In response to the Oct. 27 letter "Nobel prize not a joke": If the writer had been referring to the prizes for chemistry or literature or physics or any of the other categories, I would agree 100 percent. But their peace prize is a sham, guided solely by European leftist politics.

Giving this prize to a murderous, thuggish terrorist such as Yassir Arafat? A joke. Giving it to a monumental hypocrite such as Al Gore for a shoddy documentary of pseudoscience? A joke. Giving a prize to someone who was eligible for 5 percent of the period covered by the award and who really accomplished nothing related to the award during that time? A joke.

I sincerely hope that our president makes strides toward peace during his tenure. But to honor him simply because he may possibly, against the odds, actually do that? A joke.

Senior Master Sgt. James KingBarksdale Air Force Base, La.