Readers Write (Oct. 24): The campaign, marriage amendment, orchestras

I find President Obama's "blame Bush" strategy to be faulty at best, as if to imply that there is no difference between President George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. Were Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter similar presidents? No, and every Republican is not Bush. It's time for Democrats to let it go and move on. After all, Reagan didn't spend his entire first term blaming Carter for the mess he inherited, and Clinton didn't continue Carter's policies.

MIKE HENDEL, COON RAPIDS

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I would ask the candidates: Do you have any investments in the private military defense industry? Romney has stated that he would build or increase the U.S. military. He has wide-ranging investments. Would he profit from the influx of new U.S. tax dollars into the defense industry? There is a precedent. Former Vice President Dick Cheney personally profited from revenues made by his companies' government contracts during the Iraq war and in the building of the Guantanamo Bay facility. We do not need another administration using the Oval Office as a personal cash register.

SHERI SMITH, ST. PAUL

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I will vote for any candidate who does not have a commercial for the next two weeks.

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At what point in time has the Catholic Church ever been a "she" ("It is right for the church to speak out," Oct. 23). When I read this word attached to the Catholic faith in the article, I took offense. "She" has always been property in the eyes of the church and has been used throughout the centuries to provide servitude and heirs. "She" did not and does not have the freedom within the Catholic faith to make choices for herself, and "she" cannot be a priest, bishop or pope. "She" had to fight for the right to vote here in the United States and is still being suppressed around the world today (Malala Yousufzai). "She" is so low on the Richter scale that when she makes any noise or tremors, she is immediately quieted. It appears that it is again time to "fight" for the right to be free to choose one's partner in life using each individual's personal conscience without being badgered by the "he" factor. I think that if any religion wants to get involved in politics, that religion should lose its nonprofit status and pay its fair share in taxes.

KATHLEEN BALABAN, MINNEAPOLIS

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When considering how to vote on the marriage amendment on Nov. 6, I wish everyone would consider one thing: young people. Teens and preteens who are struggling with their sexual identity are often confused, socially isolated and even despondent because of bullying, prejudice and ignorance. They don't need another message from voters and the Legislature that says they are so different from heterosexuals that a special amendment had to be passed singling them out. It's hard enough growing up under any circumstances these days. Let our kids grow up, fall in love with whom they choose and get married if they want to do so.

LARRY SMITH, EAGAN

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It sounds like the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra scored a success with their concert last week. Maybe they've finally hit on a business model that works for classical music: Ask your soloist, conductor and musicians to work for free, and you just may be able to pay the marginal costs of putting on a concert! In this economy, wouldn't it be smarter to accept a $90,000 annual paycheck plus 10 weeks' vacation, be grateful for employment you love and head back to work?

DAN ANDERSON, VADNAIS HEIGHTS

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