Letters to the Editor for Wednesday, November 15, 2006

European and Mideast editions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: These are the letters that appeared in each edition of Stripes on this publication date. Click here to jump ahead to the Pacific edition letters)

No need to control population

What evolution tree did the writer of “World population a problem” (letter, Nov. 7) fall out of?

Where does he come off putting a quota on how many children anyone can have, even if it is a suggestion? Any right-thinking individual can tell he has been influenced by the Chinese government, Planned Parenthood and some European birth control group. If he wants to do his part in controlling the world’s population, then be my guest.

If it’s crowded where he lives … move. There is plenty of space in any direction he goes. Just because he or some group of scientists think we don’t have the “technology” to keep up with the supply and demand of the world’s needs doesn’t make them right. Granted, you may have to forage for yourself, because you can’t get the technology to deliver to your friendly neighborhood desert, jungle or arctic grocery store to stock the shelves. That doesn’t mean we need to drastically come up with plans to control the population.

There are those who think we need to do something about population control before it’s too late. They need to take a few steps back, take a few deep breaths. Calm down. Take a chill pill and get away from those books they’re reading or those shows they’re watching and come to gripes with common sense reasoning.

Start taking an interest in my book, the Bible, and get a reality grip on your life.

First Sgt. Frederic A. Smith Jr.
Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq

Iraq’s possible WMD

The writer of “Iraq war wastes tax dollars” (letter, Nov. 10) speaks with an air of confidence, but she may want to do some homework.

I assume that she missed the article “CIA can’t rule out WMD move to Syria,” published by The Washington Times on April 27, 2005. In it, the CIA chief weapons inspector and head of the Iraq Survey Group, Charles Duelfer, is quoted as saying, “ISG (Iraq Survey Group) was unable to complete its investigation and is unable to rule out the possibility that WMD (weapons of mass destruction) was evacuated to Syria before the war.” He noted that “ISG received information about movement of material out of Iraq, including the possibility that WMD was involved. In the judgment of the working group, these reports were sufficiently credible to merit further investigation.”

Also notable are the statements of former Republican Guard Gen. Georges Sada and retired Marine Lt. Gen. Michael Delong, who have made similar claims in their books, “Saddam’s Secrets” and “Inside CentCom,” respectively.

In regard to the letter writer’s statement about the war causing others to hate America, I suggest, as the saying goes, “What’s right isn’t always popular, and what’s popular isn’t always right.” If she is seriously hoping for a “free flow of oil from Iraq,” then she misses the point entirely.

Spc. Michael J. Sanchez
Camp Ramadi, Iraq

Not impressed with award

The Air Force aircrew mentioned in “Airmen win trophy for Iraq flight” (article, Nov. 8) received the coveted Clarence Mackay Trophy for landing at an airport, after flying below the 1,500-foot cloud layer.

Every night, my Army colleagues and I fly to Hit, Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdad, Taji, Balad and elsewhere at or below 500 feet, using night-vision goggles, for six hours straight. Our medevac comrades fly in truly miserable weather whenever the call comes in, often without the benefit of a paved landing area.

And the Air Force provides its “coveted” award, again, for landing an aircraft (that, by the way, can land on unimproved surfaces) at an airport. Somehow, I’m not impressed.

Perhaps it is stories such as these that have led the Department of Defense to ask the armed services to define a single standard for valor, a quality I have thankfully not yet been called upon to demonstrate.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 David B. Higginbotham
Al Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq

Do away with pogs

Why is it that the Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, post exchange has prices that end in anything other than a 5 or a 0. It has no ability to give pennies as change, only pogs.

If we pay no taxes on any product, doesn’t it make sense just to end every price in a 5 or a 0 to prevent totals that cannot be paid or change given with pogs?

1st Lt. Donna Mackanics
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait 

Pacific edition

A reason for EO training

After I read “Why run article on gays?” (letter, Nov. 1), I realized why we endure long hours of Equal Opportunity training every quarter: Some people still don’t get it.

The letter writer was so offended by the mere mention of homosexuality that he took time out of wartime duties to write. He offered two weak excuses: that it has no military relevance and that he resented the “attempt to push the homosexual agenda on the military population.” Neither holds any water.

If the author reads Stars and Stripes, he’s noticed the many articles that have nothing to do with the military. I’ve seen pieces on Britney Spears, celebrity divorces and self-aware elephants. As for the assertion that homosexuality is inconsistent with the military lifestyle, the same could be argued for articles on competitive eating or increasing beer sales. At least being gay won’t make you die of a heart attack at 30, like downing 97 Krystal burgers in one sitting.

The “pushing agendas” comment made even less sense. What about the blatantly biased political cartoons? Only a couple of them are entertaining; some are anti-military. Where’s the captain’s outrage over Stripes pushing the baby boomer agenda with stories or financial problems among the elderly? Where’s his outcry against cartoons mocking the government? Where is his concern for review of racist, violent music?

You know where mine is? Nowhere. I understand that free speech and the right to pursue happiness mean I won’t always like what is said or done by others within the bounds of law. The article was tastefully and compassionately written. If he was so offended by it, he could have turned the page. Free speech also means he doesn’t have to listen to or read opinions he doesn’t agree with.

Spc. Khai Krumbhaar
Camp Buehring, Kuwait

Packages never arrive

Since I have been in Baghdad, several soldiers in my unit, including myself, have not received boxed mail that was sent to us via the home front or a company from which we ordered items online.

Now, these boxes never made it back to the original senders, so where are our boxes? I don’t want to think someone is taking from the hard-working soldiers of the armed services, but all evidence is pointing to the fact that the boxes make it into Iraq, but are not forwarded to the soldiers.

I have paid good money for items to be shipped to me but have never received my products. It is becoming a frustrating, ongoing problem for soldiers.

I have done tracking on boxes from home, via the U.S. Postal Service Web site, and it has indicated that my boxes made it to Iraq but never got from the USPS in Iraq to our unit.

Can someone look into this problem that seems to be getting worse? Morale gets really low when a soldier expects something and never receives it.

Staff Sgt. R. Dalene Smith
Baghdad