IndyStar.com: Letters to the editor
Indiana's leading news source for all the top stories, local news, sports and weather.
Increase number so more can enjoy nature's benefits
Parks should be a priority, because we have very little green space compared to many cities. The large and beautiful parks such as Eagle Creek and Fort Harrison State Park involve long drives for many people; and unless one lives near the Monon or...
No room in our schools for verbal violence
I commend Star columnist Matthew Tully for his work on “The Manual Project.” He has spent many hours in the school observing and talking to teachers, support staff, students and others. What he writes is not always easy to accept or to...
NFL's character issue: What higher standard?
Jim Irsay and others in the NFL are all of a sudden worried about a “negative image.” First, it’s laughable when Irsay, no angel and no stranger to controversy himself, states that he will not consider voting for Rush Limbaugh in...
Irsay, others have different rules for host
I’m calling Jim Irsay a hypocrite. Where is his disgust at rappers and other notorious celebrities owning NFL franchises? Why does he care who a minor owner of the Rams is? Does anyone think the players will walk away from their...
Promoting a leftist agency, snubbing Lugar and Nunn
As a proud charter member of the “vast right-wing conspiracy,” I should find it amusing that, less than two weeks into his term, President Barack Obama should have been nominated for, let alone won, the Nobel Peace Prize. In reality,...
Fever came oh so close, still are best team in WNBA
Thank you to the Indiana Fever team, coaches and staff for a memorable year. Although we all wish the last game had ended differently, it only proved that, while our time to win the Finals may not have been now, it is closer than many thought when...
My View: It isn't about saving animals' lives
The firings of Indianapolis Animal Care and Control Director Douglas Rae and his staff bewildered many of the citizens of Indianapolis. Why did Mayor Greg Ballard turn his back on animal care at IACC? Why weren’t the animal welfare groups...
Endorsing a book that holds some children back
Gov. Mitch Daniels is saying we should go back to separating children based on a decision that not all children are meant to become doctors, lawyers, teachers or engineers. He is following the advice of Charles Murray, who wrote the “The Bell...
We're all accountable when it comes to educational success
Kevin Meyer (Letters, Oct. 2) painted only part of the picture of school problems. In addition to his comments, parents should be accountable to teachers. If students would arrive at school on time, having had enough sleep, having eaten breakfast,...
Way to go, Irsay, for giving Limbaugh thumbs-down
How about that Jim Irsay? I mean, you’ve got to love an owner who not only gave Super Bowl rings to players, coaches and about all staff, but five to fans and one to Edgerrin James of the Arizona Cardinals. Now when I saw that he planned to...
Roaming around won't resolve war questions
Like Emperor Nero, President Barack Obama is fiddling while he dithers and procrastinates about Afghanistan. Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for additional troops has, for the first time in his presidency, confronted Obama with a situation...
Thoughtful insights regarding end of life
Thanks to Dr. Paul Helft for the thoughtful insights regarding the challenges faced by the dying and their loved ones (“Talk of dying,” Conversations, Oct. 11). His on-target discussion should be required reading for all those who feel...
Fever's impact extends beyond court success
Like many other Hoosier children, our 9-year-old son lives and breathes basketball, but in particular the Indiana Fever. To the team, I say you have given him a truly professional group of athletes and role models to follow and admire and connect...
Breast cancer's link to secondhand smoke
It’s time to take action. Everywhere I go I see pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The easiest thing for the city of Indianapolis to do in the fight against breast cancer is to make all workplaces smoke free. Studies have shown long-term...
Returning to Indy without compromising health
I’m a recent Purdue University graduate now living in Chicago and I look forward to coming home to Indianapolis to visit friends and family. Getting together with high school friends in Broad Ripple is always part of my weekends at home. I have...
Stealth recycling: People do their part; what about city?
The article “How green is Indianapolis?” (Oct. 7) mentions that only 4 percent of households subscribe to curbside recycling. Many residents recycle through other methods that are free. I take my plastic and glass to a city recycling bin...
Despite expos, preserve the right to carry a gun
Your Oct. 11 front-page “expos” of individuals who somehow obtained handgun permits against all common sense and existing law will almost certainly bring the anti-gun lobby out in force. These cases represent a breakdown in the system,...
State Police undermine a good gun-carry system
I am a person of “good character” with a permit to carry a gun and I find it appalling that the Indiana State Police would allow criminals to do so (“Should men like these be allowed to carry a gun?,” Oct. 11). My carry permit...
More school isn't the answer; let's look at what works
I am appalled The Star took the position that the movement to shift Indiana’s school calendar to a later start date is a "distraction.’’ The groundswell of parents, teachers and administrators who feel otherwise might come as a...
Further evidence that world was relieved by election
Our Declaration of Independence includes the phrase “a decent respect for the opinions of mankind.” In the 2004 presidential debates, John Kerry embraced that concept as an element of the foreign policy he would institute as president....
Step 1: getting to college; Step 2: finishing college
The facts are clear. Hoosiers need higher education to secure their place in today’s high-skill, high-wage work force. Indiana needs more educated workers if our state is going to compete in a global marketplace. Yet, state resources are...
My View: Give back and get back while you learn to lead
There are many ways to measure the quality of a community. Affordable housing. Public parks. Cultural attractions. Safe streets. Strong schools. Access to health care. Another often overlooked asset is community volunteers. Indianapolis is fortunate...
Manual series: We need solution, not more money
As I read Matthew Tully’s series on Manual High School, my initial reaction was one of sadness for the teachers, administrators, security and students who are trying each day to make this broken school work. As the series evolves, my reaction...
It's all about hope; attacks only aim to discredit
I believe the Nobel committee had in mind to honor the hope that this president has brought to our country and to the world. I am honored that he has won this award. But I am dismayed and disappointed at the way some have viewed it. Let me make clear...
World must recognize appeasement as peace
The award of the Nobel Appeasement Prize to President Barack Obama is well deserved. His record is replete with accommodation: his refusal to send defensive missiles to Poland, leaving that nation vulnerable to Russian hegemony; negotiating directly...
Be respectful, take pride in Obama's honor
All Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, should take great pride that our president has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His presidency is young and the challenges we as a country face are many. Now is a time to celebrate this...
Return the Peace Prize to exhibit high character
Our president has the gall to accept the Nobel Peace Prize when he has done nothing to merit it. The noble thing to do is to give it back and prove to the world that he is honest, practical and really humble. Noel Duerden Indianapolis
Greener than we think, but without support for transit
How green is Indianapolis? Much greener than indicated in The Star Oct. 7. There are many people who will not pay $6 a month for curbside pickup when they can drop off the recyclables at the local recycle center for free. The containers at these...
Source of animal problems still rests with owners
It seems clear to me that an agency with the word animal in its title should be administered by someone who is an actual advocate for animals. It is a sad fact that most of the stray animals roaming our streets are victims of bad pet ownership. I...
Pulliam's correct: Hypothesis must be taken on faith
Brad Matthies, in response to Russ Pulliam’s Sept. 25 column, “Taking Darwin on faith,” wrote that Darwin’s theory of evolution is proven by examples such as pesticide-resistant insects and cat breeds. These are examples of...
