Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

Great columns on important topics

Another view?

View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:

Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint.

Columnists - local and syndicated writers.

Letters to the editor - readers' views.

Have your own opinion? Write a letter to the editor.

An appreciative “Well said!” to writers Donald Gregg and David Brooks, and a heartfelt “Thank you!” to the Sun for offering two excellent columns by these authors Wednesday.

Gregg’s sage and thoughtful column “Reaching out to North Korea” provides a sorely needed calm response to both the rhetoric coming out of Pyongyang and the all-too-predictable Washington reaction to date. No one can benefit from another armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula, and the costs would be immeasurable. President Barack Obama has an unusually rare opportunity here to, first, defuse the current situation by offering direct talks with Kim Jong Un and, second, by initiating direct diplomacy, perhaps even breaking the long-term stalemate that has hung over Korea and the adjoining world since 1953. Let’s take the chance!

Similarly, Brooks’ “Celebrating a shackle on civil liberties” provides unusual insight and a refreshing perspective from which to consider the gay marriage debate now before the Supreme Court. Rarely have I found an Edmund Burke quote so aptly applied. But the ramifications of Brooks’ thinking go far beyond this one volatile issue and present a very reasonable platform from which to view the ongoing tug-of-war between personal freedom and personal responsibility.

By printing these articles, the Sun provides excellent direct commentary on two immediate issues of long-term import but simultaneously offers material inviting application of similar rationales to countless related arenas.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy