Comments on columnist Eugene Robinson’s “Balancing individual with community needs” (Aug. 17) and other editorials:

When did it become bad to succeed? Or is it bad when you are a Republican running for president and good when you are a movie star contributing to the president’s re-election fund?

Why is it wrong for Mitt Romney to take advantage of legitimate tax laws, but it is fine to be in this country illegally paying no taxes? Also, Romney has exceeded the legal requirement to file a financial disclosure statement by releasing additional financial information.

Bill Gates and others receive praise for publicly giving money to charities of their choice, but the Romney family is criticized for its private and long tradition of donations to the charities of its choice. Could the objection be that they choose to support their church, which in turn supports many charities around the world?

Why are business owners discredited for their hard work, capital investment, employment of others and taking the responsibility of ownership by being told: “You didn’t build that”? The infrastructure of our country is paid for and maintained by personal and business taxes collected from our citizens. So the answer here is, “Yes, I did build this business.”

Apparently the only issues that can be used against Romney are his faith, his devotion to his family, his love for this country and his financial success.

Robinson has worked hard to arrive at his current position, and I am sure he gives credit to many who opened doors for him and gave him the opportunity to work. If he rode a bus to school, it was an opportunity – but he had to get on the bus. If he has a driver’s license, obtaining that license was an opportunity – but he had to learn drive. He was willing to attend the University of Michigan and to move to San Francisco, Argentina and England. He has a keyboard, but he has to enter the words. Even with all the effort he has put in, if someone had not taken a chance, worked hard, invested capital, employed others, took the responsibility of ownership seriously and built a business called the newspaper, he would not have a job.

Robinson hears Romney saying that the little people don’t contribute and don’t count. I hear: We all count. We are all important. We all deserve a second chance. We all deserve doors of opportunity, but we have to take advantage of the opportunity. We cannot refuse to get on the school bus and then blame the valedictorian because we did not learn. We cannot refuse to study for a driver’s license and then blame the owner of the trucking company because we cannot get a job.

Robinson made choices and has succeeded. I have an idea.

I chose to get married, raise a family and work with my husband to support our family, but I really like to write. How about, for the better good of our society and community, Robinson allow me to be more than a mere cog in the machine by writing his column two days a week? After all, he is a successful writer and even though I haven’t worked for it, I buy newspapers and that should meet his requirements for deserving success.

MARY EARLE

North Manchester