Family Values Filtered Through Prism of War

Re “Fun in a Flak Jacket,” Commentary, May 19: Our family, and probably most families, is the same as Diana Wagman’s. My son, 14, and daughter, 11, sit at dinner talking about their days at school, music lessons, etc. And I would be terrified if one of our relatives or friends intended to go to Iraq, for fear they could be killed; no civilians belong there. But beyond that we are different.

We trust our president and his reasons for going to war to protect our country, and do not think that he makes his decisions for the selfish purpose of enriching his corporate friends. My son knows that the American people should stand behind their president during war rather than protest against him and play into the hands of our enemies, who try to manipulate the political divide in this country to their advantage. It is amazing how two families who seem to care deeply about their children and country could arrive at such different conclusions.

Michael Carr

Pasadena

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So Wagman woke up and realized that the man beside her for the last 20 years was somewhat contemptuous of “chicks.” (He is also out to a Hollywood lunch if he thought a reality show about troops in Iraq would fly. It would -- like a Black Hawk helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.)

Now, this industry wife must do with her marriage what President Bush must do with Iraq: Cut the losses and pull out. Like Bush, she’ll probably stay because there is too much (money) at stake. Now I know why conservatives find Hollywood liberals so annoying.

Christopher Dill

Los Angeles

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The horror, the horror, the horror. Wagman must send her husband to a reeducation camp lest his heretical, capitalistic thoughts contaminate the children, who are so politically correct they listen to National Public Radio.

Please tell me this commentary is only comic relief and not one of Los Angeles Times Editor John Carroll’s examples of great journalism (“Pseudo-Journalists Betray the Public Trust,” Opinion, May 16).

Lydia Granger

Palm Springs

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To Wagman’s husband: What were you thinking?

Don’t you realize that it is exactly this type of knee-jerk thought process -- hey, let’s see how we can turn the misfortunes of others into more gold for ourselves -- that engenders such hostility toward the United States?

I suggest you go hug and kiss your wife, ask -- no, beg -- her to forgive you for your temporary delusion and, to show your sincerity (and save your marriage), start a foundation with your Hollywood buddies that will fund programs in Afghanistan and Iraq that teach young men how to fix cars, buses, machinery and generators that will provide transportation, electricity, construction equipment and jobs in those two shattered countries.

Liz Fautsch

Encinitas