Letters to the editor for Tuesday, Aug. 12

I've had a phone conversation with my Ossetian cousin who has relatives in Tskhinvali, the capital of Southern Ossetia. He told me about the terrible, indiscriminate shelling of their town by the Georgian army at the beginning of the conflict. There were numerous victims among the civilian population, mostly the ethinic minority of Ossetians. The center of Tskhinvali is destroyed.

Although Georgia is an ally of the United States and we need to support it, there can be no justification for its leaders to authorize mass bombardment of its own people. What are the chances that after this bloodshed the Ossetians would want to live peacefully in the same country with their Georgian neighbors?

The State Department should warn Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili that he cannot build a democratic state based on coercion and the killing of civilians.

VLAD FRANGULOV, MINNEAPOLIS

The plank in our eye When President Bush was asked about Russia's attack on Georgia, he said that it was unlawful for a country to attack another sovereign nation.

It amazes me that the media have not pointed out the hypocrisy of such a statement. Didn't he attack Iraq and Afghanistan, both sovereign nations?

When asked about human rights in China, the president blamed the government for having prisoners of conscience and torturing detainees.

It is the pot calling the kettle black all over again, and it makes the United States less credible and trustworthy in the eyes of the world. We have to take the plank out of our own eyes before pointing out the speck in other nations' eyes.

THE REV. DON TIMMERMAN,

PARK FALLS, WIS.

Be wary of Kremlin Now that Georgia has unilaterally ceased defending its territory, Russia will continue its march to reassemble the former empire by all means: economic, coercion and military.

About seven years ago, President Bush said he looked into Vladimir Putin's eyes and saw a man he could do business with. I wonder if Bush has finally concluded that those eyes were looking at him and seeing another dupe in the White House who thought he could control the Russian spirit of conquest.

What will the 21st century hold for Russian-Western relations? I don't know, but I do hope that the next president isn't fooled by Kremlin charm and sees Russian ambitions to re-create the Soviet state as a threat to regional peace, to human rights and to American values and global stability.

PAUL C.N. MELLBLOM, MINNEAPOLIS

Hawaii is not just fancy resorts and big beautiful homes. Hawaii, especially the Big Island, has high unemployment, high poverty levels and a huge drug problem. Is it possible that the money spent by Minnesota welfare recipients in Hawaii came from someone returning home to help a sick relative or perhaps attend a funeral?

GERRY STIMMLER, ST. PAUL

Make it tough on them We should make it mandatory that all welfare recipients have ID cards that identify them as such. Their driver's license or state ID card should also be marked so.

Also, since most working families can't afford to go on vacations, welfare recipients should be prohibited from doing so, too. Besides, being on welfare is a permanent vacation of sorts, anyway. Security at the airports and bus and train depots should be required to check IDs of everyone. When they come across a welfare recipient, the person should be detained immediately on suspicion of welfare fraud and should be required to prove that his or her fare was not purchased with benefits.

Poor working families have to budget and spend their earnings wisely, oftentimes forgoing national brands for store or house-brand items and generics. In the same vein, welfare recipients should be required to purchase only generics and store-brand products. Since working families living in poverty can't afford to shop at high-end shops, welfare recipients should also be prohibited from spending their cash benefits at places like Macy's and Nordstrom's.

Just as lawyers and other professionals serving the public have to take periodic continuing education courses in order to renew their licenses, welfare recipients should be required to take courses on using their benefits wisely. They should be required to take a course detailing how, where and on what they can spend their benefits.

In fairness, these requirements should apply to every welfare beneficiary, whether a family unit or a corporation.

TOUFONG VANG, COTTAGE GROVE

Todd was a gentle soul who led our company by impeccable example. He treated us all with respect and kindness, and, in turn, this was reflected in how we treated each other and our wonderful customers.

I personally will miss his calm demeanor during the hectic holiday seasons. He always exemplified graciousness and a serenity that was contagious.

May he rest in peace.

GEORGIA PERGAKIS, BLOOMINGTON

Now just wait a minute! How is it that the Minnesota Republican Party will welcome back someone into the party -- Mark Olson -- who was convicted of domestic assault but, in the same breath, attack Al Franken for merely making a sexist joke?

Hypocrites.