Thank you for the very interesting opinion piece on ads from the 1950s that rightfully are now considered to be completely wrong (“King County bus ad hitchhikes with media,” Andy Hobbs, Jan. 8). Thank goodness that those are gone, and thank goodness that the proposed various ads that were going to possibly run on the Metro buses are not happening, either.

I had the opportunity to see a preview of the original ad demonizing Israel and at least two follow-up counter ads that either demonize the Palestinians or show other disturbing sights, such as a mangled public transportation bus caused by a suicide bomber. At least the last of those three refused ads had a nice picture of a religious Jewish boy smiling with an Arab peer, likely both Israeli — showing that although some want to destroy the lives of others, for the most part people want to see their children grow up in a safe and prosperous environment.

However, I am glad to see that even that ad didn’t run, as there is no place for extending a war that should be resolved between the parties over there on the face of buses halfway around the world. I can imagine the raised eyebrows if the Nazareth public buses, Egged and Dan (the three largest such bus agencies in Israel) would place ads about anything in the Pacific Northwest. Thank goodness the main reason is the essential lack of any centuries-old conflict in our midst; however, we do have other issues nevertheless. To name a few:

1. One of the highest rates of teen pregnancies, even after these dropped steadily in the mid- to late 1990s.

2. Many very capable people out of work for many months, and a very slow recovery in the forecast at this time.

3. Complete disagreement over national concerns, such as how we treat the hated foreigners du jour. Just about every group went through this, from the Quakers in Boston hundreds of years ago to the current focus on portions of the Latino community. The interesting thing about this is that even in the political arena, both parties are completely divided among themselves over this.

4. How do we keep a disaster such as what occurred in the Gulf of Mexico last summer from occurring along our state shores or anywhere around our country?

5. Can we keep the American dream from becoming the American nightmare, where a house is a path to financial ruin instead of family stability?

In conclusion, I would like to once again commend you on the fascinating ads from the “good old times” before common sense has prevailed in our day and age — for the most part.

Haim Strasbourger, Federal Way