Flying saucers vs. important issues

Re “Back on the radar,” editorial, Dec. 1

I watched the presidential debate in which Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) acknowledged seeing a UFO.

I don’t know Kucinich personally, but I am familiar with some of his work and have developed a strong respect for him.

My reaction to his admission was that I was watching an honest man who was unwilling to craft a lie to appeal to voters.

If debate moderator Tim Russert had asked the candidates if any had had a close encounter with an angel, would The Times have responded to a positive response by subjecting the candidate to ridicule?

Perhaps the purpose of the editorial was to raise the issue of UFOs from No. 847 to No. 846 in the minds of voters. The Times should honor its readers with more attention to crucial issues such as the record mortgage foreclosures, betrayal of the elderly by the Medicare Modernization Act, local efforts to relieve commuters from the high cost of gasoline and the effects of the shrinking dollar on local economies.

Nick Fotheringham

Thousand Oaks

If I’d had a choice in 2003, I would have chosen Kucinich and his UFOs over George W. Bush and his WMD.

E.H. Scarlett

Oceanside