Avoid disastrous Iran attack

From the stream of news leaking out of Washington, D.C., it appears that the administration stands prepared to attack Iran. What hubris and stupidity for them to think they can win this one.

The many ways in which Afghanistan and Iraq are disasters are evident. What assurance do we have this time that their military activity will accomplish a greater good? And what will be the reaction of Iran 's friends and neighbors to us and to Israel when Iran is under fire? Are we prepared to take on the whole Middle East?

Surely good sense would say stay away from Iran. Perhaps there are other more sinister goals that propel the president and vice president. Certainly contemplating a third attack, probably more engulfing and destructive, gives one cause for anger and fear.

-- Greta J. Lindberg, Madison

All of the full-service restaurants in Stoughton are now smoke-free, thanks primarily to the customers and employees who have demanded a healthy environment.

This is true democracy at work, and, to my knowledge, has never been accomplished in other municipalities of similar size without an ordinance.

It 's been a long, hard-fought battle, but the good citizens of Stoughton eventually prevailed.

-- Norman C. Granvold, Stoughton

Don't modify state's nuclear moratorium

Whenever nuclear power is given as an energy option, it makes me scream "No, no, no. " The Governors Global Warming Task Force recommended that the moratorium be modified only when enhanced energy efficiency and renewable policies are in place.

The moratorium was essentially a means to keep Wisconsin citizens safe. No more plants were to be constructed until there was a facility for the disposal of nuclear waste. That 's not unreasonable.

The task force now wants to modify this to say that a new plant only has to show they have a reasonable, stringent and economical plan for disposal. Since there is disagreement across the country as to where that disposal site will be or how safe it will be to get there, I question whether a plan is sufficient to keep us safe.

Monday 's editorial also says nuclear power is cheap, ignoring the costs in human, plant and animal lives involved. Mining for uranium devastates landscapes and contaminates groundwater, and tailings left behind contaminate the air.

Plus, the miners themselves -- for whom jobs to feed their families are more important than their safety -- risk exposure to radioactivity. Once the plants are running, there are the possible radioactive releases, accidents, mistakes and so on.

Let 's not jump into nuclear power until we have looked at all the safer possibilities and, for once, make some personal choices about our use of the fuels we have. Nuclear power may look good, but it 's not good.

-- Cynthia Rose, Madison

Rethink objections to nuclear power

If you believe that climate change is real, Wisconsin needs carbon dioxide-free, baseload electric power, available on demand -- even at night and when the wind is calm.

There are few options to supply that. Coal is what we use now, because it is the only practical alternative to nuclear power. Natural gas and oil are both too expensive and emit carbon dioxide, in addition to their other problems.

The main objections to nuclear power are largely bogus. Would terrorists target them? We now have more than 100 nuclear power plants in operation. Would adding another 100 really add to that threat?

So far, terrorists in England, Spain, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States have attacked "soft " targets like trains, buses, planes, places of worship and shopping areas, which offer a better return of deaths than "hard, " defended targets. Are we to shut down mass transit, churches and malls to thwart terrorists?

Is the "waste " from nuclear power hazardous forever? After a first pass, nuclear fuel rods are removed, not because they have exhausted their fuel, but because reaction by-products block the chain reaction. In other countries, "used " nuclear waste is being reprocessed into new fuel. Why not here?

-- Jim Blair, Madison

Irresponsible to push for nuclear power

Regarding Monday 's editorial espousing nuclear plants as the way to cure our insatiable need for energy, are you crazy? Do you remember the Chernobyl disaster?

I recently read that the Russians are now entombing the reactor area (again) in another concrete sarcophagus because the one they created when it melted down is falling apart due to the radiation that 's still leaking more than 20 years later. Three Mile Island is another disaster closer to home.

How quickly we forget the still unresolved problems related to nuclear energy. It 's a menace, and promulgating its use is irresponsible and stupid. The bottom line is we don 't know how to dispose of the waste, it 's a constant threat to our health, and it 's a target for anyone with a bone to pick.

My guess is most of us would rather take our chances with no electricity whatsoever than go back to the days when blind optimism regarding nuclear energy held sway. It 's a huge hazard and it would only make our problems, and the world 's, worse.

-- Pete Steele, Madison

Accept continuum of autism symptoms

As an adult who is on the autism spectrum and who has family ties to the Madison area, I was interested in your article about autism.

The article states that autism is "increasing at an alarming rate, " with one out of 150 children diagnosed with autism. In my opinion, however, this increasing diagnosis reflects a new understanding that autistic symptoms exist upon a continuum with varying levels of intensity.

I appreciate that your article acknowledges there is a spectrum; however, your examination of statistics must also reflect this fact. People now qualifying for diagnosis have challenges that were ignored among the previous generation, and I speak from first-hand experience.

I view the increase in diagnosis as a cause for celebration because it means that many more people are receiving intervention and support than would have otherwise qualified under the previous rigid standards.

Regarding the statement that people with Asperger 's Syndrome tend to avoid making friendships, I would have liked to make friends but I was rejected and bullied by my peers. I later learned that this is common among children who have AS.

Just as there are challenges, so are there gifts associated with AS and the autism spectrum. Honesty, creativity and an absence of pretension are among the gifts that I cherish.

When Wisconsin increases its services, please do not restrict them only to children and their parents. That invisible generation of adults who are on the spectrum is among you. Please open your eyes and hearts.

-- Cynthia Parkhill, Kelseyville, Calif.