Mosque at Ground Zero is affront to 9/11 families Re: "Religious freedom for Ground Zero," July 23 Steve Chapman's commentary about construction of an Islamic mosque at Ground Zero, as well as your editorial cartoon of Sarah Palin on the same topic, would be valid if there were no Islamic mosques in New York City. However, there are now approximately 100 of them, so in no way can it be said that the city's Muslims would be denied religious freedom if they were prohibited from building another mosque at Ground Zero.

What is clearly intended here is a contemptuous in-your-face slap from the Islamic community to the families of persons who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attack.

No religious group can build its house of worship just anywhere. Clearly, most Americans wish to have Ground Zero remain as a memorial to all who gave their lives on that tragic day. Let us not now insult their memories.

Lawrence K. Marsh
Gaithersburg

Clifton school closing will affect other communities Re: "School closing was neither fair nor transparent," July 20 Why should the closure of Clifton Elementary matter to the community at large in Fairfax County? Because those of you with children in neighboring schools and beyond will likely be affected by any redrawing of boundary lines. Our children will have to go somewhere, and they are likely to be separated in several different schools in the area.

In some instances, there will be a domino effect and some of the children attending those already overcrowded schools will have to move to other schools, and so on. The closure of Clifton essentially means the disruption of several surrounding communities, possibly yours.

Those who have watched this story unfold, thankful that it is not their community school that will be closed, shouldn't get too comfortable. The closure of Clifton Elementary must not be considered as just an isolated issue affecting a single community.

Sue Lawrence
Clifton

America is well on the way to bankruptcy Re: "A cure for the federal debt cancer," Editorial, July 19 Former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, who was appointed to co-chair President Obama's fiscal commission, not only said the $13 trillion national debt is like a cancer from within, he declared that if something isn't done to change course, America is headed for bankruptcy.

Most Americans already know that, but what will likely happen after the November elections is that the lame-duck Congress will push through the rest of Obama's spending agenda, which will push America beyond bankruptcy to hyperinflation and economic death.

Liberal policies are taking us from capitalism, to socialism, to social, political and economic cannibalism. They will eat their own, and have the rest us for dessert.

Daniel B. Jeffs
Apple Valley, Calif.