Letters to the editor

Editor,

"A long-delayed Senate committee report endorsed by Democrats and some Republicans concluded that President Bush and his aides built the public case for war against Iraq by exaggerating available intelligence and by ignoring disagreements among spy agencies about Iraq’s weapons programs and Saddam Hussein's links to Al Qaeda,” said Mark Mazzetti and Scott Shane.

War is rarely necessary and never glorious. That’s one thing Americans should have learned from their experiences in Vietnam, and from seeing the daily horror and carnage of that war televised in their living rooms every night.

The U.S. government sure learned from it. They learned not to allow TV cameras to show so many dead or wounded GIs, or even enemy soldiers. They learned it’s safer to restrict photographers and TV crews to shots of awesome artillery barrages, powerful tanks, aircraft carriers and modern bombers taking off with their lethal payloads-the weapons of war, not their effects.

They don’t show the death and devastation in the little rural villages once full of farmers, the crippled children who happened to pick up cluster bombs, the charred corpses that are now called "collateral damage.” After all, showing such things would detract from the glory of war.

Ted Rudow III

Menlo Park

Small schools making a big difference

Editor,

I would like to thank John Chiappe, in the June 12 edition of the Daily Journal, for his response to my letter in the May 28 edition of the Daily Journal. I am glad to hear that he was misinterpreted with his statement about teachers, "to put controls on their spending.” I have known John for many years and he has always had an interest in the progress of San Mateo.

I would like to recommend visiting the Web site for Hillsdale High School at hillsdalehigh.com. Read about the outstanding job that our public school teachers and administrators are doing. On their site, is an Internet article. ("The Revolutionaries of San Mateo” from the May 17 edition of Newsweek). Hillsdale High shows why small schools make a big difference.

Lash Stevenson

San Mateo

Rego deserves scholarship awards considering her struggles

Editor,

Heather Murtaugh’s article, "Beating the odds,” about the challenges of graduating senior, Dominique Rego, seemed like an appropriate ending to a tough week. I met Miss Rego on Friday as I had the honor of handing her the scholarship check from the San Bruno Lions.

The awards ceremony at Peninsula High School didn’t appear much different from typical end-of-year events, however, we all knew that these students had issues beyond the everyday happenings of academia. So, as I listened to the name Dominique Rego get announced as "Outstanding Leadership,” "Essay Contest Winner,” "Leadership Awardee” and "Graduation Speaker,” I knew our scholarship was going to a deserving student. And then to read the article and learn of her struggles and triumphs — I am overwhelmed.

Here, in my community, a young woman has overcome many obstacles and is on her way to making a difference. And to think I was at a memorial on Thursday with hundreds asking why the life of Rebeca Medrano was cut short. Rebeca, who’s life was full of goodness, yet sorrowfully, it was only brief.

Now Dominique, who’s life, it seems, has been to strive for goodness amongst the struggles, and thankfully, she has prospered. I am pleased and grateful to say that both Rebeca and Dominique have already made this world a better place.

Ken Ibarra

San Bruno