Infrastructure Software

My backspace key works with xterm not but with a regular terminal session. if I add "stty erase <backspace>" to my .profile then the backspace does not work in my xterm window. Does anyone have a script that I can put in my .profile which will make this work with either type of window? It will save me from being commited for having to type stty erase every time I login or hold down the cntrl key when I make a typing mistake.