Al Gore

Re “Gore Appeals to the People’s Court,” July 7: Al Gore has crossed the line into incivility. His annotations regarding the choice of the next president coming down to “the people or the powerful--whose side are you on?” are ludicrous as well as insulting. Is he trying to position our country as a battle zone?

Gore needs to be reminded that as vice president of the U.S., he is the embodiment of power. If not, he should never have been there.

JOANNE GUTIERREZ ROSE

Long Beach

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* Re Bill Press’ July 5 commentary: There are reasons other than Supreme Court appointments to prefer Gore over George W. Bush:

* Intellect, character and political competency: Bush is deficient in all three areas.

* Environmental concerns: Bush’s environmental record in Texas is shocking.

* Foreign policy: Bush is both ignorant of and unconcerned about foreign affairs.

* Deployment of the national missile defense system: Bush would, Gore might.

* Bias toward the corporate world: Bush never saw a corporation he did not love.

There are significant differences between the two candidates, as there are major differences between the two parties.

ALTON L. SAFFORD

Wrightwood

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* Press’ arguments are flawed. The Rehnquist court, as a conservative court, did not overturn Roe vs. Wade even during the Bush and Reagan years. We elect a president for a four-year term and the three senior jurists are unlikely to retire in those four years. Even if Justice John Paul Stevens only was to retire and Bush managed to appoint a conservative successor, Roe vs. Wade would have to be brought before the court, which the president does not have the power to do.

If the House goes Democrat this fall, a split Congress would offset the possibility of a highly conservative Bush Supreme Court nominee. Press himself states that the court can be unpredictable. I must conclude that Press, in his haste to make his point that we must vote for Gore, has taken a detour around reason, while he attempts to prop up our broken two-party system by imploring people not to vote for a third-party candidate.

RON LIPSHULTZ

North Hollywood

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* There is no defining issue separating Gore and Bush. What really defines them is a lot of quirky, big-time flip-flopping, mush-mouth pandering, playing dumb and acting innocent. When it comes down to the issue of citizens’ rights versus global corporate power, though, they’ll both gladly deliver us right into corporate hands.

Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan, on the other hand, offer the voters clear, uncorrupted choices on abortion and solidarity against unlimited corporate power. To say that it is a waste to vote for either the Green Party or the Reform Party candidates in this election is to say that it’s a waste to vote one’s conscience and passion for democracy against utter domination by corporate greed.

PATRICIA CASEY

Fallbrook

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* A wasted vote for Nader brings Bush closer to the White House. Houston, Texas, is the most polluted city in America. He and his family have never cared a nickel about the environment. The Green Party’s agenda is best served by voting for Gore.

BARBARA JONES

San Clemente