I am grateful to read that 14-year-old Stanley Mitchell (BDN letter, Sept. 16) is ready and eager to do battle with Saddam Hussein whom he describes as a “modern-day Hitler.” Hussein has not threatened another nation for 10 years and has no connection to the Sept. 11 tragedy, but never mind. While we are ridding the world of thuggish, brutal leaders, why stop with Iraq? China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Burma, Guatemala and a long list of African nations would qualify for a regime change if we are talking about nasty regimes that murder and repress their own people.

In any case, it’s comforting to know that young people today are sanguine at the prospect of saving face and oil for George Bush and his “oiligarchy” at the cost of lives, the hostility of the Muslim world and the wreckage of our economy. Since Bush insists on cutting taxes to the wealthy, even as he pours tax dollars into the military, the crush of the deficit will fall most heavily on young people such as Stanley.

Laurie Nicholson

Stonington