In his Point-Counterpoint entitled "Ohio has failed the world," Zaied Ali presents an intelligent, insightful analysis of the American election and the state of the US electorate. However, I am baffled by this sentence: "Although I do not believe my day-to-day life will change because of this election, it will most certainly affect other people around the world." Yes, his day-to-day life certainly will change. Extreme weather will cause more and more natural disasters as the Greenhouse Effect rages unabated. His health care costs will skyrocket and the quality of his care will deteriorate. He may never collect Medicare or Social Security, meaning he will have only his own savings to rely on for comfort in his old age. As a person of colour in the US, he is likely to be falsely arrested and/or hassled by authorities. If he has children, they will face college tuition costs that may be prohibitively high, and they may be drafted into the military. His energy costs will go through the roof as he attempts to commute to work, keep warm in those Minnesota winters, and stay cool in the summer. The air he breathes and the water he drinks will become more polluted than they are now. He may never see another butterfly. And it is likely that his country of residence will be embroiled in catastrophic and prolonged multiple wars.

Paula Berinstein Thousand Oaks, California, USA

I am writing this letter in regards to an article I read in your online paper. It was titled "Ohio has failed the world" http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/11/07/d41107150291.htm. I would like to state my disagreement with the sentiments expressed in the article & the reasons why I feel the way I do. First of all I am a Christian; I live in a rural community in Arkansas and I voted for President Bush. The reason I voted for Mr. Bush, as the article states because of my moral convictions; but it was not because I was blinded by them. I, and obviously the majority of Americans, place these values above other issues because they are more important. If life is devalued at any level (i.e. abortion, euthanasia etc.) then it is devalued at all levels. We do need reforms in many areas: health care, social security, environmental protection/conservation, & the economy in general. Why do we strive for these things? To what end? We do this in order to benefit ourselves and our families. But if our families are "redefined" and rendered obsolete then our very foundation is shattered and all that we strive for pointless. We recognise that we are not just an advanced animal fighting for survival on this planet; but rather we are human beings, that we have a divine creator, and as such we have a purpose. It is in this purpose that we find peace. I realise that President Bush is not perfect, far from it. But I also realise that he values things that are truly important, issues that will affect our children & our grand children. John Kerry didn't/does not, if he did I would have voted for him. It is in this spirit that we voted the way we did. You may not agree with it and I don't expect you to, I simply want you to understand that we as Americans were not blinded in our decision; on the contrary we were well informed and we made an informed decision. I pray that these next four years will be peaceful and prosperous for our nation and the nations of the world.

JDH, On e-mail

Zaied Ali has completely missed the point in his article "Ohio has failed the world".

One should not vilify an entire region simply for expressing beliefs that run counter to the authors. To vote for their chosen political candidate is their constitutional right.

Mr. Ali, as a university student you should have learned of the slippery slope you so carelessly tread in engaging in broad sweeping generalisations, i.e. labelling those who cast their vote for Bush "stupid". Sure your major isn't child psychology? This article represents poor sportsmanship at its worst and lacks any semblance of critical thought or any of the tenants of academic debate...both are methods Mr. Ali should have studied before considering himself the sole expert on all Americans and their respective walks of life.

In writing this article he reveals his personal misconceptions about American social geography and expresses a politically-self-righteous, arrogant attitude all too familiar in the uninformed, partisan politics of today. Which I believe is precisely why Kerry did not win Ohio he probably viewed the inhabitants of that state with the same condescending attitude and contempt the author has so eloquently managed to muster on behalf of Americans he neither knows nor understands.

Mr. Ali, you're familiarly with the rhetoric of negativity and poor grasp of the American political system is contemptible. Do us a favour, quit writing and stay in school.

B Pogson An Informed Democrat On e-mail

Mr Ali's article, "Ohio has failed the world" was published in your point-counterpoint section. He has made his point. I respectfully submit a counterpoint.

Mr. Ali's characterisation of Ohio as a small insignificant state in middle America would no doubt incense any Ohioans who might have bothered to read it. Insulting references to my fellow Americans aside, I find this article to be nothing more than the angry rant of a misinformed, and peevishly immature individual.

Mr. Ali's repeated assertions that the President of the United States is a known liar are more than irritating. They are borderline slanderous. Can Mr. Ali provide one instance where Mr. Bush has lied? Oh yeah... I know, the statements about Saddam having weapons of mass destruction. Does Mr. Ali understand the difference between being wrong, as Mr. Bush was in this instance, and prevarication?

A lie requires intent to mislead, and knowledge that the statement is false. An excellent example of lying can be found by reviewing Mr. John Kerry's testimony before Congress wherein he alleged that he was exposed daily to American military atrocities in Vietnam.

Throughout the article, Mr. Ali implies that those of us who voted for Mr. Bush are ignorant religious zealots who only voted for Mr. Bush because of his religious and moral views. I, for one, am neither ignorant nor religious. I choose to vote Republican because I believe that we need less government, not more. I choose to vote Republican because I believe that businesses in our great nation need all the breaks they can get so they can flourish, thus creating new jobs and stimulating the economy. And yes, if I wish to carry a firearm in public places, I will because that is my right. A right forged in fire by those who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

I could just as easily write an article entitled "Ohio has the world". The American electorate has spoken. Mr. Ali does not seem to have any real understanding of the American psyche. That's OK, he doesn't have to. Ignorance is not a crime in this country. Maybe one day he'll get it.

Bruce Irle, Hillsboro, Virginia

People didn't vote for Bush because he was against gay marriage. That's the media giving you excuses. The reason Kerry lost, was because he was weak on defence. He was all talk, but 20 years of public service showed he was against war. So how can he win a war that he is against to begin with? If the USA is forced to go to war against Iran, and Kerry was President, how do you think it would go? Well, per his track record this is how. After months of battles, the US is winning of course. But the US Soldier death toll begins to mount. People ignorant of why the war is occurring, begin to scrutinise the deaths. Death is bad. Therefore war is bad...we must stop the WAR!!!! So President Kerry listens to their plea...and stops the war....he wants people to like him.

So now….how are we going to sanction ANYBODY, if they have no respect in us. If they think we have no backbone. We need to be strong to be the world leader.

As for the President lying to us. Have you ever heard of "You can't handle the truth"? Sometimes keeping things from the public is a matter of national security. This is not a new occurrence. If a president is telling you one thing.. and it appears to be a lie, there very well could be a legitimate reason for it. Did you ever think that in order to keep things from Terrorist "intelligence", you must first keep it hidden from the public.

I am just tired of writers like you belittling our president. Terrorist read these papers too. Where's your national pride? Osama Bin Laden was quoting Michael Moore's movie. Shouldn't that bother you guys? But truth is, you guys just want your narrow minded opinions to be heard. Its your right too, free speech. Well In case you didn't notice, freedom is what that Liar President Bush is trying to impose on the world. Think about it.

Esparza Robert, On e-mail