Regarding the April 28 article “Afghan pilot kills 9 Americans in Kabul”: To put it mildly, this is a tragic incident that sickens anyone reading about it.

Whether anyone believes this was a planned assault or not, it gives reinforcement to being on guard at all times. Sometimes that won’t make a difference, but security measures should always be implemented and updated.

This tactic of Afghan troops and security forces killing Americans and NATO troops has gained traction. If this wasn’t a planned assault, but a “bar fight,” what could have been done to avoid the carnage? An important detail left out of the story — what happened to the shooter?

Dan Voegeli

Southeast Asia

Remove labels to better U.S.

Everyone has a label attached to them today. These labels are placed on us by virtue of our political beliefs (left-leaning, right-wing, liberal, conservative, moderate) and by virtue of our race (African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American).

Most of these labels describe not only who we are, but how we believe. Unfortunately, they have become a way to vilify anyone who does not look or think like we do. This leads to a different form of communication where two sides just throw labels at the other side instead of finding a way to fix problems.

Now that the 2012 election cycle is beginning, more and more labels will be used to denounce groups of people to further the “best interest” of other groups.

To truly fix the mess our great nation is in, we must remove these labels and work together as Americans to set the course straight.

Chief Petty Officer Timothy Martin

Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily

Migrated