To the Editor:

Tired of the holiday shopping and fighting for the best deals on Christmas gifts? In my opinion, you should take the family to a performance at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery.

Currently running on the festival stage is &8220;Beauty and the Beast.&8221;

The Disney play is an excellent relief from the shopping malls and it has a great theme as well.

The moral of the play is you can’t judge a book by its cover you must look inside it for its true meaning.

There is a lot of music, dance and some comedy in this play. It is very colorful and there is a lot of movement on stage. There are more than 60 in the cast of the play and it will hold your attention for two plus hours of entertainment.

This play is for the whole family.

Young and old, rich and poor and black and white will all enjoy the performance of &8220;Beauty and the Beast.&8221;

ASF brought this play to Montgomery to give families a reason to come to the theater together and enjoy a play together.

Call the ASF box office at 1-800-841-4273 for tickets and information on tickets and group rates. The play runs through Dec. 23, 2006.

Be sure and ask about large print programs if you need one.

They will be glad to accommodate you in seating and programs for the visually impaired. If you have any other accommodations that need to be met, be sure and let them know.

They will be glad to assist you.

That is the way I see it.

William H. Bowman

Iraq no place for American troops

To the Editor:

In early November, an editorial calling for Donald Rumsfeld to be replaced as secretary of defense, showed up simultaneously in the Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, and Marine Corps Times.

Distributed to members of the U.S. armed forces throughout the world, these publications stated that President Bush must &8220;face the hard bruising truth [that] Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress, and with the public at large.&8221;

Only days earlier, Mr. Bush stated that he wanted both Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney to remain in their posts for the remaining two years of his administration.

As he spoke, more troops were being killed and wounded in a war that has degenerated into a civil conflict between Muslim factions competing for power.

Then, one day after the Republicans suffered what Mr. Bush himself called a &8220;thumping&8221; on Election Day, Rumsfeld’s resignation was announced.

To replace him, Mr. Bush turned to Council on Foreign Relations veteran and former CIA Director Robert Gates, a move that does not bode well for the troops caught in a civil war between Islamic factions.

Iraq is no place for American forces no matter who is secretary of defense.

Frank M. Pelteson

Las Vegas, Nev.