From today's copy of the Rochester Post Bulletin:

Last week's Hot Topic question: "What do you think about the media's coverage of the war in Iraq and the U.S. military's 'embedded' journalist program?"

Here are some of the responses we received:

. . .

Unethical journalism

The media often used the terms "pro-war" and "pro-troops" to mean the same, and therefore perpetuates the myth that to oppose this particular war is to not support our troops. Nothing could be further from the truth, and therefore it's unethical journalism. The vast majority of citizens opposed to this particular war are 100 percent supportive of the troops. There's even a group forming (Parents with Children in Iraq) that's opposed to this war.

Also, why isn't it being more widely reported that relatives of victims of the 9-11 disaster are bringing a class-action law suit against, not Iraq, but Saudi Arabia? Most of those terrorists were Saudi -- none Iraqi.

"Imbedded" journalists, if they're not controlled and maintain their journalistic integrity, are good. They can witness and report the atrocities of war, immediately as it happens.

I'm against this particular war, but, God speed our troops. Win the war quickly, with minimum casualties, and return home soon.

Gene Kivi
Rochester

Deplores word games

Fox news coverage of the attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait was bothersome to me. I have a son in Kuwait.

Headlines repeated that "terrorists" had attacked the camp. They hyped the story, saying it looked like an Iraqi "terrorist" group had snuck across the border to "terrorize" our soldiers. Normally, once you declare war on a country, and launch bombing attacks described by the Pentagon as a "21st century blitzkrieg," you wouldn't label the enemy army "terrorists" because they fight back. Unless you're waging a PR campaign.

Later news updates clarified that it wasn't "terrorists," but a U.S. soldier who launched an internal attack. In my vocabulary, if he is indeed guilty, that soldier fully lives up to the definition of "terrorist."

I can only assume Fox news doesn't believe any American could ever be a "terrorist," no matter how horrendous the crime.

Don't get me wrong. As the mother of one of those soldiers marching into Iraq, I fully support our troops and I love my country. But just as a mother can love her children without approving of or condoning everything they do, I'm becoming more and more ashamed of much of what the current administration is doing. And I deplore the word games the media seems to resort to in order to defend it!

Janet Krueger
Rochester

. . .

Janet Krueger is my mother. Gene Kivi is a friend of hers, and she helped him with part of his letter. Go mommy!