of the case. They did. And what was the response of the GOP majority - indifference. So much for good advice.
Face it - the Republican leadership is more interested in playing partisan games than in governing. The result of impeachment will be two years of wheel spinning instead of progress in addressing the needs of the country.
How about an editorial urging them to stop tilting at windmills and get down to business?
Roderick Groves
Albuquerque, N.M
In "Public grows impatient with impeachment process, but sympathy for Clinton declines too" (Dec. 14), you quoted a conservative think-tank official as saying voters were disconnected from the process of impeachment. I think not. Just the opposite is true, as shown by the last election. Voters realize that the president does not deserve impeachment or being removed from his elected office. Clinton was elected by voters; some, like me, want him to remain. And I resent being called disconnected.
Chuck Floyd
Portland, Ore.
Instant replay 'time-outs'
Regarding "Instant replay's widening clout over referees" (Dec. 11): I have often wondered why the instant replay couldn't be structured along the lines of a "time-out," with each team given a number of "replay protests" that could be used after any call the coach didn't like. Each team might have three "replay protests" to use in the half.
These protests could be used to require an instant replay, or could be simply used as a strategic timeout. The coach might use the "replay request" to break the momentum of the other team's offense, or to protest a questionable referee call. There would be an incentive for the coach to preserve the replay requirement until it really counted.
This use of the instant replay would leave the referee's calls unchallenged for the most part, but still allow the coaches to protest questionable calls. It might even introduce yet another strategic element into the game.
Richard Lucas
Portola Valley, Calif.
Living Christmas trees, a tradition
Re "A survival guide for living Christmas trees" (Dec. 9): We always had live Christmas trees when I was growing up. Every year, my father would bring the tree into the house on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. The tree would be installed in front of the picture window and the decorating began.
Now I continue my father's tradition of having a living Christmas tree. Following his advice, much along the lines of this article in Homefront yesterday, I have had good success with my live trees. I've only lost one, out of the eight I've planted, and that was a particularly icy winter season.
Now I bring in the tree on Christmas Eve and wrestle it outside and into the ground on New Year's Day. I look for small trees, with root balls I think I can manage, rather than the big trees we always envied as children. It's been a rewarding lesson for me, as an adult, to continue the work that was my father's.
Gail Pietrzyk Oxford, Pa.
Checking it twice on the Net
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the Web sites listing recommended toys in "Checking it twice" (Dec. 9). You may have solved all my gift-giving questions for my grandchildren, and you have certainly given me resources I would not have found for myself.
Lee Jones
Austin, Texas
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