Submitted by Michael McCutcheon from Orlando, FL

Q: I do not blame Muslims or President Obama for Ft. Hood but I am concerned that PC had something to do with it. Do you feel PC and being afraid to question this solider about early signs had something to do with this. The racist accusation is thrown around this country alot , sometimes with merit other times with no merit.

Answered 11/18/09 14:14:47 by Leonard Pitts

A: I think there may be something to the question of whether the military, overly-sensitive to the appearance of bias, missed or ignored the warning signs with regard to the Fort Hood shooter; I'd want to see more definitive information before I drew a conclusion. But, as you say, it's a long way from there to makig him out to be "every Muslim."

Submitted by Leroy from Winston-Salem

Q: You have stated that you are opposed to capital punishment. Are you then pro life? Thank you

Answered 11/18/09 14:12:55 by Leonard Pitts

A: I think everybody this side of Jeffrey Dahmer is pro-life, actually. I've always found that a problematic term. Very few people are anti-life.

Submitted by sindulfo from coral gables florida

Q: WHY ARE YOU ASHAMED OF BEING BLACK?

Answered 11/18/09 14:12:01 by Leonard Pitts

A: Remember how your elementary school teacher once told you there were no stupid questions? She was wrong.

Submitted by Diana from Miami

Q: Have you read the history of the Dominican Republic? perhaps not. We in the Caribbean consider ourselves mixed and not black or white, like in the US. We are Dominican with a mix of hispanic and indian, and black of course. Sammy doesn't have to "feel white", we don't have that sentiment against one another, like here. He's just selling a product Mr. Pitts!

Answered 11/18/09 14:11:17 by Leonard Pitts

A: Never been to the Dominican Republic, I'm afraid, but I did spend some time in Brazil a couple years ago where people made much the same argument to me. At least, light skinned people made the same argument (i.e., there is no color, there is no race). Dark-skinned people, meanwhile, reported experiencing the same old discrimination dark-skinned people always report. Which suggests to me - big surprise - that there are two realities and the first is unaware of the second.

Submitted by Alex Plasencia from Clemson, SC

Q: In your opinion, has there been a more defining event with regards to race in Miami, than the 1980 race riots and the murder of Arthur McDuffie?

Answered 11/18/09 14:08:53 by Leonard Pitts

A: I'm inexpert in Miami racial history, but I'd also add the snub of Nelson Mandela to any list of defining events.

Submitted by Adam_W from Miami, FL

Q: So I'm thinking about getting back into comic books, but not in the way I was back in my teenage years. I think I'd like to try things that are deeper and grittier- less about cool powers and more about internal struggles and the blurring of the line between good and evil. I picked up a few things by Alan Moore when I was in Orlando, although I still want to get The Killing Joke. At the Miami Book Fair I picked up three volumes of an indie comic called Brother Man: Dictator of Discipline (inner city defense attorney by day, crime fighter when necessary). I'm also planning to pick up the trade paperback of No Hero (tagline: "How badly do you want to become a super hero?"). So, given all that, do you have any recommendations for me?

Answered 11/18/09 14:08:18 by Leonard Pitts

A: Believe it or not, I think you'd like the Civil War series Marvel did (it's available in trade paperback.)

Submitted by Judith from Miami, Florida

Q: I rarely have time to read the paper. Today I had the opportunity to not only read your column but the comments about it made online. Americans have not yet understood what 911 was all about. We keep isolating ourselves in trying to force the rest of the world to be like us. We think that your society is perfect and lack the vision to understand that other cultures have something good to offer. We fill ourselves with price in saying "our" country but fail to see that it is the diversity of our country that has made it great. We all have something to offer to the other even though we are not same, don't eat the same, don't think the same. When we stop try to force our culture onto others the cycle of hate will stop. I know that it is said that one bad apple spoils the crop. But if we take care of the apple before it spoils we will have a perfect crop. This is something to be done by us, the individual, not something that the government or the law enforcement agencies can do for us. Thank you for making the effort to open people's eyes to what really matters. God bless you!

Answered 11/11/09 13:41:12 by Leonard Pitts

A: I tend to agree with most of what you've said, but I'd draw the line at co-signing your belief that when we stop trying to "force" our culture upon others, "the cycle of hate will stop." I believe geopolitical interests, greed, historical grudges and other factors also play a role in the enmity of others.

Submitted by Paul from Ft. Lauderdale

Q: So..newspapers are dying. And the 24-hour news cycle means that most of what passes for journalistic news is made up. I remember reading that 75% of emails are spam-related and it seems that the same percentage of news articles or shows could be 'spam' mascarading as news. What I think the news media needs is something similar to the "USDA choice" label. Perhaps articles that pass the tenants of journalistic integrity would get this label. From a web perspective, people like myself would be able to identify news vs. opinion so that we can get the facts when we want it or laugh with Rush L. when we want. What do you think?

Answered 11/11/09 13:27:42 by Leonard Pitts

A: I think that's an interesting idea in principle; I've long wanted to see some organization or body that could give a journalistic seal of approval (other than awards, I mean) to seprate real reportage from the multitude of frauds out there. As a former arts critic, I find often find myself particularly infuriated at seeing ads for some stinker film that claim "critics agree" it's the best movie of the year. If you bother to look closely, you'll always find the "critics" are always hacks from some outlet you never heard of, and that some are even on the studio payroll. That said, I don't know how you'd ever get a USDA for journalism to work in practice. I can see three immediate problems: 1. Journalists, a notoriously prickly bunch, would likely chafe at the idea of being asked to submit to some governing body for its seal of approval; 2. Given the sheer amount of reporting that is produced, how could any such body ever hope to keep up with it? 3. Considering that timeliness is crucial (if it comes out too late, it is, by definition, no longer "news") no news room worthy of the name would agree to add a new layer of delay between itself and publication or broadcast. Maybe, though, if we were talking about giving said stamp of approval to individual news organizations (maybe subject to annual renewal) you might be on to something.

Submitted by Pablo Lopez from Tampa, FL

Q: Should abortion be legal? Does who oppose abortion do it based only on religion or do they have a good point? Thank you, Sir

Answered 11/11/09 13:19:05 by Leonard Pitts

A: You may count me as a rather conflicted supporter of aboriton rights.

Submitted by steven j oltermann from white stone va

Q: just one more comment, re hair and fashion: I was in Costa Rica several years ago, and was surprised and somewhat disapointed to see that the young and dark skinned women in that country were basically doing the same thing, dressed and coiffed to mimic the most recent fashion magazine(though it looked like they were getting their magazines 4 or 5 years later than the US). Our biggest export is our popular culture; which I think is why we are hated in the muslim world.

Answered 11/11/09 13:18:38 by Leonard Pitts

A: You're right about the omnipresence of our culture. I find myself torn between a kind of pride that our way of life is so widely admired and emulated and a kind of embarrassment for the same reasons. I was in Warsaw for the first time a few years ago, eager to soak up some Polish culture. But whose image do I see taking up the side of a buiiding as the bus drives through the city center? Allen Iverson. Thankfully, I did manage to find someplace to eat that night other than the nearby McDonald's. I think our culture tends to crowd out and drown out others.