SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. 028

LENGTH: 716 words

HEADLINE: EDITORIAL; Letters to the Editor

BODY:
Heed Palestinian needs

Don Feder has revealed again the cavernous depth of his bunker mentality ("In this peace plan, Israel may RIP," Oct. 9). Israel's continued existence is assured by both the United Nations and the might of the United States, and it should be. That said, it's time to address also the concerns of Palestinians. Among those concerns is their desire for some sort of pluralism with Israelis who displaced them in their former homeland. Until the nature of this pluralism is shaped and agreed upon by both Israelis and Palestinians, push-and-shove by both sides will continue to escalate. -  J.P. Vetrano, Franklin

Police overreaction

Treating pepper-spray victims was not something I learned in medical school ("Protesters blame police, union for fray," Oct. 5). As one of the medics on the scene, I was witness to a brutal display of the most violent faction at the post-debate protests at UMass - the Boston police. Dozens of peaceful protesters stumbled about blind and terrified after having been pepper-sprayed in the eyes. Among refrains of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and chants aimed at the police of "We're non-violent, how about you?" I saw the whole event as a symptom of our ailing democracy. -  Michael Greger, Jamaica Plain

Responsible indeed

How ironic then that these exclusively non-union contractors strongly oppose the "responsible employer ordinance" requirement that companies have a state-certified apprenticeship program ("Irresponsible ordinance," Oct. 9). Could it have something to do with putting profits over good public policy?

As for the Herald's claim that these ordinances are intended to help large union contractors - it doesn't hold up. Painters District Council 35's apprentice training program includes contractors with as few as five employees.

Responsible contractors, union and non-union alike, already provide these requirements. It's only the irresponsible contractors you hear complaining about providing health coverage and state-certified training programs. -  John S. Laughlin,

Communications Director

Painters District Council 35

Roslindale

Waste prevails

The true legacy of state and federal prevailing wage laws is crumbling public schools. Often times, repairs, expansions and new constructions are delayed indefinitely as communities struggle to deal with the excessive cost and red tape of these laws.

If we abolished all prevailing wage laws, within two years there would be very few, if any, crumbling public schools. Our public schools will be at a distinct disadvantage as competition increases with private schools that aren't subject to these laws. -  Erv Wall, Taunton

Reasons for crime drop

Do not simply regurgitate the conventional wisdom of the liberal media. When Justice Department flacks puzzle over why gunshot wounds fell almost 40 percent from 1993 to 1997" ("Gunshot wounds declined through '90s," Oct. 9), they mention a slew of reasons such as a drop in crack wars and illegal guns.

How odd that the Justice Department's American magazine doesn't mention much more likely causes for the drop. First, more states are issuing concealed pistol permits. Secondly, the number of executions is high.

Of course the very idea that more guns might mean less crime is so repugnant to the liberal outlook that even pointing out these few incontrovertible facts does nothing more than elicit the response "Huh?" -  Tom Holzel, Boston

It's still a bad read

I was amused at how so-called hip-hop pulp fiction is described as targeting an underserved urban audience ("Fiction on the edge," Oct. 9). This so-called literature is described as being fashioned after the culture of sex and violence associated with rap music. Marc Gerald, president of the Syndicate Media Group, states that other publishers wouldn't "touch this stuff . . . They thought black men wouldn't care about books." Finally, Gerald states, "They would if you give them something they wanted to read." How generous of Mr. Gerald to fill the void - for a profit, I'm sure. Apparently, he has concluded that what black men want to read are books glorifying violence and sex. Gerald is a pandering pimp of the worst kind, and I hope that most educated blacks see through this garbage. -  M.J. DeYoung, Brockton

LOAD-DATE: October 12, 2000