Randy Silvers, of Tempe, Arizona, writes: "Rich as the English language is, it seems to lack one word that might ease tensions in many situations. Too often, politicians call members of the other party enemies or adversaries. Yet they also call Saddam Hussein an enemy. Clearly, there is a difference.

"One's enemies or adversaries want something different than what one wants. But Democrats and Republicans, with regard to most issues, want the same things; it is mainly over policy matters that they differ. For example, they all want minorities to succeed; the differernce is whether affirmative action aids minority success or hinders it. There are some issues in which they clearly have different objectives; it is on these that the word "enemy" is justified. The clarification of these two different positions would help in understanding the differences (policies or objectives) and thus where the room for compromise is.

"Another example might serve to illuminate: two players on the Denver Broncos both want to win, but one thinks they should play a zone defense the other a prevent defense. They are not enemies, in the way that a Jets player, who wants the Broncos to lose, is their enemy. Is there a word to describe someone who wants to reach the same goal but has a different belief about how to reach that goal?"