Caterpillar Protest Is on the Wrong Track

Re “Jews Target Caterpillar Shareholder Effort,” April 13: Protesting Israel’s use of Caterpillar tractors to destroy terrorists’ homes and sanctuaries is equivalent to protesting the fire department because it ruined your carpet and put a hole in your roof while putting out a fire. In both cases, look at the arsonist -- the terrorist -- as the real individual to blame. It is the action of the arsonist that creates the fire damage and the terrorist that leads to actions such as bulldozing homes. Stop the terror and Israel would go back to using the tractors to make the desert bloom.

Dave Schechter

Los Angeles

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Trying to strong-arm Caterpillar into not selling tractors and bulldozers to Israel, whose army may be using them to demolish Palestinian homes, is akin to saying Smith & Wesson shouldn’t be allowed to sell guns because one of them may be used in a crime. Believe me, this is no way to achieve the goals needed to restore peace in that region. This is hardly the reason for that area’s many problems, nor is it any kind of a fix.

And please don’t tell me we have to start somewhere. This started long ago. We’re way past tractors and bulldozers. You may as well go after people and organizations who supply water and food there too.

Daniel V. Shannon

Winnetka