Dear Mr. President ...

The desire for peace crosses all cultural and religious boundaries

Dear Mr. President

The lives and future of countless Lebanese civilians -- men, women, and children -- are endangered by the disproportionate response by Israel against Lebanon stemming (I have to believe) from the capture of two of its soldiers two weeks ago. I am personally appalled by the indiscriminate bombing campaign(s) well north of any area from which katyusha rockets could be fired against meaningful targets in Northern Israel.

Please, Mr. Bush, take the higher moral ground before it's too late. The last civilian casualty numbers that I hear on CNN and Fox News are on the order of fifteen Lebanese civilians for each Israeli civilian, and most of the Lebanese civilians are dying in areas of southern Beirut (no katyushas there!) and towns well beyond 40 kilometers of the targeted areas in Israel. Only moments ago, I heard that even a UN observation post was bombed (possibly as many as four killed).

Show at least a modicum of equity in human affairs by sending a high-level negotiation team (your father, former Presidents Clinton and Carter and Brent Scowcroft might make a perfect team, with your father as "chairman") to work towards an immediate ceasefire.

I concur with your statement that "Israel has a right to defend itself," but bombing the Beirut International Airport and other infrastructure targets throughout Lebanon goes well beyond "defense."

I have already forwarded an email letter from my niece and a wonderfully written account of her recent "vacation" in Lebanon -- cut short by the Israeli "response" -- which smacks of being a well-orchestrated campaign. She made it clear that Christians and Sunni Muslims (not Hezbollah!) are in some of the most recent areas bombed.

Please do what you can do to end the conflict ... today!!

Sincerely yours

Joseph T. Ryan

To readers of this posting: This letter is already on its way to comments@whitehouse.gov. Word a letter of your own (of course, take what you want from the above letter) that will pass this important message to our President and/or his staff and send it to comments@whitehouse.gov. Who knows? It might be your letter that makes it through the filters at that WH mailbox. MWN (Joe)