A LEAP OF FAITH
"Could it be that Al Gore has found the most honorable, honest politician? Isn't that more important than Joe Lieberman's religion?" A. JAY BLOCK Gainesville, Fla.
You are right! Al Gore's pick of Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate is historic [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 21]. This election will validate the maxim "regardless of race, color or creed." Never before have voters been given such power; the Gore-Lieberman ticket paves the way to electing, yes, an African American and, yes, a Hispanic to the highest political office. To minorities, I say, "Wake up. Your future is on the line." It's time. Electing them is just the beginning. LILLIAN KEFALOS Pittsburgh, Pa.
The selection of Lieberman, a devout Orthodox Jew, as Gore's running mate must scare poor Yasser Arafat to death. He may realize he had better strike a deal while Clinton is President because there may not be a better opportunity with Gore and Lieberman. Wouldn't it be ironic if the man who chastised Clinton for his sexual transgressions in the Oval Office became the catalyst for handing the President a much coveted alternative to his impeachment legacy as a Middle East peacemaker and possibly even a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize! RENO S. ZACK San Dimas, Calif.
Gore's choice was no more than a political decision to try to use a person with the mantle of Mr. Clean to distract voters from the Clinton-Gore dirt. After denouncing President Clinton but voting against his impeachment, will Lieberman now join Gore in declaring Clinton "one of our greatest Presidents"? That would be real chutzpah. FRANK L. FRABLE Aurora, Ind.
How quickly we all forget--even TIME. Admirable as Gore's selection of Lieberman is, the Senator is hardly the first Jew on a national ticket. That would be Barry Goldwater, the G.O.P. presidential candidate in the 1964 election. DON WATERS Ridgefield, Conn.
His father was Jewish, but Goldwater was reared as an Episcopalian, and he was a member of that church. Goldwater said he did not see himself or his family as primarily Jewish.
My only regret about the Lieberman nomination is that my parents didn't live to see it. PHILIP R. HOCHBERG Rockville, Md.
My roots lie in the pacifist Mennonite tradition. As a spiritual seeker, I have sojourned for a time with many other expressions of faith. My Mennonite, evangelical, reformed Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Quaker heart is warmed by Gore's selection of Lieberman. The integration of Lieberman's beliefs into his life sets a high standard of spiritual practice. Gore's choice exemplifies grace with grit. DORIS LIECHTY LORA Los Angeles
RELIGION ON THE STUMP
Am I the only democrat who is offended by Lieberman's wearing his religion on his sleeve [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 21]? What ever happened to separation of church and state? This is more of a tent revival than an election. H. ALLISON HERGENROTHER Winter Park, Fla.
After Lieberman was tapped as Gore's running mate, he said a public prayer. The partisan audience seemed delighted. If the Republicans had chosen a vice-presidential candidate from, say, the religious right, and he immediately prayed in public, liberals would be outraged. Political correctness in America has fostered a tolerance for minority behavior that would not be condoned in the majority. DORIS O'BRIEN Vandenberg Village, Calif.