Editor,

I must totally disagree with your editorial "Try to keep your promise," Oct. 3, about Promise Keepers. I think it is a wonderful thing that a few men have the courage and strength to stand up in front of the world and take responsibility for their families.

Promise Keepers are not trying to put women down; they are learning and committing to being the fathers and husbands God has called ALL men to be.

The Bible has specific instructions on how a man should take care of his family. PK deals with the issues MEN face and have to deal with.

For this reason only, women are not permitted in the events.

I watched some of the live coverage on the "Stand in the Gap" event this past weekend, and these men are not putting themselves on a pedestal as you say they are; they are falling on their knees and humbling themselves in front of God and the entire world.

Even though the men in my life are not official members of the PK organization, as a woman, a daughter and a fiancee, I am proud my father and fiancˇ have made the commitment to my family, me and most importantly, God, to be the faithful, loving and supporting fathers and husbands God has called them to be.

Melissa Wallace
mw228795@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Admirable support

Editor,

Was there more behind the editorial on the United Nations "A myriad of money uses," Oct. 1, than a need to match the topic of your syndicated cartoon?

There certainly didn't seem to be. It was rather irresponsibly written and really pretty disappointing. A few of your facts were approximate at best. And more importantly, you missed, or ignored, the motivation behind Ted Turner's incredible donation.

First, to clarify, the $1 billion (or, rather, the value of certain amounts of Time-Warner stock over a 10-year period; $1 billion is the expectation) is not being given to the United Nations. The United Nations can't accept donations from individuals; therefore, Turner will create a foundation which will then distribute funds to various U.N. causes.

In the speech to the United Nations Association of the United States of America in which he announced the donation, he made it clear that "this (donation) is not going to go for administration. This is only going to go for programs - programs like refugees, cleaning up land mines, peacekeeping, UNICEF for the children - and for diseases; we're going to have a committee that will work with a committee of the U.N. The money can only go to U.N. causes."

But this is a technicality. I am more concerned with The Post's implication - no, wait, I can quote it directly - that "even keeping the money could have ended up better than giving to the United Nations."

I'm thinking that someone was staring at a computer screen, specifically the two inches of blank space still remaining in the editorial column and merely poked a little fun at Turner. I hope that's all it was.

Ted Turner is giving away about a third of his net worth. Whether to the United Nations or The Post's Hocking Hills department, such a contribution is admirable. The United Nations will do more good with $1 billion than it would with $0; over the next ten years, plenty of needy people will realize that.

Beau Boughamer,
OU Students for the United Nations vice president
beau@broadcast.net