Many thanks to Suzanne Broughton of the League of Women Voters for her piece "A Call to Action" (Midweek Perspectives, June 11) regarding the stalled legislation to reform the redistricting process in Pennsylvania. It is a shame that the Post-Gazette has not poured as much ink into this issue as it has lavished on the smoking ban or other pet topics.

The need to end gerrymandering dwarfs almost every other issue. We have so many problems in this state and in this country, it is overwhelming. Yet our dysfunctional state and national legislatures seem incapable of actually doing anything -- except throwing our money around and posturing and pandering. Pick any issue, and the epilogue as to why real solutions or reforms do not occur boils down to political deadlock. To solve almost any public policy problem, we will first have to reform our political systems. This is what is preventing us -- as a state and as a nation -- from adapting and progressing.

I urge everyone to heed Ms. Broughton's call to action and write to their state legislators. They have a duty to serve the interest of the people, not themselves, to end the conflict of interest in the redistricting process. We have to demand action. If we miss this window of opportunity, we are sentenced to another 12 years of business as usual in Harrisburg.

JIM LAWRENCE
North Side

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For a 72-year-old, I'm in reasonably good physical shape (I jog two or more miles several days a week, lift weights, watch what I eat, have low cholesterol, normal blood pressure and so on). I'm in reasonably good mental shape. (I'm retired, but I still teach, publish and give talks on a technically demanding subject.) Judging from my family history, I have a fair chance of avoiding Alzheimer's and related diseases.

John McCain will be 72 next year, and I think I'm one of the codgers he tries to attract when he jokes about his age. As such I can tell you not to expect someone my age to have the mental agility or the powers of memory and recall, attention and concentration needed to make good decisions about complicated issues in rapidly changing situations under the pressures, and in the midst of the distractions, a president must withstand.

When I listen to Sen. McCain repeating himself, forgetting some facts and confusing others, blanking on names and details, I hear a 71-year-old having the troubles with memory deterioration I suffer. When I listen to him losing his way in discussion, I hear someone with difficulties in attention and concentration I know all too well. When I look at Mr. McCain's face on TV, even the lighting and makeup can't hide the kind of fatigue I see in my mirror every day. It's a sad fact that most people in their 70s are no better suited to hold demanding administrative offices than to compete in the pole vault.

Of course there are exceptions. But if you watch Mr. McCain carefully in action you'll see that he's not one of them.

JIM BOGEN
Highland Park

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My cousin handed me an Obama sticker last week. As she knew, I worked my heart out for Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign. I certainly was not ready to have an Obama sticker on my car. Hillary is still there and will remain until I get to know Barack Obama's ideas and plans.

I see the people around me turn their eyes up at Hillary supporters. They define many of us as "those women who can't get over it." Well, it's not so black and white as they would like to think. I am a firm believer in the Constitution and believe that my "whines," as Obama supporters say, are not centered around the sexism flag. I believe in one person, one vote. Our Democratic National Committee has thrown that ideal out the window. Now it is trying to get rid of the roll call at convention. It would be a huge mistake to do so. Sen. Clinton's ideas were supported by many -- universal health care should be on the platform.

It's not about angry losers, it's about a better America. Because I chose not to blindly go to the fold of "change," I want to know what that change is. All change is not good. Sen. Obama speaks the words and does not do the walk. Maybe that will change.

Will I be a McCain supporter? Not likely but maybe. Sen. Obama needs to embrace a combined platform that would benefit us all. My question is, is he smart enough to do this? I hope so. I am one of the 18 million Hillary voters who are closely watching.

LUCI MILLER
Churchill

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The mass media, including the Post-Gazette, have been unfair to Sen. Hillary Clinton during her campaign. Now that it is over, they are fulsome in their praise of her. That is nothing less than rubbing salt in her supporters' wounds, which hardly puts them in the mood to "show the same magnanimity" that she did, as was asked in your June 10 editorial "Hail to Hillary."

N.Z. MALACHIAS
Penn Hills

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Pittsburgh, like other major cities across the United States, would be wise to listen to the warnings from two top engineers at the annual International Bridge Conference held here in Pittsburgh recently ("U.S. Funds for Roads, Bridges in Short Supply, Experts Warn," June 3). Pennsylvania stands to lose $543.5 million in federal funding in the next 12 months for badly needed bridge and road repairs.

Sadly, endless funding for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has resulted in millions of dollars slipping away from programs here at home.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl had the chance to take a pro-active step by stopping yet another war with Iran by signing onto a national mayor's resolution drafted by coalition grass-roots groups. As the coordinator of Codepink Pittsburgh, I was disappointed that his office was not interested. The resolution, sponsored by Codepink, Global Exchange and Mayors for Peace, urges Congress to use diplomacy instead of aggression with Iran, and to date, has the support of at least 17 U.S. mayors along with the sponsorship of Mayor Bob Kiss from Burlington, Vt.

Wars fought and funded thousands of miles away are affecting the safety of our infrastructure and adding to the demise of much-needed social services for our city. Unfortunately, Mr. Ravenstahl can't make this connection.

FRANCINE PORTER
Shaler

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Although I sometimes disagree with his views, I always read the columns by Tony Norman because of the care with which they are written. He is articulate and writes with such descriptive prose that, to me, his columns are usually entertaining and always provocative. I hope he continues writing for the PG for a long time.

RONALD MANN
Pleasant Hills

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I would like to explain to Judith Brown ("Please Tell Us How Another Gun Law Would Be Effective," June 10 letters) how the bill by state Rep. David Levdansky will not be able to stop gun violence but would slow down the number of handguns getting into the hands of criminals.

Handgun violence is the No. 1 problem for our police officers' safety and for public safety right now. The Levandansky amendment makes sense because most handgun crimes are committed with stolen handguns or handguns purchased by people who go into a store, buy a lot of guns and then sell them out of the back of their cars to criminals -- hence the meaning of "straw purchase deals."

I have spoken to many handgun owners. They all agree that having a law requiring a gun owner to report his or her gun lost or stolen makes sense. Just as you would not hesitate to report your car stolen, it is simple and reasonable to do the same thing with your registered gun. The bill, by the way, doesn't mention hunting rifles or hunters. This is limited to handguns. The goal is simple and clear: Get illegal handguns off our streets and help reduce gun violence that affects us all.

I would like Ms. Brown to explain how the sale of assault weapons helps any law-abiding citizen to be safe. The people I know who hunt never use or own such a weapon.

I just can't figure these people out. They're afraid of a simple, reasonable bill and make the public think it is infringing on their Second Amendment rights. They are standing in the way of keeping our police officers, children and the general public safe.

JIM BACHMAN
Squirrel Hill

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I am very concerned that my neighbors in Pittsburgh seem to be against the efforts of our elected representatives to help the police decrease crime, especially armed robbery.

Laws that require reporting of lost or stolen handguns will make it easier for the police to prevent crimes committed with guns.

These laws do not do anything to inhibit responsible citizens from keeping guns. These laws have no effect on appropriate behavior. Such laws only make the use of handguns in crimes more difficult for criminals.

Please help us be safer. I don't want to be the victim of a crime in which a gun is used against me!

B.W. BRANDOM
Highland Park

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