Pondering the President's Words

President Bush calls upon the American people to give thanks that "we were spared the terrible consequences of a long and protracted struggle" in the Persian Gulf war. For this we should be thankful. However, for the people of Iraq the war continues. An estimated 170,000 Iraqi children will die this year from malnutrition. How can we give thanks for a war, no matter how short, that has brought poverty, hunger, and despair to hundreds of thousands of innocent people - even if they are not American? I challenge the president to devise a plan to help the people of Iraq who have not been "spared the terrible consequences" of the war, and not just be thankful for those who have. Jennifer Hickey, North Adams, Mass. Letters are welcome. Only a selection can be published, subject to condensation, and none acknowledged. Please address them to "Readers Write," One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115.