I was shocked to read Bill Maher's lauding of Bush's Middle East policy in WW's Q&A interview with Brandon Hartley [March 23, 2005]. Bill says the Middle East is getting "better and better" thanks to Bush's invasion.

WHAT!? One hundred thousand Iraqi civilians are dead after an illegal invasion and occupation based on lies. Over two years after the invasion Baghdad STILL does not even have electricity or running water! Further, the entire U.S. presence there is hiding in a gigantic concrete bunker (the "Green Zone"), completely cut off from the rest of the country-with multiple car bombings and attacks daily. And Israel: nothing like building 30-foot-high reinforced concrete walls around Palestinians. What an improvement (NOT). Also, Bush is about to invade and bomb Iran.

Obviously things are far worse off in the Middle East than they have been for decades-to any thinking person. Maher should get a job at Fox News being the "stupid liberal" for Hannity or O'Reilly to lambaste. Given his half-witted observations on Bush's Middle East policy, he'd be perfect for the role.

Stephen Hitchcock
Northeast 55th Avenue

Waking the Dead

Concerning your Winners & Losers of March 9, 2005: I have little doubt the failed suicide of David Prueitt will be used by anti-Death with Dignity advocates. My question is: How do they reason it out?

If I recall the story, the gentleman subsequently died from his disease at a later date. Had he not attempted an assisted suicide, he would have...died from his disease at a later date. Are they going to express their disappointment that the procedure does not have a lethal rate of 100 percent?

Only if they could show that Mr. Prueitt and/or others suffered additional pain or suffering from a failed dose might they have a bit of a logical toehold.

John Corman
Hillsboro

Window Shudders

As a very out gay man, I was appalled to read Byron Beck's March 23 [Queer Window] column interviewing school-board candidate Dan Ryan. In the first sentence, he mentions all the people vying for positions on the school board. He references the sexuality of only Dan Ryan.

Why is that pertinent to the position? Later in the interview, Beck expresses concern that people will think because Ryan

is gay, he wants to be on the board because of a penchant to molest children.

For quite a while now, Beck's columns have been insignificant-particularly to members of the gay community who otherwise thoroughly enjoy reading WW.

What resonated most for me after reading this piece was that Byron Beck, well meaning though he may be, is so filled with shame and self-loathing about his own sexuality that he is hardly the person to be writing a column "for" the gay community.

Jim Gianakis
Northeast 10th Avenue