Readers React: A focus on postal heroes

Letter carrier Felipe Raymundo moves a tray of mail to his truck to begin delivery Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, at a post office in Seattle.

Oct. 13, 2015 5 AM PT

To the editor: Your story on the heroic actions of nine letter carriers — including two veterans from California — whom we honored for protecting or saving lives on their mail routes closed inexplicably with unrelated, misleading sentences. (“Postal carrier heroics: Saving shooting victims and rescuing people from burning homes,” Oct. 9)

The article said: “Such award ceremonies are meant (also) … to help brighten a struggling agency.” No, the National Heroes annual event always has been about recognizing letter carriers who have gone above and beyond.

The story then raised financial issues and a controversial think tank study calling for partial privatization.

Postal finances, including the Postal Service’s billion-dollar-plus operating profit last year and this year without taxpayer money, merit serious discussion. But that’s not achieved by shoehorning three disjointed paragraphs into a story about letter carriers who risked their lives to help others.

Fredric Rolando, Washington

The writer is president of the National Assn. of Letter Carriers.

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