On Sunday the BND reprinted a column by Slate writer Will Oremus asking why we don't have trains like Japan. Let me answer with several reasons.

America is a continent, not a large island like Japan. Our distances are vast indeed. We need to travel at 500 mph through the air, not 200 to 300 mph on the ground.

Air travel doesn't require a fixed roadway so routes and destinations can be adjusted to meet demand at a moment's notice.

No matter how much the liberals want us to live in crowded cities. we prefer suburbs, large lots with large homes, and the roads that take us just about anywhere we want to go.

Finally, trains are futuristic? Really? In Cornelius Vanderbilt's time maybe.

Gary Duff

Swansea