THE WASHINGTON TIMES

EDITORIAL: Miss America changes damage pageant

"A pretty girl is like a melody/ that haunts you night and day/You can't escape, she's in your memory/by morning, night and noon/She will leave you and then come back again/a pretty girl is just like a pretty tune." Published June 5, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Can we force civility?

The Supreme Court should be most concerned about encouraging civility ("Colorado baker who won Supreme Court case says he's 'thrilled' with outcome," Web, June 5). For people of faith, weddings are inherently loaded with religious significance. Thus the issue of artists using their craft to create celebratory symbols for weddings inherently involves freedom of speech and religion issues. Published June 5, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Clapper changed tune

Daniel Gallington's otherwise comprehensive exposure of "The political polarization of intelligence" (Web, June 5) leaves out Jim Clapper's change of tune from the time Mr. Clapper was director of national intelligence in 2017 to the time he became a CNN commentator in 2018. Mr. Clapper is now certain that Vladimir Putin and the Russian government made the difference in electing President Trump in 2016. Published June 5, 2018

EDITORIAL: The names we inherit say a lot about who we become

A lot of people don't like their names, even good, solid, substantial names like Woodrow, Arthur or Gertrude. Particularly, apparently, "Arthur." Names can predict fortune. June brides, dreaming of making children, might one day regret choosing something cute, such as naming a daughter "Chastity," or a son "Shirley." They could keep this in mind. Published June 4, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Heed Europe’s lesson

The terrorist bombings in Belgium and the terrorist attacks in New York, France, Germany, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. are all indicative of the violent Islamic extremism now pervading the world. Muslim attacks on non-Muslims have proliferated in Europe over the years. Europe murdered 6 million Jews and now has 50 million Muslims. European countries should stop absorbing immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa and deport potential terrorists. Published June 4, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Gas cost not all that’s changed

I remember when gasoline cost 12 cents per gallon ("Washington blame games: Democrats fault Trump for spike in gas prices," Web, May 27). But a lot was different in those days: There were five Washington newspapers, two morning and three evening. Four of them cost 5 cents for the daily and 10 cents for the Sunday sections. The fifth, The Washington Daily News, was smaller and cost 3 cents, with no Sunday edition. Published June 4, 2018

EDITORIAL: Domestic espionage is actually more than a quibble over semantics

Enemies of Donald Trump made a big mistake when they sent a spy into the midst of the Republican candidate's campaign. Their secret agent was no debonair figure in the mold of "Bond, James Bond," but a rotund and affable academic with no trailing retinue of femmes fatale. There will be no winning over of American public opinion on fashion points, and so the legitimacy of shadowy enterprise will rise or fall on its own merit, which appears to be not much. Published June 3, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Allies remain too reliant on U.S.

In just a few days in 1944, American troops, along with our allies, stormed ashore in France to crush Nazi aggression. Later that decade, the Marshall Plan essentially rebuilt Europe from the ground up. It seems that ever since that time our "allies" have assumed that the Marshall Plan was to be a lifetime contract ("Trump tariffs on U.S. allies draw retaliation threats," Web, May 31). Published June 3, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Memo to Hillary: Let go

At a recent Yale University graduation speech, Hillary Clinton admitted that she is still not over losing the 2016 presidential election. Does it ever end? She even has sweet little daughter Chelsea on an eviscerating rant against President Trump during her current book tour of the United Kingdom. Published June 3, 2018

EDITORIAL: Lettuce revives after an e. coli scare

Green is good. It's the favorite color of the environmentalists, and everything green is the craze of the politically correct. Many a clever shopkeeper, taxicab operator and entrepreneur has set out to "go green," joining the craze with little more than a brush and a can of paint. If green is good, it nevertheless needs a little marketing genius. Published May 31, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Tax law benefits Trumps first

I identify as a liberal, so I was interested in what J.T. Young had to say about what he believes I think ("Why liberals hate the Trump tax cut," Web, May 22). Published May 31, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Navy commanders not to blame

The real culprit of the U.S. Navy's lack of readiness isn't in the dock ("USS Fitzgerald commander says Navy staged public smear campaign in deadly collision," Web, May 22). It is the presidency of Barack Obama. It was the Obama administration's penny-pinching defense budgets that created the Navy's unpreparedness. Published May 31, 2018

EDITORIAL: Turkey grows more estranged from U.S.

Only yesterday, Turkey was considered a candidate for membership in the European Union, a reliable friend of the West. Turkey was reasonably modern, forward looking, and Western oriented. Turkey was already a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and membership in the EU would only cement its alliance with the West. Published May 30, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: ‘Protesters’ mostly terrorists

Thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed in Syria by a combination of the Syrian armed forces, Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. In addition, devastation has been brought to their neighborhoods. Yet American media coverage of this has been almost absent. Published May 30, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Where’s the 91-octane?

Driving into a gas station to purchase premium gasoline for an automobile requiring it is now almost impossible. Just about all the consumer can find is "super premium" or some other, equivalent-named product that has more octane than the automobile requires. Published May 30, 2018

EDITORIAL: Nation’s mood lightens for summer

Summer signals the arrival of happier days -- more sun, more fun and more all-around good vibes. It isn't officially summer yet, but it's close enough to taste. Memorial Day is behind us and that means it's a good time to measure "the mood of America." Published May 29, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: GOP should offer climate fixes

During a recent hearing of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Rep. Mo Brooks, Alabama Republican, claimed that Antarctica will have more ice because of global warming. However, Mr. Brooks highlighted ice gains from increased precipitation while ignoring the continent's greater loss of ice caused by melting. Published May 29, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: U.S. not only ‘safe’ nation

The long-standing and salient principle of international law on asylum is that those seeking it beyond their own border are supposed to make their claim for sanctuary in the "first safe country" they come to. Even if we ignore any intervening Central American countries, the caravan of 1,000 illegals may have traversed on their way to the United States, it's clear the foreign travelers arrived at a viable asylum country when they reached Mexico. And some did claim asylum there. Published May 29, 2018

EDITORIAL: Greed, rampant socialism reduce Venezuela to ruin

Viva la revolution — or something. Alas, the slow-motion catastrophe that is the Venezuelan revolution shows no signs of abating. It keeps going, going and going, and in ever steeper descent. Published May 28, 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Iran wouldn’t risk more casualties

While some assume that our more aggressive Iran policy may lead to war in the not-too-distant future, the odds are that not only will it not lead to war, but it may help us avoid future wars, too ("Peace in the Middle East," Web, May 20). Contrary to the claims of our allies, which are party to the Iranian nuclear agreement, the terms of that document do not prevent the almost immediate possession of nuclear weapons by Iran and the means to deliver them. Published May 28, 2018