The madness was in Washington; the magic was in St. Louis

While many listened to the "religious" (really a thinly veiled political) ranting and self promotion of Glenn Beck last weekend with arguments about who owns the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message, civil rights and who was racist, a beautiful thing was happening in St. Louis: The annual Festival of Nations sponsored by the International Institute was held in Tower Grove Park.

Thousands of people of every race, color, religion or non-religion, age, size and ethnic group turned out to celebrate and be happy together on a lovely day.

I saw people helping strangers, same-sex couples holding hands, interracial couples handing out flyers, kids of all ages, costumed dancers and a lot of happy smiles. We ate Indonesian food, drank margaritas and bought candles from an Iranian vendor, a skirt from an Indian vendor and a bracelet from a Nepalese vendor. We watched Americans and hopeful immigrants having picnics and admiring each other's babies and pets.

Those who traveled to Washington to "bring America back" should have come to St.Louis last weekend. America was alive and well, and Mr. King's dream never was more apparent.

Maryann Mace • Ballwin

Heal the rifts

Glenn Beck was reborn last weekend. Gone were his usual vile assertions against Democrats, liberals and the U.S. government. In their place was an a call for all Americans to unite to heal the rifts that are dividing the country and damaging its very soul.

Since Mr. Beck's "Restoring Honor" event was announced, critics had been charging that holding the event on the anniversary of and at the site of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historical "I Have a Dream" speech would be a desecration of Mr. King's memory. This proved not to be the case. Mr. King and his fight for civil rights were lauded throughout the program, and his niece was present and delivered a stirring sermon in the spirit of her uncle.

Mr. Beck's message of unity, honor and justice set a high standard for all of us, especially Mr. Beck himself. Will he revert to his flame-throwing self? Will he work instead for what's best for America? It will be interesting to see which side of Mr. Beck triumphs.

But for now, Mr. Beck deserves our applause. His message of unity and the need to restore America's honor deserve to resonate across the land. Considering the enormous problems that face us, it is time that we set aside our divisions and begin to work together for the common good.

Jeff Klayman • St. Louis County

Taken to extremes

I was glad to see Bill McClellan apply the H.L. Mencken quote "When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and waving a cross" to Glenn Beck in the column "Rights and wrongs at Glenn Beck rally" (Aug. 30).

Mr. Beck often uses the slippery-slope argument to link liberals to communists because, for example, "both want a more progressive taxation system."

However, the Mencken quote highlights that the same standard can be applied to Mr. Beck. Taken to their extremes, patriotism becomes nationalism and religion becomes fundamentalism. Put them together and you get Iran under the Ayatollah.

And oh my gosh, Mr. Beck follows Jesus, who, like the Ayatollah, was a Middle Eastern guy with a beard. What is Mr. Beck hiding?

Matt Winschel • Florissant

Limited resources

The article "Jobs are top issue in Senate battle" (Aug. 29): described the positions on job creation of both of our candidates for senator — U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, the Republican candidate, and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, the Democratic candidate.

Both favored extending the tax cuts to the wealthy enacted under President George W. Bush. Why would we give help to the nation's richest taxpayers when it would increase our deficit $680 billion over the next decade?

Ms. Carnahan argued that this is no time to raise taxes and that the economy hasn't gotten better. It hasn't gotten better since the cuts were enacted. In fact, it got worse under Mr. Bush.

But I definitely agree with Ms. Carnahan that the Earned Income Tax Credit expansion should be extended. There are not enough adequate-paying jobs to bring all the people in America out of poverty. Until there are, we need to help the people who are working hard and still not able to make ends meet. The EITC expansions in 2009 allowed families with three or more children to receive a larger credit and reduced the marriage penalty by increasing the income limit for married filers.

In 2009, the EITC lifted 6.6 million people above the poverty line. Let's use our limited resources where they are most needed.

Gayle Lyles • St. Peters

Golden words

Two commentary pieces on Aug. 26 reflected the extremes of the essential and the asinine: Colleen Carroll Campbell's "'Personhood' theory endangers human rights" and Ellen Goodman's "90th-anniversary special." Ms. Campbell's share of the page was solid gold, while Ms. Goodman's share served merely to keep the parakeet-cage liner from being blank. It should be noted, however, that a blank page would have been less vacuous than Ms. Goodman's brain-dead drivel.

The only right that was honored in Ms. Goodman's waste of ink was her freedom to embarrass herself overwhelmingly, which she is permitted to do every time the paper gives her a platform for her intracranial black hole pap.

Bill Wigand • Ste. Genevieve

Old tactic

In her column "'Personhood' theory endangers human rights" (Aug. 26), Colleen Carroll Campbell highlighted an old tactic in social debate: labeling any undesired social initiative as "religion interfering in politics." The arguments that our current abortion policy makes women more susceptible to being used devalues the lives of both the born and unborn and eliminates a daunting proportion of our country's future talent and citizenry every year are all secular.

The fact that churches take a stand on abortion makes that subject no more a religious crusade than the church-organized and minister-led civil rights movement.

If Planned Parenthood wishes to lobby against providing comprehensive, medically accurate information before a major procedure, it needs to find an argument other than the religious one.

Bryan Kirchoff • St. Louis

Imposed beliefs

I was surprised by Colleen Carroll-Campbell's column "'Personhood' theory endangers human rights" (Aug. 26). Her logic-chopping usually is more subtle.

Contrary to Ms. Campell's thesis, those who support choice are not attempting to shift the discussion from science to philosophy. Some undoubtedly are responding to the tendency of the anti-abortion coalition to base their contentions in religious philosophy.

The fertilized egg is living tissue and represents the beginning of the process of creating a human life. This is uncontested, as are most facts about the stages of fetal development. This is the science, and it is neutral.

The controversy arises when we attempt to determine when in the process of development an embryo or fetus becomes a "person," or otherwise takes priority over the needs of the woman carrying it. Some say that point occurs at the moment the egg is fertilized; others argue that it is when the fetus becomes sentient; for still others the crucial point is when the fetus becomes viable. There are many other answers, all of which reflect individual belief systems.

It is inherent in the question about when a developing life truly becomes a 'separate, unique, living human being" that it cannot be answered without reference to personal belief, which is why those who think it wrong to impose their beliefs, religious or otherwise, on others are pro-choice.

Willy Kessler • Ballwin