10/05/98 A PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR PARTIES

A PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR PARTIES

Your asking whether the GOP is ''Still the party of big business?'' (Government, Sept. 14) overlooks the notion that religion is as much a business as the rest of the ''nonprofit'' sector, which provides a huge market for labor and materials. My problem with the religious right is that it uses its clout to impose its views on others, including nonbelievers. For instance, some insist that terminally ill people suffer indescribable pain, rather than allowing individuals the right to seek assistance in ending their lives.

Mack A. Moore
Atlanta

Your article was a clarion call for a third party in the Year 2000 Presidential election without even hinting at the possibility. On economic issues, I consider myself a moderate conservative; on social issues, a moderate liberal. With both parties dominated by their extreme factions, I may not vote at all.
I have long been hoping for a moderate party dedicated to a pragmatic agenda and devoid of idealistic zealotry. If such a party could be formed, it would be a boon to broad-minded Americans. It would also be a good place for Corporate America to invest its political-action-committee money.

Martin I. Selling
Phoenix