On choosing Rick Warren

Re “One bridge that shouldn’t be built,” Opinion, Dec. 22

I give kudos to Katha Pollitt’s reportage but not her conclusion.

Pollitt’s examples perfectly limn Rick Warren’s odious disposition. But I say let’s give the 1st Amendment its due. Barack Obama’s choice for preacher certainly fulfills his pledge to transcend partisanship.

If, at the same time, his choice drives Pollitt and other like-minded people to expose Warren’s history of sanctimonious speech, then Obama will have given all Americans (Democrat and Republican alike) something a president hasn’t offered in eight years: two sides to a story.

Kevin T. Freeman

Rancho Cucamonga

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Standing far, far left of center, I have to admit that Obama’s choice of Warren to give the invocation has been a bitter pill to swallow.

However, when I read Pollitt’s suggestion that it would be as if John McCain had offered the honor to the Rev. Al Sharpton, I realized just how wonderful that would be.

Maybe Obama has done the right thing.

Elizabeth Thompson

Coronado

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I take comfort in knowing there are others out there who are as insulted, angry, disillusioned and disappointed as I am with his choice.

Thank you to Pollitt and The Times for helping me channel my feelings.

Lynette Sperber

Sherman Oaks

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I find it highly appropriate that Pollitt writes a column in the Nation called “Subject to Debate.”

I hope to use her Times Op-Ed in my future debate classes as an assignment in fallacy identification. I stopped counting the fallacies in the article when I reached double digits. I hope the next volley fired in the culture war will aim to have fewer internal contradictions, false analogies and arguments framed so unfairly.

Gary Rybold

Mission Viejo

The writer is debate coach at Irvine Valley College.