This week's winner is Lucinda McBurney of Anchorage, who wrote in response to an editorial cartoon that at least one reader thought disparaged the families of troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She both clarified the intent of the cartoon and reminded us that for most Americans, the burden of war has been light.

Her letter, "Toll of war lost on general public," ran April 25 and read, in part:

"The people in the background are not his family or relatives of anyone in the service. They represent the part of the American public largely uninvolved with fighting these wars. By and large the public has not had to sacrifice to support these wars or the troops. Their efforts are limited to largely cosmetic gestures like yellow ribbons or mentioning the troops in advertising.

Sacrifices and risks of the past like the draft, gasoline and food rationing and diversion of resources to the war effort brought the pain of war much closer to home."

Monday will be all letters again. Please keep writing, and thanks.

-- Frank Gerjevic