Letters to the editor

U.N. worth the investment

What are people who dislike the United Nations thinking? Some, such as Cal Thomas (“Getting out,” Commentary, Sunday), say the United Nations doesn’t serve our interests. I guess it’s true: We seem to find it against our interests to sign the treaties the rest of the world has on torture, land mines, creating biological weapons, the rights of women and children, the environment and international law.

And no, the United Nations’ interests were not the same as ours, as evidenced by its warnings against a war with Iraq after U.N. inspectors destroyed most of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

Yes, the United Nations is weak — it was, unfortunately, created that way on purpose. The necessary solutions to strengthen it into the strong and effective organization we need are well-known and just require its member countries to exert the will to empower it to deal with world problems.

And yes, there is a U.N. scandal, and, as with the United States’ Halliburton scandal, it will be addressed. Keep in mind that the United Nations costs each American a tiny fraction compared to our military budget.

If we put more resources into the United Nations and share more of the financial and military burden, we could make a secure, healthy and profitable investment for all the world’s citizens.

DEBBIE METKE

Milwaukee

No surprise here

It is not surprising that the president of the United States declined to meet with Italian Cabinet member Rocco Buttiglione (“Buttiglione cites ‘anti-Christian’ fad,” World, Sunday). Rather than crying religious persecution, perhaps Mr. Buttiglione should consider his religious and ethnic bigotry and his discriminatory actions toward immigrants in his native Italy the source of his discomfort.

Mr. Buttiglione, quoted in Le Monde, says certain groups have a “high level of criminality,” unlike “those who are Catholic and Christian,” a point he wants taken into account for fixing quotas for immigration into Europe. In defending Catholic religious symbols in Italian public schools, he demeaned Muslims in a BBC Online article: “In my opinion, the cross should stay and … it’s not up to a crazy Muslim activist to forbid it. It’s our business, not his.” He also has proclaimed in the Los Angeles Times that AIDS is “divine punishment for homosexuality and drug use.” In each of these cases, he has gone beyond the personal expression of these views and opposed legislation that would respect the rights of migrants, religious minorities and homosexuals. His views are not simply those of a conservative Catholic; they are unacceptable bigotry.

His offensive positions and statements doomed his nomination as commissioner-designate for freedom, security and justice to the European Parliament because, as Josep Borrell, the president of the European Parliament, stated, “It does not seem to me that in this day and age we can have people in charge of justice — especially justice — who think like that.”

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